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← CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE GOVERNANCE RESEARCH

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE GOVERNANCE RESEARCH.

Totals

Total revenue
$3,225,879
Total expenses
$2,934,470
Contributions and grants received
$3,069,061
Grants paid
$403,699
Program service revenue
$34,954
Investment income
$91,785
Other revenue
$30,079
Total assets, end of year
$3,514,503
Total liabilities, end of year
$506,803
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$3,007,700
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,516,677
Management and general expenses
$270,934
Fundraising expenses
$146,859
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,516,677

Program services were 85.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $3,069,061

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $360,738

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Conference

    total $34,954 · related or exempt $34,954

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $91,795 · excluded $91,795

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $780,516

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $780,526

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities -$10

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total -$10 · excluded -$10

  • 11a · Other revenue: Other Income

    total $30,079 · excluded $30,079

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $30,079

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $51,000 · program services $51,000

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $352,699 · program services $352,699

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $172,915 · program services $121,385 · management and general $32,436 · fundraising $19,094

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $659,813 · program services $463,259 · management and general $123,720 · fundraising $72,834

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $33,350 · program services $23,384 · management and general $6,273 · fundraising $3,693

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $52,948 · program services $37,126 · management and general $9,959 · fundraising $5,863

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $67,388 · program services $47,251 · management and general $12,675 · fundraising $7,462

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $7,493 · management and general $7,493

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $45,080 · management and general $45,080

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $860,833 · program services $829,990 · management and general $15,033 · fundraising $15,810

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $31,302 · program services $31,302

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $22,068 · program services $12,077 · management and general $8,671 · fundraising $1,320

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $14,720 · program services $14,720

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $6,727 · program services $6,362 · management and general $180 · fundraising $185

  • 17 · Travel

    total $243,810 · program services $228,212 · fundraising $15,598

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $274,203 · program services $269,203 · fundraising $5,000

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $3,261 · management and general $3,261

  • 24a · Other expenses: Dues and subscriptions

    total $18,626 · program services $12,473 · management and general $6,153

  • 24b · Other expenses: Interns

    total $16,234 · program services $16,234

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $743,751 · end of year $407,401

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $421,932 · end of year $1,322,425

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $471,254

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $2,172 · end of year $86,511

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $2,007,428 · end of year $1,226,912

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $6,946 · end of year $3,885

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $452,046 · end of year $502,918

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,716,291 · end of year $2,536,446

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $471,254

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

We work with entrepreneurs, investors, policy experts, governments, humanitarians and new city developers to build a common understanding of charter cities and create relationships which can work toward implementing charter cities. Our goal is to lift tens of millions of people out of poverty by helping incubate dozens of charter cities around the world.

Activities or mission (Part I)

The Center for Innovative Governance Research is building the future of governance by creating the ecosystem for charter cities.

  • African Urban Lab - In 2025, the Africa Urban Lab (AUL) expanded its work in urban education, research, and policy engagement across Africa. AUL graduated the inaugural cohort of 38 professionals from 10 countries in its Professional Diploma in Urban Development and welcomed a second cohort of 50 students from 15 countries, reflecting strong demand for applied urban training and supported by 33 full scholarships and additional tuition waivers. The organization also strengthened knowledge exchange by hosting two public talks, participating in 11 international conferences and policy forums, and launching the Economics of Greenfield Urban Planning working paper series. In addition, AUL established new institutional initiatives, including the University Coalition on Curricula for Cities (UCCC) to modernize urban planning education in East Africa and the Urban Expansion and the Periphery (UXP) program to support evidence-based planning with municipal partners.

    Expenses $1,306,739 · Grants $314,699

  • Events and Media - The New Cities Summit in Nairobi, Kenya brought together 400+ delegates, 87 speakers, 14 panels, 7 keynotes, 7 Cities Catapult pitches, 5 side events, and 19 sponsors. This event serves as the annual catalyst for the charter cities movement. Additionally, CCI staff spoke at and attended dozens of other events throughout the year to promote charter cities.

    Expenses $726,672 · Grants $89,000 · Revenue $34,954

  • Special Projects - In 2025 CCI worked together with stakeholders from several new city projects including Astra (Kazakhstan), Sherbro Island (Sierra Leonne), and an upcoming project in Antigua. Additionally, CCI authored guidance and provided expert advice to other potential founders and projects.

    Expenses $483,266

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Dr Mark Lutter

    Executive Director, Board Chairman

    Total calculated
    $172,916
    From this org
    $151,010
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,906
    Hours/week
    25

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $151,010
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $15,120
    Nontaxable benefits
    $6,786
    Filer's total
    $172,916

  • Dan Grossman

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • WGyude Moore

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Professor Leonard Wantchekon

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • David Nott

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Michael Holstein

    Head of Communications

    Total calculated
    $159,699
    From this org
    $136,158
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $23,541
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $136,158
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $8,327
    Nontaxable benefits
    $15,214
    Filer's total
    $159,699

  • John Hoyt

    Head of Operations

    Total calculated
    $123,842
    From this org
    $108,616
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $15,226
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
16 April 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.1
Source object
202631079349300013

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