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Nonprofiteer
← THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION INC

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$2,470,847
Total expenses
$1,492,717
Contributions and grants received
$2,345,062
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$122,651
Other revenue
$3,134
Total assets, end of year
$4,042,193
Total liabilities, end of year
$135,214
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$3,906,979
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$909,753
Management and general expenses
$297,579
Fundraising expenses
$285,385
Program service expenses (Part III)
$909,753

Program services were 60.9% 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

    $2,345,062

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $43,172

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $122,651 · excluded $122,651

  • 4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds

    total $0

  • 5 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $0

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $0

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $0

  • 9c · Net income from gaming

    total $0

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $0

  • 11a · Other revenue: Miscellaneous

    total $3,134 · excluded $3,134

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $3,134

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $0

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $0

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $0

  • 4 · Benefits paid to or for members

    total $0

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $236,260 · program services $119,595 · management and general $91,038 · fundraising $25,627

  • 6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

    total $0

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $710,644 · program services $465,360 · management and general $89,890 · fundraising $155,394

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $27,785 · program services $18,916 · management and general $2,835 · fundraising $6,034

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $15,508 · program services $8,786 · management and general $5,253 · fundraising $1,469

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $73,489 · program services $45,702 · management and general $13,701 · fundraising $14,086

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $0

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $0

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $20,665 · management and general $20,665

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $0

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $0

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $22,330 · management and general $22,330

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $51,910 · program services $44,787 · management and general $1,407 · fundraising $5,716

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $8,246 · program services $8,246

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $37,115 · program services $4,874 · management and general $9,689 · fundraising $22,552

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $48,575 · program services $20,886 · management and general $23,887 · fundraising $3,802

  • 15 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $68,395 · management and general $68,395

  • 17 · Travel

    total $68,325 · program services $42,003 · management and general $19,940 · fundraising $6,382

  • 18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials

    total $0

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $53,717 · program services $53,717

  • 20 · Interest

    total $0

  • 21 · Payments to affiliates

    total $0

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $0

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $6,614 · management and general $6,614

  • 24a · Other expenses: Dues & Memberships

    total $20,345 · program services $18,086 · management and general $1,413 · fundraising $846

  • 24b · Other expenses: Credit Card Fees

    total $15,476 · fundraising $15,476

  • 24c · Other expenses: Fees, Permits & Misc.

    total $7,318 · program services $212 · management and general $2,614 · fundraising $4,492

  • 24d · Other expenses: Shared Cost Allocation

    total $0 · program services $58,583 · management and general -$82,092 · fundraising $23,509

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $387,871 · end of year $704,213

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $50,000 · end of year $50,000

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    end of year $565,632

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    end of year $269

  • 5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

    end of year $0

  • 6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

    end of year $0

  • 7 · Other notes and loans receivable

    end of year $0

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $225 · end of year $0

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $26,051 · end of year $21,101

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $12,083

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $12,083

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    end of year $0

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $2,394,080 · end of year $2,659,730

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    end of year $0

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    end of year $0

  • 14 · Intangible assets

    end of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $80,933 · end of year $41,248

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $64,455 · end of year $92,540

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $85,954 · end of year $42,674

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,787,639 · end of year $3,313,347

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $1,112 · end of year $593,632

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

The National Center for Science Education NCSE is a not-for-profit organization that helps ensure students across the country receive an accurate and effective evolution and climate science education. We do this by supporting teachers with resources and best teaching practices by monitoring and mobilizing against efforts to undermine science education, whether at the statehouse or in the classroom and by engaging in research to understand, maintain, and improve science education. NCSE's supporters are scientists, teachers, and citizens with diverse political affiliations.

  • Science Education Outreach: Science Education Outreach: Our Science Education Outreach program worked to provide professional development opportunities to teachers around the country focused on its curriculum, Story Shorts, which are modular, flexible standards-aligned units of practice, and on its DataWISE science and media literacy tool and associated NCSE-developed activities. (Continued at Schedule O.)

    Expenses $440,277

  • Communications: NCSE is the go-to source for the public generally, and the news media in particular, for up-to-date information on threats to the integrity of the science classroom and proactive solutions to helping students better understand climate science and evolution. In 2025, we launched a podcast that focused on educating the public to dispel common misconceptions about climate change and evolution. Over two seasons and 17 episodes, the podcast was downloaded 18,000 times. (Continued at Schedule O.)

    Expenses $292,734

  • Catalyzing Action: Our longest-tenured program, Catalyzing Action monitors state and local actions affecting science education and is the go-to source for the public generally, and the news media in particular, for up-to-date information on threats to the integrity of the science classroom. (Continued at Schedule O.)

    Expenses $112,110

  • Investigating Science Education: In 2025, the Investigating Science Education program started to unpack the results of its 2024 survey of public school science educators addressing not only evolution and climate change but also the nature of science, published a book chapter offering a synoptic discussion of challenges to evolution and climate change education in the United States, and published two articles on evolution acceptance in collaboration with a team of outside researchers.

    Expenses $64,632

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

Listed in Part VII

  • Amanda Townley

    Executive Dir.

    Total calculated
    $184,525
    From this org
    $175,983
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $8,542
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $175,983
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $8,542
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $184,525
  • Glenn Branch

    Deputy Director

    Total calculated
    $150,314
    From this org
    $129,103
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,211
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $129,103
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $15,178
    Nontaxable benefits
    $6,033
    Filer's total
    $150,314
  • Paul Oh

    Communications Dir

    Total calculated
    $124,176
    From this org
    $113,611
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,565
    Hours/week
    40
  • Astrid Broertjes

    CFO

    Total calculated
    $95,138
    From this org
    $74,068
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,070
    Hours/week
    40
  • Kenneth Miller Director

    President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Michael Haas Director

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Sarah George Director

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Prosanta Chakrabarty

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Fouad Abd-el-Khalick

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Joseph Graves

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Maya Garcia

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Leonardo Banchik

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Prosanta Chakrabarty

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Marshall Shepherd

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Emily Sims

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Tom Mattzie

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5
  • Eric Rothschild

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

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 · Compensation survey or study
  • 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

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
24 August 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.1
Source object
202632369349300048

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