Form 990 for tax year 2024
Filed by PIONEER INSTITUTE INC.
This return was superseded by a later amendment. matched by us It is kept because history is preserved rather than replaced.
What the amendment changed
Compared with the latest return for 2024 , filed 12 June 2026. matched by us Only the Part I totals and the names listed in Part VII are compared. We relate returns by organization, tax year and form, and order them by each return's own timestamp; the filer's own "amended return" checkbox is a separate fact.
- Total revenue
- $5,946,434 changed to $7,314,648
- Total expenses
- $4,694,380 changed to $5,827,893
- Contributions and grants received
- $3,343,070 changed to $3,265,745
- Grants paid
- $0 changed to $885,500
- Program service revenue
- $2,100,903 changed to $3,485,741
- Investment income
- $229,205 changed to $188,035
- Other revenue
- $273,256 changed to $375,127
- Total assets, end of year
- $9,427,349 changed to $11,078,748
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $222,039 changed to $462,206
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $9,205,310 changed to $10,616,542
- Program services expenses
- $3,290,098 changed to $4,362,271
- Management and general expenses
- $359,476 changed to $386,705
- Fundraising expenses
- $1,044,806 changed to $1,078,917
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $3,290,098 changed to $4,362,271
Listed only on the earlier return
- BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE
- C BRUCE JOHNSTONE
- CHRIS diBONAVENTURA
- ED GLAESER
- ELLEN ROY HERZFELDER
- FREDERICK CLIFFORD
- M HOLT MASSEY
- MICHAEL KENNEALY
- PETER WILDE
Listed only on the later return
- CATHERINE CASTELLANO
- CHRIS DI BONAVENTURA
- EDWARD GLAESER
- FRED CLIFFORD
- HOLT MASSEY
- JAKE JACOBSON
- JOHN LALIBERTE
- ROBER MASHAL
Listed under a different title
- JAMIE GASS: Director of PioneerEducation then DIRECTOR OF PIONEEREDUCATI
- MARY Z CONAUGHTON: Chief Operating Officer then CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER/CLERK
Totals
- Total revenue
- $5,946,434
- Total expenses
- $4,694,380
- Contributions and grants received
- $3,343,070
- Grants paid
- $0
- Program service revenue
- $2,100,903
- Investment income
- $229,205
- Other revenue
- $273,256
- Total assets, end of year
- $9,427,349
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $222,039
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $9,205,310
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $3,290,098
- Management and general expenses
- $359,476
- Fundraising expenses
- $1,044,806
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $3,290,098
Program services were 70.1% 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.
-
1a · Federated campaigns
$0
-
1b · Membership dues
$0
-
1c · Fundraising events
$0
-
1d · Related organizations
$0
-
1e · Government grants (contributions)
$0
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$3,343,070
-
1g · Noncash contributions included above
$277,328
-
2a · Program service revenue: PIONEER EDUCATION
total $444,350 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
2b · Program service revenue: PIONEER OPPORTUNITY
total $71,000 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
2c · Program service revenue: PIONEER HEALTHCARE
total $487,500 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
2d · Program service revenue: PIONEERLEGAL LLC
total $595,718 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
2e · Program service revenue: OUTREACH & PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
total $150,000 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
2f · All other program service revenue
total $352,335 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
3 · Investment income
total $229,205 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
5 · Royalties
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
6a · Gross rents
real property $0 · personal property $0
-
6b · Less rental expenses
real property $0 · personal property $0
-
6c · Rental income or loss
real property $0 · personal property $0
-
6d · Net rental income or loss
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory
securities $0 · other assets $0
-
7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses
securities $0 · other assets $0
-
7c · Gain or loss
securities $0 · other assets $0
-
7d · Net gain or loss
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
8a · Fundraising events: gross income
$209,828
-
8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c
$0
-
8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses
$27,178
-
8c · Net income from fundraising events
total $182,650 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
9a · Gaming: gross income
$0
-
9b · Gaming: direct expenses
$0
-
9c · Net income from gaming
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
10a · Gross sales of inventory
$0
-
10b · Cost of goods sold
$0
-
10c · Net income from sales of inventory
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
11a · Other revenue: TICKET & BOOK SALES
total $90,606 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
11b · Other revenue
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
11c · Other revenue
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
11d · All other revenue
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$90,606
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $0 · program services $0
-
2 · Grants to domestic individuals
total $0 · program services $0
-
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals
total $0 · program services $0
-
4 · Benefits paid to or for members
total $0 · program services $0
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $1,088,862 · program services $640,168 · management and general $112,301 · fundraising $336,392
-
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons
total $1,729,796 · program services $1,234,118 · management and general $68,712 · fundraising $426,967
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
11a · Fees: management
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
11d · Fees: lobbying
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services
total $0 · fundraising $0
-
11f · Fees: investment management
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
11g · Fees: other
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $260,456 · program services $229,119 · management and general $4,715 · fundraising $26,622
-
13 · Office expenses
total $272,761 · program services $152,614 · management and general $58,012 · fundraising $62,135
-
14 · Information technology
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
15 · Royalties
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
16 · Occupancy
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
17 · Travel
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $258,331 · program services $171,693 · management and general $45,137 · fundraising $41,501
-
20 · Interest
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
21 · Payments to affiliates
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $35,060 · program services $25,407 · management and general $1,752 · fundraising $7,901
-
23 · Insurance
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
24a · Other expenses: PRINTING & PUBLICATIONS
total $112,650 · program services $68,880 · management and general $1,970 · fundraising $41,800
-
24b · Other expenses: RESEARCH
total $341,821 · program services $339,321 · management and general $0 · fundraising $2,500
-
24c · Other expenses: CONSULTANTS
total $442,843 · program services $346,320 · management and general $30,227 · fundraising $66,296
-
24d · Other expenses: STAFF BUSINESS EXPENSE
total $60,334 · program services $32,458 · management and general $1,942 · fundraising $25,934
-
24e · All other expenses
total $91,466 · program services $50,000 · management and general $34,708 · fundraising $6,758
-
26 · Joint costs (an allocation of the lines above)
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $772,417 · end of year $946,015
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
beginning of year $1,008,050 · end of year $481,314
-
3 · Pledges and grants receivable
beginning of year $191,750 · end of year $987,801
-
4 · Accounts receivable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
7 · Other notes and loans receivable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
8 · Inventories for sale or use
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $76,127 · end of year $153,854
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$1,303,630
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$519,385
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $744,354 · end of year $784,245
-
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities
beginning of year $4,685,940 · end of year $6,074,120
-
12 · Investments: other securities
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
13 · Investments: program-related
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
14 · Intangible assets
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
15 · Other assets
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $207,863 · end of year $222,039
-
18 · Grants payable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
19 · Deferred revenue
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
20 · Tax-exempt bond liabilities
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
21 · Escrow or custodial account liability
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $5,255,979 · end of year $6,783,656
-
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions
beginning of year $2,014,796 · end of year $2,421,654
Mission and programs · 2024
Mission
PIONEER INSTITUTE DEVELOPS AND COMMUNICATES DYNAMIC IDEAS THAT ADVANCE PROPSERITY AND A VIBRANT CIVIC LIFE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND BEYOND. PIONEER BELIEVES THAT AMERICA IS AT ITS BEST WHEN OUR CITIZENRY IS WELL-EDUCATED COMMITTED TO LIBERTY PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND FREE ENTERPRISE AND BOTH WILLING AND ABLE TO TEST THEIR BELIEFS BASED ON FACTS.
Activities or mission (Part I)
PIONEER INSTITUTE DEVELOPS AND COMMUNCATES DYNAMIC IDEAS THAT ADVANCE PROSPERITY AND A VIBRANT CIVIC LIFE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND BEYOND. THROUGH ITS SUBSIDIARY PIONEERLEGAL LLC PIONEER ALSO ADVANCES ITS MISSION THROUGH LITIGATION AND THE FILING OF AMICUS BRIEFS
-
PIONEER EDUCATION & CIVICS builds on Pioneers legacy as a leader in the charter public school movement and a champion of greater academic rigor in Massachusetts schools to promote education reform through data-driven research lively forums opinion pieces and public testimony.Pioneer promotes high-quality academic standards and a portfolio of public and private school choice options including charter schools regional vocational-technical schools. inter-district school choice programs tax credit strategies to increase access to private and parochial education for economically disadvantaged youth and expanded virtual learning programs. Through MassWatch Pioneer s suite of transparency tools parents can learn about their local public schools and school district review their performance and compare them with other schools from across Massachusetts.
Expenses $899,463 · Revenue $444,350
-
PIONEERHEALTH aims to refocus the Massachusetts conversation about healthcare costs away from government-imposed solutions toward market-based state reforms. The centers research and programs aim to make healthcare pricing more transparent. Under its Life Sciences Initiative Pioneer explores innovative drug pricing mechanisms and the impact of one size fits all approaches to healthcare value assessments and reviews ways to ensure a robust pipeline of therapies that are affordable to patients.
Expenses $655,431 · Revenue $487,500
-
PIONEER OPPORTUNITY seeks to strengthen Massachusetts economic competitiveness and promote economic mobility through programs that improve business climate tax competitiveness and regulations support business and job growth especially in urban areas and advance the quality and efficiency of public transportation services. Pioneer originated IRS Data Discovery and Labor Analytics public facing on-line tools that provides policy-makers the media and the general public timely and accurate economic information and analyses. Pioneer also does research on the important role of immigrant entrepreneurs.
Expenses $708,753 · Revenue $71,000
-
PIONEERLEGAL is a nonpartisan public interest law organization whose purpose is to undertake legal & educational efforts including litigation and policy advocacy to enable people to prosper and society to thrive in connection with defending and promoting excellence in educational outcomes transparent and accountable government humane and economically beneficial immigration policies inclusive & effective transportation systems and generally promoting economic opportunity across New England.
Expenses $349,244 · Revenue $595,718
-
Withheld by Nonprofiteer: this text may name a private individual.
Expenses $105,582 · Revenue $225,000
-
PIONEER PUBLIC OUTREACH includes all communication activities related to sharing our research and programs with the public.
Expenses $571,625 · Revenue $150,000
As filed on the 2024 return. A text marked withheld matched a screen for wording that may name a private individual, such as an honorific or "in memory of". Most of what it withholds names no one; it is withheld so that what does is never shown.
Listed in Part VII
-
SARA JOHNSON
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
BRIAN SHORTSLEEVE
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
DREW DAVIS
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
MICHAEL BROWN
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
MICHAEL KENNEALY
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
JIM JOSLIN
Treasurer
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
JAMES STERGIOS
Executive Director
- Total calculated
- $420,784
- From this org
- $386,366
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $34,418
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $386,366
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $34,418
- Filer's total
- $420,784
-
MARY Z CONAUGHTON
Chief Operating Officer
- Total calculated
- $288,014
- From this org
- $247,358
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $40,656
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $247,358
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $40,656
- Filer's total
- $288,014
-
WILLIAM SMITH
Director Life Sciences
- Total calculated
- $246,438
- From this org
- $202,003
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $44,435
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $0 + $202,003 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $0 + $44,435 related
- Filer's total
- $0 + $246,438 related
-
JAMIE GASS
Director of PioneerEducation
- Total calculated
- $215,614
- From this org
- $177,798
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $37,816
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $177,798
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $37,816
- Filer's total
- $215,614
-
FRANK BAILEY
President of PioneerLegal
- Total calculated
- $156,000
- From this org
- $0
- From related orgs
- $150,000
- Other
- $6,000
- Hours/week
- 40
-
BRACKETT DENNISTON
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
BRIAN BRODERICK
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
ANDREW DAVIS
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
GARY CAMPBELL
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
C BRUCE JOHNSTONE
Director - Vice Chairperson
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
MARK RICKABAUGH
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
FREDERICK CLIFFORD
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
ADAM PORTNOY
Director - Chairperson
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
MARY MYERS KAUPPILA
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
M HOLT MASSEY
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
ROGER SERVISON
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
PETER WILDE
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
ELLEN ROY HERZFELDER
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
CHARLES HEWITT III
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
CHRIS diBONAVENTURA
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
ED GLAESER
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
MARK COHEN
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
KYLA de ASLA
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
ANDREW HORGAN
Chief Development Officer
- Total calculated
- $346,567
- From this org
- $301,154
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $45,413
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $301,154
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $45,413
- Filer's total
- $346,567
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 committee
- 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
- 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
- 2024
- Filed
- 7 August 2025
- IRS schema version
- 2024v5.1
- Source object
- 202532199349300303
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