PALEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTION

EIN 15-0554849 ITHACA, NY

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Revenue 2023: $2,262,233
Expenses 2023: $3,226,395

Program services were 93.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection: 03
Classification: 2800
Street: 1259 TRUMANSBURG RD

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

DISSEMINATE HUMAN UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH. THE INSTITUTION CONDUCTS AND FACILITATES PALEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND COMMUNICATES KNOWLEDGE RESULTING FROM THIS RESEARCH. IT HOUSES, CURATES, AND MAKES AVAILABLE SPECIMEN COLLECTIONS AND A RESEARCH LIBRARY; PUBLISHES TECHNICAL AND POPULAR PALEONTOLOGICAL BOOKS AND JOURNALS; AND PROMOTES EDUCATION IN EARTH HISTORY AND PALEONTOLOGY BY PROVIDING EXHIBITS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND PROGRAMS TO SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS THROUGH THE MUSEUM OF THE EARTH.

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE PALEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTION (PRI) SERVES SOCIETY BY INCREASING AND DISSEMINATING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH. FOUNDED IN 1932, PRI HAS OUTSTANDING PROGRAMS IN RESEARCH, COLLECTIONS, PUBLICATIONS, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. PRI'S MUSEUM OF THE EARTH OPENED IN 2003 TO PROVIDE THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE OUR WORLD THROUGH A MIX OF SPECIMEN-RICH NATURAL HISTORY DISPLAYS, INTERACTIVE SCIENCE EXHIBITS, AND ART EXHIBITIONS. IN 2013, THE CAYUGA NATURE CENTER BECAME PRI'S NEWEST PUBLIC VENUE FOR EDUCATION. THE NATURE CENTER, FOUNDED IN 1981, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTDOOR EDUCATION. PRI'S GOAL IS TO TRANSFORM IT INTO A PREMIER EDUCATIONAL CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING ABOUT THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CAYUGA LAKE BASIN, INCLUDING CLIMATE CHANGE, ECOLOGY, AND THE LOCAL FAUNA AND FLORA, AS WELL AS HUMAN IMPACTS ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT.

THE MUSEUM'S 8,000-SQUARE-FOOT PERMANENT EXHIBITION TAKES VISITORS ON A JOURNEY THROUGH 4.5 BILLION YEARS OF HISTORY, FROM THE EARTH'S ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT DAY. THROUGH HANDS-ON, VISUAL EXHIBITIONS AND OUTREACH, THE MUSEUM OF THE EARTH ENCOURAGES CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT LIFE ON EARTH IN THE PAST AND TODAY, AND HOW OUR SPECIES IS AFFECTING THE NATURAL WORLD.

Expenses $3,010,026 · Revenue $420,107
THE NATURE CENTER CULTIVATES AN AWARENESS, APPRECIATION, AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE NATURAL WORLD THROUGH OUTDOOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.

Revenue $174,177

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2023

As listed in Part VII of the 2023 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

Beth MielbrechtBETH MIELBRECHT

BOARD PRESIDENT

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Chris McRobertsCHRIS MCROBERTS

FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR, T

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Lindsay AndersonLINDSAY ANDERSON

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Brian BauerBRIAN BAUER

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Patrick BearyPATRICK BEARY

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Rob BeutnerROB BEUTNER

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Ann Nancy BuddANN NANCY BUDD

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Phoebe CohenPHOEBE COHEN

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Nan Crystal ArensNAN CRYSTAL ARENS

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Linda C IvanyLINDA C IVANY

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Marvin PrittsMARVIN PRITTS

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Nigel HughesNIGEL HUGHES

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Matt PritchardMATT PRITCHARD

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Thomas CroninTHOMAS CRONIN

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Larry BaumLARRY BAUM

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Ken RotherKEN ROTHER

TRUSTEE

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Warren AllmonWARREN ALLMON

EXEC. DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

2023

Revenue

$2,262,233

Expenses

$3,226,395

Contributions

$1,618,431

Grants paid

$0
2022

Revenue

$3,370,824

Expenses

$3,108,807

Contributions

$2,793,692

Grants paid

$0

Tax year	Revenue	Expenses	Contributions	Grants paid
2023	$2,262,233	$3,226,395	$1,618,431	$0
2022	$3,370,824	$3,108,807	$2,793,692	$0

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

2023 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2022 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2021 · 990

Revenue

$4,472,998

Expenses

$3,034,487

Assets (EOY)

$8,655,150
2020 · 990

Revenue

$2,834,698

Expenses

$2,726,246

Assets (EOY)

$7,528,710
2020 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2019 · 990

Revenue

$2,833,653

Expenses

$3,041,484

Assets (EOY)

$7,511,542
2018 · 990

Revenue

$2,984,074

Expenses

$3,263,123

Assets (EOY)

$8,148,084
2017 · 990

Revenue

$3,023,133

Expenses

$2,924,124

Assets (EOY)

$8,487,479
2016 · 990

Revenue

$2,637,990

Expenses

$2,561,752

Assets (EOY)

$8,252,600
2015 · 990

Revenue

$2,377,977

Expenses

$2,505,726

Assets (EOY)

$8,366,809

Tax year	Form	Revenue	Expenses	Assets (EOY)
2023	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2022	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2021	990	$4,472,998	$3,034,487	$8,655,150
2020	990	$2,834,698	$2,726,246	$7,528,710
2020	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2019	990	$2,833,653	$3,041,484	$7,511,542
2018	990	$2,984,074	$3,263,123	$8,148,084
2017	990	$3,023,133	$2,924,124	$8,487,479
2016	990	$2,637,990	$2,561,752	$8,252,600
2015	990	$2,377,977	$2,505,726	$8,366,809

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

REI COOPERATIVE ACTION FUND

$150,000

2022 GENERAL SUPPORT
VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

$115,000

2023 FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
CORNELL UNIVERSITY

$111,451

2023 Research
MORGAN STANLEY GLOBAL IMPACT FUNDING TRUST INC

$90,000

2024 UNRESTRICTED GENERAL SUPPORT
CORNELL UNIVERSITY

$50,124

2022 RESEARCH
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF TOMPKINS COUNTY INC

$35,450

2025 COMMUNITY BUILDING-PHILANTHROPY
CORNELL UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

$35,000

2024 IN FURTHERANCE OF THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX EXEMPT MISSION
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

$33,000

2024 For grant recipient's exempt purposes
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

$22,875

2023 For grant recipient's exempt purposes
DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

$21,850

2024 ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Declared on its 2023 return

CAYUGA NATURE CENTER

501(C)(3) · ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION · NY

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 1 November 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2023, the newest we have parsed for this organization.