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Nonprofit · EIN 68-0492065

PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE

Tax-exempt · SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111

Financials

$33M$34.9M2023$41.3M$37M2024
Revenue Expenses · by fiscal year end
Financials of PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE by year, from its e-filed returns
Year endedFormRevenueExpensesNet incomeTotal assetsLiabilitiesNet assets
December 31, 2024990$41,335,403$36,985,422$4,349,981$32,799,863$9,775,427$23,024,436
December 31, 2023990$33,032,761$34,930,158-$1,897,397$24,736,549$6,516,531$18,220,018
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024

Revenue

Contributions, gifts and grants
$2,516,683
Program service revenue
$38,061,535
Investment income
$757,059
Royalties
$126
Net gain from sales of assets
-$35,691
Other revenue
$126

Expenses

Grants and similar amounts paid
$0
Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
$1,793,556
Other salaries and wages
$17,593,900
Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
$23,438,680
Professional fundraising fees
$0
Legal fees
$231,440
Accounting fees
$147,430
Occupancy
$922,239
Travel
$872,352
Depreciation
$171,161
Program services (functional)
$31,047,002
Management and general (functional)
$5,938,420

Balance sheet and other

Total assets, start of year
$24,736,549
Total assets, end of year
$32,799,863
Total liabilities, end of year
$9,775,427
Net assets, end of year
$23,024,436
Land, buildings and equipment
$168,609
Publicly traded securities
$16,324,996
Net assets without donor restrictions
$20,684,819
Net assets with donor restrictions
$2,339,617
Gross unrelated business income
$159,134
Gross receipts
$41,547,134
Employees
236
Volunteers
13,500
Year formed
2001
State of legal domicile
CA

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024, highest compensation first.

NameTitleHours / weekCompensationOther / benefits
ALISON MUDDITTCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Trustee or director, Officer
40$502,639$40,681
REBEKAH DARKSMITHCHIEF OF STAFF AND CHIEF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATI
Key employee
40$311,457$38,465
VERONIQUE KIERMERPUBLISHER & EXEC EDITOR
Key employee
40$314,457$25,845
KATHRYN MOTONAGACHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Officer
40$298,202$31,911
TOM SCOTTCHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER
Highest-paid employee
40$203,890$44,040
MATTHEW VALDEZPRIN. SW ENGINEER, PLATFORM & ENG
Highest-paid employee
40$202,081$29,467
SANDRA UPEGUIGEN. COUNSEL & CORPORATE SECRETARY
Officer
40$209,897$20,003
JAMES HARNEYSENIOR MANAGER, STRATEGIC RESEARCH
Highest-paid employee
40$208,987$8,530
JAYA DOBBYNCONTROLLER (THRU 04/24)
Highest-paid employee
40$200,535$12,567
NIAMH O'CONNORCHIEF PUBLISHING OFFICER
Highest-paid employee
40$204,320$6,204
AARON DODDSEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RESEARCH AND MGMT(THRU 01/2024)
Former
40$101,384$2,720
ALASTAIR ADAMBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
AMANDA ARMOURBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
SURESH BHATBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
ISRAEL BOROKINIBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
8 more people on this return
NameTitleHours / weekCompensation
FERNAN FEDERICIBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0
JENNY MACHIDABOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0
EMILY SENABOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0
STEVEN TOMBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0
SIMINE VAZIREBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0
KATHERINE WHITEBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0
RICHARD WILDERBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0
KEITH YAMAMOTOBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 24 people
NameTitleHours / weekCompensationOther / benefits
ALISON MUDDITTCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Trustee or director, Officer
40$473,616$42,311
VERONIQUE KIERMERPUBLISHER & EXEC EDITOR
Key employee
40$309,458$26,823
REBEKAH DARKSMITHCHIEF OF STAFF AND CHIEF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATI
Key employee
40$294,349$36,626
KATHRYN MOTONAGACHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Officer
40$296,797$22,056
AARON DODDSEXEC. DIRECTOR RESEARCH AND MGMT
Key employee
40$234,491$21,064
SANDRA UPEGUIGEN. COUNSEL & CORPORATE SECRETARY
Officer
40$205,517$19,282
MATTHEW VALDEZPRIN. SW ENGINEER, PLATFORM & ENG
Highest-paid employee
40$190,323$27,880
JAMES HARNEYSENIOR MANAGER, STRATEGIC RESEARCH
Highest-paid employee
40$204,948$10,110
NIAMH O'CONNORCHIEF PUBLISHING OFFICER
Key employee
40$208,713$6,217
LEVI LERNERDIRECTOR PMO
Highest-paid employee
40$195,471$19,182
JOSHUA GROCHALASTAFF SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Highest-paid employee
40$171,064$42,119
JAYA DOBBYNCONTROLLER
Highest-paid employee
40$172,598$28,250
TOM SCOTTCHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER
Key employee
40$163,400$29,114
ALASTAIR ADAMBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
SURESH BHATBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
ISRAEL BOROKINIBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
ARLENE ESPINALBOARD MEMBER (THRU 02/23)
Trustee or director
5$0$0
FERNAN FEDERICIBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
JENNY MACHIDABOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
EMILY SENABOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
STEVEN TOMBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
SIMINE VAZIREBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
RICHARD WILDERBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0
KEITH YAMAMOTOBOARD MEMBER
Trustee or director
5$0$0

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)
1265 BATTERY ST STE 200, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111-6216
In care of
% NICOLE SONG
Principal officer (990 for 2024)
KATHRYN MOTONAGA, 2112 CHESTNUT ST 310, ALHAMBRA, CA 91803
Signed the 990
KATHRYN MOTONAGA, CFO
Phone
(415) 624-1200
Return prepared by
ARMANINO ADVISORY LLC

California records

California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 68-0492065 or by the name PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE.

Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)

Mission

PLEASE SEE SCHEDULE O FOR COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.

990 for the year ended December 31, 2024

Program accomplishments

  • THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE (PLOS) ADVANCES ITS CHARITABLE PURPOSE BY DRIVING OPEN SCIENCE FORWARD WITH MEASURABLE, MEANINGFUL CHANGE IN RESEARCH PUBLISHING, POLICY, AND PRACTICE. WE PUBLISH A PORTFOLIO OF PEER-REVIEWED, OPEN ACCESS SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS, REMOVING FINANCIAL, LEGAL, AND TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO ACCESSING RESEARCH BY ENSURING THAT ALL ARTICLES AND ASSOCIATED DATA ARE FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WITHOUT SUBSCRIPTION FEES. DURING THE TAX YEAR, PLOS PUBLISHED APPROXIMATELY 20,000 PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES FROM AUTHORS IN 163 COUNTRIES ACROSS 14 SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND PROVIDED $5.7 MILLION IN PARTIAL OR FULL ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGE (APC) WAIVERS TO AUTHORS. 4A. LARGEST PROGRAM SERVICE (BY EXPENSES):SCIENCE AND MEDICAL PUBLISHING ARE THE CORE OF OUR PROGRAM EXPENSE AT OVER $31MILLION. IN 2024 WE PUBLISHED MORE THAN 20,000 RESEARCH ARTICLES DOCUMENTING THE METHODS, OBSERVATIONS AND DISCOVERIES OF A DIVERSE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. THOUSANDS OF RESEARCHERS ACROSS THE GLOBE DEDICATED THEIR TIME AS ACADEMIC EDITORS AND REVIEWERS TO BRINGING THIS WORK TO THE PUBLIC.THE ACTIVITIES INVOLVED IN OUR PUBLISHING OPERATION INCLUDE:- EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION WORK - RECEIPT AND TRIAGE OF SUBMISSIONS; PERFORMING AND COORDINATING THEIR PEER REVIEW; AND PRODUCTION AND ONLINE PUBLICATION OF ACCEPTED ARTICLES. - MARKETING AND OUTREACH - PROMOTING ARTICLES AND INVITING SUBMISSIONS, INCREASING AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF OPEN SCIENCE BENEFITS AND PRACTICES, PROMOTING INITIATIVES SUCH AS CALLS FOR PAPERS, AND CREATING RESOURCES FOR AUTHORS AND REVIEWERS.- PUBLISHING ETHICS - HANDLING ETHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CONCERNS INVOLVING SUBMISSIONS AND PUBLISHED ARTICLES.- ENGAGEMENT WITH RESEARCH COMMUNITIES (E.G. BY ATTENDING AND/OR ORGANIZING CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND WORKSHOPS) - TO ENSURE THE JOURNALS AND THEIR POLICIES REFLECT THE RESEARCH INTERESTS AND VALUES OF THESE FIELDS AND COMMUNITIES.- MEDIA - COLLABORATING WITH AUTHORS, INSTITUTIONS, SCIENCE MEDIA CENTERS AND JOURNALISTS TO COMMUNICATE RESEARCH TO BOTH SCIENTISTS AND SOCIETY. THE SCOPE OF PLOS JOURNALS PUBLISHING IN 2024 INCLUDES:- PLOS ONE IS A GLOBAL, INCLUSIVE JOURNAL PUBLISHING RESEARCH IN OVER TWO HUNDRED SUBJECT AREAS ACROSS SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, MEDICINE, AND THE RELATED SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES. - PLOS BIOLOGY IS A LEADING LIFE SCIENCE JOURNAL THAT CHAMPIONS HIGH-IMPACT RESEARCH ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINESFROM MOLECULES TO ECOSYSTEMS.- PLOS CLIMATE EMPOWERS GLOBAL, MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION, AND ENABLES DECISION-MAKERS AT EVERY LEVEL OF SOCIETY TO TAKE URGENT, EVIDENCE-BASED ACTION ON THE CAUSES AND IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.- PLOS COMPLEX SYSTEMS IS A SELECTIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL FOCUSED ON RESEARCH THAT AIDS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD THROUGH A COMPLEXITY LENS, AND FOSTERS DISCUSSION WITHIN THE EMERGING COMPLEXITY COMMUNITY.- PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY IS HOME TO RESEARCH OF SIGNIFICANCE THAT SEEKS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE LIVING WORLD THROUGH COMPUTATIONAL METHODS AND CUTTING-EDGE TOOLS.- PLOS DIGITAL HEALTH IS DEDICATED TO ADVANCING EQUITABLE AND DIGITALLY-ENABLED HEALTHCARE, INCREASING TRUST IN NEW TOOLS, AND IMPROVING REPRODUCIBILITY IN THE FIELD OF DIGITAL HEALTH RESEARCH. - PLOS GENETICS PUBLISHES RESEARCH RELATED TO GENETICS AND GENOMICS ACROSS THE FULL BREADTH OF THIS FIELD, FROM MICROBES TO HUMANS AND FROM BASIC SCIENCE TO TRANSLATIONAL APPROACHES.- PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH MAKES WORK OF THE HIGHEST METHODOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL RIGOR OPENLY AVAILABLE TO THE RESEARCHERS, POLICY EXPERTS, AND CLINICIANS WHO DEPEND ON IT TO TACKLE URGENT HEALTH CRISES AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY.- PLOS MEDICINE IS OUR LEADING HEALTH SCIENCE JOURNAL PUBLISHING IMPACTFUL RESEARCH THAT TRANSFORMS GLOBAL HEALTHCARE AND ADVANCES CLINICAL UNDERSTANDING.- PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES FOCUSES ON RESEARCH ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF NEGLECTED, FORGOTTEN, AND UNDER-RESOURCED POPULATIONS, WORKING WITH GLOBAL COMMUNITIES AND RESEARCHERS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF ALL.- PLOS PATHOGENS PUBLISHES GROUND-BREAKING RESEARCH ON PATHOGEN BIOLOGY AND HOST-PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS ACROSS ALL LIFE FORMS.- PLOS SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSFORMATION IS OUR LEADING SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE JOURNAL BRINGING TOGETHER ORIGINAL RESEARCH, ADDRESSING THE GLOBAL CHALLENGES OF TRANSITIONING TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND JUST FUTURE.- PLOS WATER DRIVES CHANGE IN SAFE WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE, IMPROVING INSIGHTS INTO WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND IMPACTS ACROSS THE GLOBE.- PLOS MENTAL HEALTH IS DEDICATED TO CONNECTING SCIENTIFIC AND CLINICAL RESEARCH WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, STRIVING TO ENABLE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING, DISCUSSION, AND ACTION IN ADDRESSING CHALLENGES AND IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AROUND THE WORLD.IN ADDITION TO MANAGING THE ABOVE PORTFOLIO OF JOURNALS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO CATALYZING CHANGE IN SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATION BY FOCUSING ON THREE INTERCONNECTED PILLARS: (1) OPEN SCIENCE PUBLISHING (2) OPEN SCIENCE POLICY AND (3) OPEN SCIENCE PRACTICE. THE FOLLOWING ARE KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR WORK IN 2024:- OPEN SCIENCE PUBLISHINGWE ARE WORKING TO REDEFINE PUBLISHING AND GO BEYOND THE ARTICLE TO FOSTER RESEARCH COMMUNICATION THAT IS SUSTAINABLE, ACCESSIBLE, AND IMPACTFUL FOR ALL. THIS NEW INITIATIVE, SUPPORTED BY GORDON AND BETTY MOORE FOUNDATION AND ROBERT WOODS JOHNSON FOUNDATION, BUILDS UPON OUR LEGACY OF ADVANCING OPEN SCIENCE OUTPUTS AND REIMAGINING ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR OPEN ACCESS PUBLISHING. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR PUBLICATION FEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, DESIGNED TO ENSURE RESEARCHERS WHO LACK FUNDS FOR OPEN ACCESS, CAN STILL MAKE THEIR WORK IMMEDIATELY AND FREELY AVAILABLE WHEN THEY PUBLISH IN OUR JOURNALS. IN 2024 PLOS PROVIDED $5.7 MILLION IN PARTIAL OR FULL ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGE (APC) WAIVERS TO AUTHORS. - OPEN SCIENCE POLICYWE REGULARLY ENGAGE IN POLICY DISCUSSIONS AS AN ADVOCATE FOR OPEN SCIENCE PRACTICE, A CHAMPION FOR RESEARCHERS, AND A TRUSTED LEADER IN RESEARCH INTEGRITY. IN 2024 WE INTRODUCED SEVERAL NEW POLICIES ACROSS OUR JOURNALS TO STRENGTHEN OUR GUARD AGAINST LARGE-SCALE INTEGRITY THREATS. WE ARE ALSO WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COALITIONS AND JISC TO ENGAGE A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP IN MOVING AWAY FROM ARTICLE-BASED CHARGES. AS PART OF THIS COLLABORATION WE RELEASED A NEW TOOL TO HELP ASSESS EQUITY IN SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATION MODELS- OPEN SCIENCE PRACTICEIN ORDER TO MAKE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE, WE WORK CONSISTENTLY WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTE ADOPTION OF OPEN SCIENCE PRACTICES ACROSS DISCIPLINE, GEOGRAPHY, AND CAREER STAGE. OUR WORK TO ADVANCE OPEN SCIENCE PRACTICE MORE BROADLY IS SUPPORTED BY THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF OPEN SCIENCE INDICATORS. THIS YEAR WE INTRODUCED A NEW INDICATOR MEASURING STUDY REGISTRATION, CONDUCTED FURTHER RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS WITH REGARD TO MEASURING OPEN SCIENCE PRACTICES, AND COLLABORATED WITH THE FRENCH OPEN SCIENCE MONITORING INITIATIVE TO SHARE IDEAS AND ADVOCATE FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF MONITORING SOLUTIONS.
    Expenses $31,047,002 · revenue $37,902,401

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

Tax yearYear endedDueIRS public records
2025December 31, 2025May 15, 2026Not on file
2024December 31, 2024May 15, 2025990 on file
2023December 31, 2023May 15, 2024990 on file

IRS record

EIN
68-0492065
Tax-exempt status
501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
Foundation status
Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Donations deductible (Pub 78)
Public charity, 50% deduction limit
Exempt since
2002
Accounting year ends
December
Files
Form 990 or 990-EZ
Assets (IRS master file)
$32,799,863
Income (IRS master file)
$41,547,134

Filing history

FormYear endedRevenueExpensesAssetsReturn
990December 2024$41,335,403$36,985,422$32,799,863XML
990-TDecember 2024–––IRS
990December 2023$33,032,761$34,930,158$24,736,549XML
990-TDecember 2023–––IRS
990December 2022$34,985,240$33,362,793$25,935,740IRS
990-TDecember 2022–––IRS
990December 2021–––IRS
990-TDecember 2021–––IRS
990December 2020–––IRS
990-TDecember 2020–––IRS
990December 2018–––IRS

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 68-0492065).

Questions about PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE

What is the EIN of PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE?
The employer identification number (EIN) of PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE is 68-0492065.
Is PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE tax-exempt?
Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2002.
Are donations to PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE tax-deductible?
Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
Which annual return does PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE file?
Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
When is the next return of PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE due?
The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending December 31, 2025) is due May 15, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
When did PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE last file with the IRS?
The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2024.
Who is the principal officer of PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE?
The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 names KATHRYN MOTONAGA.
Who are the officers and directors of PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE?
The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 lists 23 people; 11 received compensation from the organization, the highest $502,639 (ALISON MUDDITT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER).
How much revenue does PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE have?
On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 it reported revenue of $41,335,403, expenses of $36,985,422 and total assets of $32,799,863 at year end.

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