Nonprofit · EIN 81-4759386
KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Tax-exempt · NEW YORK, NY 10027
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | 990 | $8,247,833 | $6,938,614 | $1,309,219 | $15,789,511 | $1,365 | $15,788,146 |
| June 30, 2024 | 990 | $7,330,170 | $6,713,728 | $616,442 | $14,198,925 | $8,259 | $14,190,666 |
| June 30, 2023 | 990 | $6,674,632 | $5,953,165 | $721,467 | $13,438,110 | $7,055 | $13,431,055 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $7,169,366
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $1,078,467
- Net gain from sales of assets
- $487,475
- Other revenue
- $0
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Other salaries and wages
- $4,394,647
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $5,851,970
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Occupancy
- $72,063
- Travel
- $256,923
- Program services (functional)
- $6,938,614
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $14,198,925
- Total assets, end of year
- $15,789,511
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $1,365
- Net assets, end of year
- $15,788,146
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $15,788,146
- Gross receipts
- $11,202,840
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 17
- Year formed
- 2016
- State of legal domicile
- NY
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 June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | From related orgs | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEE C BOLLINGER | TRUSTEE (EX-OFFICIO) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $1,842,394 | $89,432 |
| GILLIAN LESTER | TRUSTEE (Through 08/2024) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $769,316 | $129,687 |
| NICHOLAS LEMANN | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $536,743 | $141,987 |
| JELANI COBB | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $583,972 | $92,143 |
| DANIEL ABEBE | TRUSTEE (As of 08/2024) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $375,362 | $36,378 |
| GERALD ROSBERG | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $328,422 | $53,831 |
| ALBERTO IBARGUEN | Trustee (Ex-Officio) (Through 10/2024) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| DEB ROY | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| EVE BURTON | Trustee (Through 10/2024) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| MARIBEL Perez Wadsworth | Trustee (Ex-Officio) (As of 10/2024) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| THEODORE OLSON | Trustee (Through 11/2024) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2024: 9 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | From related orgs | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEE C BOLLINGER | TRUSTEE (EX-OFFICIO) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $3,176,262 | $328,385 |
| GERALD ROSBERG | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $953,491 | $66,459 |
| GILLIAN LESTER | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $745,978 | $118,357 |
| NICHOLAS LEMANN | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $470,740 | $161,188 |
| JELANI COBB | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $527,879 | $76,801 |
| ALBERTO IBARGUEN | TRUSTEE (EX-OFFICIO) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| DEB ROY | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| EVE BURTON | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| THEODORE OLSON | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2023: 9 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | From related orgs | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEE C BOLLINGER | TRUSTEE (EX-OFFICIO) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $4,449,336 | $545,479 |
| GERALD ROSBERG | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $1,022,603 | $60,769 |
| GILLIAN LESTER | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $771,986 | $127,197 |
| NICHOLAS LEMANN | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $455,807 | $111,337 |
| JELANI COBB | TRUSTEE AS OF 8/1/22 Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $301,572 | $69,948 |
| ALBERTO IBARGUEN | TRUSTEE (EX-OFFICIO) Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| DEB ROY | TRUSTEE AS OF 9/23/22 Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| EVE BURTON | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| THEODORE OLSON | TRUSTEE Trustee or director | 0.1 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- COLUMBIA UNIV 615 W 131 ST MC 8741, NEW YORK, NY 10027-0000
- In care of
- % OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- JAMEEL JAFFER, 535 WEST 116TH STREET SUITE 314, NEW YORK, NY 10027
- Signed the 990
- Madhavi Rajdev, University Controller & AVP
- Phone
- (212) 455-2647
- Website
- https://knightcolumbia.org/
Mission
The Knight First Amendment Institute defends the freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age through strategic litigation, research, public advocacy and public education. Our aim is to promote a system of free expression that is open and inclusive, that broadens and elevates public discourse, and that fosters creativity, accountability, and effective self-government.
Program accomplishments
- The Knight First Amendment Institute was established in 2016 by Columbia University and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to defend the freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age. Our Litigation, Research, and Public Education efforts are currently focused on these three areas: 1. Free Speech and Social Media (Safeguarding the vitality and integrity of public discourse online) Conversations that once took place in parks, sidewalks, and public squares now take place largely online, and often on privately owned social media platforms. As a society, we are just beginning to grapple with the question of how the First Amendment and free speech principles should apply in these digital spaces. Our work in this area seeks to illuminate the forces that are shaping public discourse online, and to ensure the inclusivity and integrity of digital spaces that are increasingly important to our democracy. 2. Privacy and Surveillance (Protecting the privacy vital to free thought and expression) Our laws restricting surveillance and data collection are struggling to keep pace with new technology that can track and reveal our expressive lives in ever more detail, and with new business models that rely on the aggregation and exploitation of this information. Our work in this area is meant to illuminate the scope and impact of surveillance by government and private corporations, promote stronger legal protections for privacy, and enrich public understanding of the interplay between privacy and the freedoms of inquiry, speech, and association. 3. Transparency and Democracy (Ensuring access to information necessary for self-government) The First Amendment embraces the public's right to access the information needed to hold the powerful accountable and participate fully in the process of self-government. Our aim in defending and promoting transparency is not simply to compel the disclosure of information that the public is entitled to know, but to broaden public access to information through changes in government policy and the law.Expenses $6,938,614
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 June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 30, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | June 30, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | June 30, 2024 | November 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 81-4759386
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Supporting organization, Type I
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Supporting organization, 50% limit
- Exempt since
- 2017
- Accounting year ends
- June
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Education (B11)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $15,789,511
- Income (IRS master file)
- $11,202,840
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | June 2025 | $8,247,833 | $6,938,614 | $15,789,511 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2024 | $7,330,170 | $6,713,728 | $14,198,925 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2023 | $6,674,632 | $5,953,165 | $13,438,110 | XML |
| 990 | June 2022 | $6,485,351 | $4,531,361 | $13,023,228 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 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 81-4759386).
Questions about KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
- What is the EIN of KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY is 81-4759386.
- Is KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2017.
- Are donations to KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Supporting organization, 50% limit).
- Which annual return does KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 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 KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names JAMEEL JAFFER.
- Who are the officers and directors of KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 11 people; 0 received compensation from the organization.
- How much revenue does KNIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY have?
- On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $8,247,833, expenses of $6,938,614 and total assets of $15,789,511 at year end.
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