Nonprofit · EIN 94-2951356
SETI INSTITUTE
Tax-exempt · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94043
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30, 2025 | 990 | $27,357,400 | $30,913,579 | -$3,556,179 | $247,111,742 | $8,111,467 | $239,000,275 |
| September 30, 2024 | 990 | $55,182,076 | $28,838,314 | $26,343,762 | $237,032,764 | $8,398,008 | $228,634,756 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended September 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $26,940,031
- of which government grants
- $19,584,011
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $611,222
- Net gain from sales of assets
- $234,540
- Net income from fundraising events
- -$209,024
- Other revenue
- -$193,853
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $2,716,545
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $1,168,001
- Other salaries and wages
- $13,900,284
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $19,926,311
- Professional fundraising fees
- $88,700
- Legal fees
- $400,509
- Accounting fees
- $86,749
- Occupancy
- $1,562,724
- Travel
- $934,373
- Depreciation
- $1,341,650
- Program services (functional)
- $21,515,804
- Management and general (functional)
- $8,472,061
- Fundraising (functional)
- $925,714
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $237,032,764
- Total assets, end of year
- $247,111,742
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $8,111,467
- Net assets, end of year
- $239,000,275
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $10,982,213
- Publicly traded securities
- $130,741
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $135,013,434
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $103,986,841
- Gross unrelated business income
- $64,528
- Gross receipts
- $35,462,318
- Employees
- 177
- Volunteers
- 17
- Year formed
- 1984
- 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 September 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BILL DIAMOND | SECRETARY, PRESIDENT & CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $421,694 | $72,354 |
| JANICE BISHOP | SENIOR SCIENTIST Highest-paid employee | 40 | $246,314 | $76,143 |
| BRUCE CAMPBELL | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer | 40 | $230,886 | $51,223 |
| PETER TENENBAUM | SENIOR PIPELINE ARCHITECT Highest-paid employee | 40 | $208,974 | $55,074 |
| SIMON STEEL | DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH Highest-paid employee | 40 | $198,019 | $54,192 |
| STEPHEN BOURDOW | DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Officer | 40 | $183,369 | $49,834 |
| JOSEPH TWICKEN | SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST Highest-paid employee | 40 | $215,112 | $17,618 |
| NATHALIE CABROL | DIRECTOR CARL SAGAN CENTER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $210,000 | $17,338 |
| ANDREW FRAKNOI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $11,175 | $0 |
| DAN LANKFORD | CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| DANE GLASGOW | VICE CHARIMAN OF THE BOARD Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| WENDI ZHANG | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| FRITZ DEMOPOULOS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| HELMY ELTOUKHY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| REEMA KHAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
10 more people on this return
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMARESH KOLLIPARA | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MARCO LARSEN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| DAVA NEWMAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| PIERRE SCHWOB | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| JILL TARTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| STEPHEN TRIMBERGER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| ELIZEBETH VARGHESE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| AVERY WANG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MANNAN LATIF | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MOHANJIT JOLLY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended September 30, 2024: 27 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BILL DIAMOND | SECRETARY, PRESIDENT & CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $334,364 | $62,980 |
| JANICE BISHOP | SENIOR SCIENTIST Highest-paid employee | 40 | $234,635 | $71,458 |
| PETER TENENBAUM | DATA SCIENTIST Highest-paid employee | 40 | $208,311 | $58,527 |
| JOSEPH TWICKEN | SENIOR SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $213,870 | $17,209 |
| BRUCE CAMPBELL | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer | 40 | $186,294 | $44,086 |
| JAMES ANDY SPRY | SENIOR SCIENTIST Highest-paid employee | 40 | $204,013 | $16,830 |
| STEPHEN BOURDOW | DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Officer | 40 | $168,166 | $44,430 |
| MARGARET TURNBULL | RESEARCH SCIENTIST Highest-paid employee | 40 | $192,000 | $15,849 |
| ANDREW FRAKNOI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $7,088 | $0 |
| DAN LANKFORD | CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| DANE GLASGOW | VICE CHARIMAN OF THE BOARD Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| WENDI ZHANG | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| ERIK CHARLTON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| FRITZ DEMOPOULOS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| HELMY ELTOUKHY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JOHN GIANNADREA | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| MOHANJIT JOLLY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| REEMA KHAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| AMARESH KOLLIPARA | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| MARCO LARSEN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| MANNAN LATIF | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| DAVA NEWMAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| PIERRE SCHWOB | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JILL TARTER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| STEPHEN TRIMBERGER | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| ELIZEBETH VARGHESE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| AVERY WANG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 339 BERNARDO AVE STE 200, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94043-5232
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- BILL DIAMOND, 339 BERNARDO AVENUE 200, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94043
- Signed the 990
- BILL DIAMOND, CEO
- Phone
- (650) 961-6633
- Website
- WWW.SETI.ORG
- Return prepared by
- GILBERT CPAS
Mission
TO EXPLORE, UNDERSTAND AND EXPLAIN THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE AND THE EVOLUTION OF INTELLIGENCE.
Program accomplishments
- THE 100+ SCIENTISTS IN THE CARL SAGAN CENTER FOR RESEARCH CONDUCT GROUNDBREAKING WORK PERTAINING TO FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORIGIN AND PROLIFERATION OF LIFE RIGHT HERE ON EARTH AND BEYOND. FROM THE EARLY UNIVERSE AND THE FORMATION OF GALAXIES, STARS, PLANETS, MOONS AND OTHER SMALL BODIES, TO THE PREVALENCE OF ENVIRONMENTS THAT CAN SUPPORT LIFE, INTELLIGENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, WE WORK TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, "ARE WE ALONE?" WE PARTNER WITH NASA, THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN AREAS OF BASIC RESEARCH, AND SUPPORT SCIENCE MISSIONS, INCLUDING AS CONTRACTORS TO NASA'S OFFICE OF PLANETARY PROTECTION. WE ALSO CONDUCT RESEARCH IN NON-HUMAN COMMUNICATIONS, QUANTUM ASTRONOMY AND THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE (SETI), USING BOTH RADIO AND OPTICAL TELESCOPES.Expenses $19,417,391 · grants $2,512,480 · revenue $15,171
- THE CENTER FOR EDUCATION HAS IMPACTED MORE THAN A HALF MILLION STUDENTS AND DEVELOPS STEM RESOURCES THAT TEACH, EXCITE, AND INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS AND A SCIENCE LITERATE PUBLIC. THESE PROGRAMS FOSTER FUTURE LEADERS AND INCLUDE: ASTRONOMY ACTIVATION AMBASSADORS, PROVIDING TRAINING AND INSPIRATION TO HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS; THE NASA COMMUNITY COLLEGE NETWORK, BRINGING NASA SCIENCE AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE INTO THE NATION'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE CLASSROOMS, AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES, AN 8-WEEK SUMMER INTERNSHIP THAT PAIRS STUDENTS WITH SCIENTIST MENTORS.Expenses $1,632,017 · grants $204,065
- THE SETI INSTITUTE BELIEVES THAT UNDERSTANDING OUR WORK HELPS PLACE HUMANITY IN A BROADER COSMIC CONTEXT, AND THAT SHARING THIS WORK WITH THE WORLD IS CENTRAL TO ITS MISSION. THE CENTER FOR OUTREACH ADVANCES THIS GOAL BY ENGAGING THE PUBLIC THROUGH DIGITAL, IN-PERSON, BROADCAST, AND MEDIA ACTIVITIES. THESE INCLUDE SETI LIVE, A WEEKLY LIVESTREAMED CONVERSATION WITH SETI INSTITUTE RESEARCHERS AND COLLEAGUES; SETI AIR, WHICH FOSTERS CREATIVE EXCHANGE BETWEEN ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS; AND BIG PICTURE SCIENCE, A RADIO SHOW AND PODCAST CARRIED BY MORE THAN 150 STATIONS. THE CENTER FOR OUTREACH ALSO LEADS MEDIA OUTREACH, PRODUCES THE SETI INSTITUTE'S ANNUAL REPORT, SUPPORTS PUBLIC EVENTS AT SCHOOLS, MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, CREATES DYNAMIC SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT, AND MAINTAINS SETI.ORG AS A HUB FOR NEWS, DISCOVERIES, AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES.Expenses $466,396
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 September, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | September 30, 2026 | February 15, 2027 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | September 30, 2025 | February 16, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | September 30, 2024 | February 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 94-2951356
- 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
- 1985
- Accounting year ends
- September
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Science and technology (U310)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $247,111,742
- Income (IRS master file)
- $35,462,318
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | September 2025 | $27,357,400 | $30,913,579 | $247,111,742 | XML |
| 990 | September 2024 | $55,182,076 | $28,838,314 | $237,032,764 | IRS |
| 990 | September 2023 | $209,908,662 | $25,047,459 | $210,749,653 | IRS |
| 990 | September 2022 | $28,045,270 | $24,508,635 | $26,724,400 | IRS |
| 990 | September 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | September 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | September 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | September 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS publishes only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years appear here as 990.tax collects the monthly files. 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.
Questions about SETI INSTITUTE
- What is the EIN of SETI INSTITUTE?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of SETI INSTITUTE is 94-2951356.
- Is SETI INSTITUTE tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1985.
- Are donations to SETI INSTITUTE tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does SETI INSTITUTE 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 SETI INSTITUTE due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending September 30, 2026) is due February 15, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did SETI INSTITUTE last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended September 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of SETI INSTITUTE?
- The 990 for the year ended September 30, 2025 names BILL DIAMOND.
- Who are the officers and directors of SETI INSTITUTE?
- The 990 for the year ended September 30, 2025 lists 25 people; 9 received compensation from the organization, the highest $421,694 (BILL DIAMOND, SECRETARY, PRESIDENT & CEO).
- How much revenue does SETI INSTITUTE have?
- On its 990 for the year ended September 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $27,357,400, expenses of $30,913,579 and total assets of $247,111,742 at year end.
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