Population Council

Legal name: The Population Council Inc

Overview

Mission

The Population Council is a leading research organization dedicated to building an equitable and sustainable world that enhances the health and well-being of current and future generations. We generate ideas, produce evidence, and design solutions to improve the lives of underserved populations around the world.

What it reported doing in 2024

Distinguished colleagues: one distinguished scientist provides additional expertise in areas of relevance to the council and represents the organization in his field internationally. He also conducts research on a variety of population issues, including the determinants of fertility, population -environment relationships, the demographic impact of the AIDS epidemic, population aging, and population policy options.one distinguished scientist speaks at conferences and fora around the world and advises scientists about research in reproductive health and new contraceptive technologies. She is the chairperson of the international committee for contraception research, an honorary member of the international menopause society, a founding member of the international consortium of male contraception, and an active member of european society for contraception. She is also the program director and principal investigator of a national institutes of health (nih) center grant from the national institute of child health and human development.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 93% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
131687001
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Headquarters
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2123390500
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and Public Policy Analysis

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 79.5%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $390.78 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Pass
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.7%; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -16.2%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.91; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.28; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.9%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.7% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 4 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 11 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 79.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $49.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $487K · 30 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.8M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 39 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 20 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 12 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • BRID T DEVLIN (CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER, CBR): $486,986 total reported compensation
  • JAMES E SAILER (VICE PRESIDENT & EXEC DIRECTOR, CBR): $444,294 total reported compensation
  • ANTONY DUTSON (VICE PRESIDENT, CF&A/CFO): $437,734 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.