Harvard University
Overview
Mission
Our people are what make Harvard special. Our community comprises many backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values. Explore Harvard through our directory Explore data about our community with the Harvard Fact Book. As staff members, then as students and faculty, the women of Harvard paved the way for the next generation, and continue to carve new paths today. Learn more about women’s history Learn more about women’s history.
What it reported doing in 2024
Sponsored research activities: the range of research activities at harvard is broad and deep. Harvard scholars conduct research in almost every field, and seek to expand human knowledge through analysis, innovation, and insight. As reported on part viii, research is supported by federal grants (line 1e), non-federal sponsored grants (line 1f) and non-federal sponsored contracts (line 2b). The university's principal source of federal sponsored funds is the department of health and human services. The university also has many non-federal sources of sponsored awards, grants, and contracts, including research institutes, foundations, state and local governments, foreign governments, and corporations. Sponsored grants and contracts normally provide for the recovery of direct and indirect costs.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The nonprofit carried out 82% of its reported program work directly.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 042103580
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Website reviewed
- Jun 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2024
- Headquarters
- Cambridge, MA, USA
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Universities
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and the website gives limited detail about important organizational relationships.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 88
- Transparency & Controls: 69
- Accountability: 84
- Sustainability: 83
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 85.6%; rating input score 86
- Fundraising efficiency: $7.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
- Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100
- Public monitoring controls: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
- Public policy transparency: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
- Public financial transparency: 0 of 5 controls in place; rating input score 0
- Impact reporting controls: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
- Public relationship transparency: No; rating input score 0
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 84.6%; rating input score 85; 30th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Public governance controls: 1 of 4 controls in place; rating input score 25
- Zakat policy transparency: Limited
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 13%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
- Operating reserve ratio: 11.04; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0.3%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 4.4% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 85.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 11 of 13 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $6.2B in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $2M · 38 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 50 of 51 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 14 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
- Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
- Money network: 382 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 571 filed related-organization links