Marine Biological Laboratory

Overview

Mission

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is a world-renowned center for biological discovery and training that is notably affiliated with more than 60 Nobel Prize winners. Research is conducted by full-time faculty as well as hundreds of the world's leading scientists who are attracted by the MBL's unique resources and strengths, and who come to the MBL to conduct research for weeks or months at a time. Their work spans biological scales from molecules and cells to ecosystems. The MBL trains students from high school to postdoctoral levels. Central to the MBL's identity are its advanced graduate level research courses.

What it reported doing in 2024

Visiting (Whitman) Research: The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) hosts hundreds of researchers, postdocs, and graduate students from around the world to participate in scientific discovery courses, research, lectures, and field studies. As a convener of biology, the MBL is well known for fostering a highly collaborative environment, with scientists and students engaged in intensive research in a collegial and informal atmosphere. Whitman Center Scientists are provided with infrastructure and an informal, interactive scientific community that allows them to launch into research almost immediately upon their arrival. Advice and equipment are available from other researchers or from colleagues in the education program. Free from academic duties at their home institutions, some veteran Whitman Center Scientists report they do more hands-on research in three months at the MBL than they do during the rest of the year at their home institutions.

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 89% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042104690
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Headquarters
Woods Hole, MA, USA
Phone
5082897239
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Biological & Life Sciences

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: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 78
  • Accountability: 89
  • Sustainability: 44
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.3%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 84.6%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $25.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 89.3%; rating input score 89; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Limited
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1.7%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.38; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.7%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.3% of revenue deployed · 84.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 25 of 28 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $47.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $2.1M · 39 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $5.4M reported
  • Consistency: 50 of 50 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 33 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 40 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

39 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • A Paul Alivisatos (Former Chair of the Board of Trustees): $2,082,741 total reported compensation
  • Juan J de Pablo (Trustee): $778,109 total reported compensation
  • Lori Berko (Secretary of the MBL Corporation): $704,264 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.