The Center for Public Interest Research

Legal name: Center for Public Interest Research Inc

Overview

Mission

The Center for Public Interest Research is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization that conducts public interest research, civic engagement and public education programs around critical public interest issues. It also assists partner 501(c)(3) organizations engaged in similar activities through grants, by sponsoring joint or new public interest projects, and by providing training and other support in areas such as advocacy, organizing, campaign development and packaging, and fundraising.

What it reported doing in 2024

Policy research program: the research program, called the frontier group, provides information and ideas to build a healthier, more sustainable america. Our experts and writers deliver timely research and analysis that is accessible to the public, applying insights gleaned from diverse fields of knowledge to arrive at new ideas for solving pressing problems. We work to promote and protect core elements of a happy human life: clean air and water, healthy and sustainable food, meaningful connections with one another and with the natural world that surrounds us, and institutions from the marketplace to the government that support flourishing communities. And we strive to point out the opportunities afforded by a moment when profound change is both more possible and more urgently needed than ever.

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 97% 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
042863170
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Denver, CO, US
Phone
303-573-5995
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Social Science

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 58
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.7%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 75.1%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $21.97 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 15.6%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.21; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.8; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.2%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.4% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.3% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 8 programs and campaigns described on the official site
  • Where the money goes: 69.7% of revenue deployed · 75.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $122K · 7 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $266K reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 29 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.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • AMY FLOYD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $121,634 total reported compensation
  • ANTHONY DUTZIK (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, FRONTIER GROUP): $120,828 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.