American Institutes for Research

Legal name: American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
250965219
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Arlington, VA, United States
Phone
2024035000
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Behavioral Science

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$437,187,471
Expenses
$403,775,054
Assets
$1,058,621,770
Liabilities
$138,798,700

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVID MYERS (CEO (END 02/24)/ BD & CMTE MEMBER)
  • JESSICA HEPPEN PRESIDENT ((ALL OF 2024) & CEO (AS OF 03/24))
  • TIMOTHY B HILL (SR VICE PRESIDENT, HEALTH DIVISON)

Highest reported compensation

  • DAVID MYERS (CEO (END 02/24)/ BD & CMTE MEMBER): $1,647,659 total reported compensation
  • JESSICA HEPPEN PRESIDENT ((ALL OF 2024) & CEO (AS OF 03/24)): $993,614 total reported compensation
  • MARIJO AHLGRIMM TREAS EXEC VP (& CFO (END 07/24), SEE SCH J): $936,066 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To conduct behavioral and social science research and deliver technical assistance to 500+ clients, including businesses, universities, and nonprofits, to contribute to positive social change.

What it reported doing in 2024

Air conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance toward solving some of the most urgent challenges in the u.s. And abroad. During 2024, air generated revenue by providing contracted services or from grants received from federal and state agencies and other non-profit organizations (collectively, referred to as client services). Net earnings are reinvested to strengthen long-term institutional vitality.narrative is continued on schedule othe expertise and activities of client services span broadly and deeply across human services, health and international sectors and support stakeholders ranging from policymakers, public service professionals and practitioners as they shape outcomes for young people, families, and communities to improve quality, access, enable thriving opportunities, and improve lives for all. Air also conducts and applies rigorous research and evaluation to provide governments and international aid agencies with tools, expertise, and information to measure the programs' effectiveness, initiatives, and institutions. Through technical assistance, air helps leaders, policymakers, and organizations build, pilot, and implement field-based activities in developing countries.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 74% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 98% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 66
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84.5%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 81.3%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.86 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99%; rating input score 99; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 86.7%; rating input score 87; 33rd 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: 7.6%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.62; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.9%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.4% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 6 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 84.5% of revenue deployed · 81.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 15 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $328.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.6M · 31 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $16.8M reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 42 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 74 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 15/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 39/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.