Battelle

Legal name: Battelle Memorial Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
314379427
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2009
Location
Columbus, OH, USA
Phone
6144246424
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
General Science

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,526,408,187
Expenses
$13,402,357,370
Assets
$1,927,365,136
Liabilities
$632,296,395

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

Leadership & pay

32 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LEWIS VON THAER (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • LEWIS VON THAER (PRESIDENT & CEO): $5,978,396 total reported compensation
  • STEVEN F ASHBY (SR VP, LAB DIRECTOR TO 9/25): $1,879,908 total reported compensation
  • MATTHEW L VAUGHAN (EXECUTIVE VP, AS&T): $1,691,319 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Battelle applies advanced science, technology, and engineering to solve complex challenges for businesses and government agencies, and delivers innovations to protect the nation, advance public health, safeguard the environment, strengthen critical infrastructure, and provide STEM education. NeuroLife launches as a non-invasive neurotechnology company developing wearable solutions to support rehabilitation for people affected by stroke or spinal cord injury. [READ THE. Battelle has a long-standing legacy for serving government. We understand the nuances of this work and provide expertise in science and technology to solve the most complex problems. Explore Government Solutions Business.

What it reported doing in 2024

Battelle memorial institute ("bmi") and its affiliates operate seven united states department of energy ("doe") national laboratories: brookhaven national laboratory; Idaho national laboratory; los alamos national laboratory; national renewable energy laboratory; oak ridge national laboratory; pacific northwest national laboratory and savannah river national laboratory. Bmi is an integrated subcontractor at an eighth doe national laboratory: lawrence livermore national laboratory. In addition, a bmi affiliate holds the management contract with respect to the united states department of homeland security's national biodefense analysis and countermeasures center. Through operation of the national laboratories, bmi and its affiliates address critical elements of the nation's scientific research agenda, perform basic and applied scientific research, create scientific knowledge and technical solutions in key areas of science, increase the availability of clean and abundant energy, restore and protect the environment, engage in educational activities, and contribute to national security.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 87% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 66.3%; rating input score 66
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 21st 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 93.7%; rating input score 94; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th 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: 0.9%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.14; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.33; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.2%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.7% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: Mission, programs, and operating context captured from the official website.
  • Where the money goes: 66% of revenue deployed · 66.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $8.9B in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $6M · 32 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $349.9M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 38 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 534 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 171 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 37/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 4/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.