Conjecture Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
993303026
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2024
Location
Florence, MA, USA
Phone
6097039987
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Social Science N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$551,402
Expenses
$397,416
Assets
$160,398
Liabilities
$540

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Logan Chipkin (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Logan Chipkin (President): $52,550 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

See Schedule O.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, Conjecture Institute advanced its mission through a range of research, media, and educational activities. Conjecture Studios produced a podcast series in which Ambassador Brett Hall interviewed Advisors, Fellows, and Cofounders to explore and communicate the Institutes core ideas. The organization also supported the development of a documentary by Fellow Arjun Khemani, with the script co written by President Logan Chipkin, presenting a knowledge centered and optimistic account of human progress, with particular emphasis on the Enlightenment and the role of ideas in shaping civilization. Academic and educational initiatives were expanded through Conjecture University. During the year, the Institute recruited several academic researchers and a Senior Scientist, many of whom published original research in 2025. In support of its educational mission, the organization also created foundational materials, including a glossary of key terms and a mini book known as the Handbook, which explains the Institutes worldview, projects, and purpose. Publishing efforts continued under Conjecture Press with the release of two books for general audiences. The Institute published The Sovereign Child, co authored by Cofounder Aaron Stupple and Logan Chipkin, which contributes to the Taking Children Seriously parenting movement by emphasizing childrens intellectual and emotional agency. The organization also published Lords of the Cosmos, authored by Arjun Khemani and Logan Chipkin, which expands upon the themes explored in Khemanis documentary.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 95% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 42% for direct work, and 58% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 67.9%; rating input score 68
  • Program expense ratio: 94.2%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $463.7 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 95; 95th 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; 78th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 27.9%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.4; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.2%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 67.9% of revenue deployed · 94.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $374K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $53K · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 20/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.