Seti Institute
- Assets
- $26.7m
- Revenue
- $28.0m
- Investments
- $750.0k
- Employees
- 139
- Location
- Mountain View, CA
- Founding
- 01/1985
- Data as of
- 09/2022
- EIN
- 94-2951356
Organization Overview
Seti Institute is located in Mountain View, CA. The organization was established in 1985. According to its NTEE Classification (U31) the organization is classified as: Astronomy, under the broad grouping of Science & Technology and related organizations. As of 09/2022, Seti Institute employed 139 individuals. This organization is an independent organization and not affiliated with a larger national or regional group of organizations. Seti Institute is a 501(c)(3) and as such, is described as a "Charitable or Religous organization or a private foundation" by the IRS.
For the year ending 09/2022, Seti Institute generated $28.0m in total revenue. This represents relatively stable growth, over the past 7 years the organization has increased revenue by an average of 5.7% each year. All expenses for the organization totaled $24.5m during the year ending 09/2022. While expenses have increased by 3.4% per year over the past 7 years. They've been increasing with an increasing level of total revenue. You can explore the organizations financials more deeply in the financial statements section below.
Since 2015, Seti Institute has awarded 293 individual grants totaling $26,187,617. If you would like to learn more about the grant giving history of this organization, scroll down to the grant profile section of this page.
Form
990
Mission & Program ActivityExcerpts From the 990 Filing
TAX YEAR
2022
Describe the Organization's Mission:
Part 3 - Line 1
TO EXPLORE, UNDERSTAND AND EXPLAIN THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE AND THE EVOLUTION OF INTELLIGENCE.
Describe the Organization's Program Activity:
Part 3 - Line 4a
THE 100+ SCIENTISTS IN THE CARL SAGAN CENTER FOR RESEARCH CONDUCT GROUNDBREAKING WORK PERTAINING TO FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORIGIN AND PROLIFERATION OF LIFE RIGHT HERE ON EARTH AND BEYOND. FROM THE EARLY UNIVERSE AND THE FORMATION OF GALAXIES, STARS, PLANETS, MOONS AND OTHER SMALL BODIES, TO THE PREVALENCE OF ENVIRONMENTS THAT CAN SUPPORT LIFE, INTELLIGENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, WE WORK TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, "ARE WE ALONE?" WE PARTNER WITH NASA, THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN AREAS OF BASIC RESEARCH, AND SUPPORT SCIENCE MISSIONS, INCLUDING AS CONTRACTORS TO NASA'S OFFICE OF PLANETARY PROTECTION. WE ALSO CONDUCT RESEARCH IN NON-HUMAN COMMUNICATIONS, QUANTUM ASTRONOMY AND THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE (SETI), USING BOTH RADIO AND OPTICAL TELESCOPES.
THE CENTER FOR EDUCATION HAS IMPACTED MORE THAN A HALF MILLION STUDENT AND DEVELOPS STEM RESOURCES THAT TEACH, EXCITE AND INSPIRE CHILDREN, YOUNG ADULTS AND EDUCATORS. THESE PROGRAMS FOSTER FUTURE LEADERS AND INCLUDE: GIRL SCOUT STARS, WHICH DEVELOPS SPACE SCIENCE BADGES FOR GIRL SCOUTS, PROVIDES TRAINING FOR ADULT VOLUNTEERS AND FACILITATES HANDS-ON ASTRONOMY ACTIVITIES; GIRLS GO TO MARS ACTIVITIES THAT TEACH STEM BY FOCUSING ON MARS EXPLORATION; AIRBORNE ASTRONOMY AMBASSADORS PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCIENCE EDUCATORS AND INCLUDES AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE ONBOARD NASA'S STRATOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY FOR INFRARED ASTRONOMY; AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES, AN 8-WEEK SUMMER INTERNSHIP THAT PAIRS STUDENTS WITH SCIENTIST MENTORS.
THE CENTER FOR OUTREACH BELIEVES THAT UNDERSTANDING OUR WORK PLACES HUMANITY IN A GREATER CONTEXT. WE SHARE RESEARCH AND LEARNING WITH THE PUBLIC THROUGH DIGITAL, REAL WORLD AND BROADCAST ACTIVITIES. THESE INCLUDE BIG PICTURE SCIENCE, A RADIO SHOW AND PODCAST CARRIED BY MORE THAN 150 RADIO STATIONS; SETI TALKS, A MONTHLY LECTURE SERIES SHOWCASING OUR SCIENCE AND SHARED ACROSS MULTIPLE DIGITAL CHANNELS; SETI AIR, WHICH FOSTERS AN EXCHANGE OF IDEAS BETWEEN ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS; SETI LIVE, A WEEKLY LIVESTREAMED DISCUSSION FEATURING SETI INSTITUTE RESEARCHERS AND SCIENTISTS ENGAGED IN SIMILAR WORK; PUBLIC TALKS AT SCHOOLS, MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES AND OTHER EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS; EXPLORER, AN ANNUAL MAGAZINE, JOURNEY, AN E-NEWSLETTER; AND THE SETI.ORG WEBSITE.
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Board, Officers & Key Employees
| Name (title) | Role | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
Bill Diamond Secretary, President & CEO | OfficerTrustee | 40 | $275,918 |
Janice Bishop Senior Scientist | 40 | $212,330 | |
Joseph Twicken Senior Scientific Programmer | 40 | $211,249 | |
Peter Tenenbaum Data Scientist | 40 | $207,163 | |
James Andy Spry Senior Scientist | 40 | $191,588 | |
Margaret Turnbull Research Scientist | 40 | $190,500 |
Outside Vendors & Contractors
| Vendor Name (Service) | Service Year | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
Amy Baker Planetary Protection Consultant | 9/29/16 | $107,850 |
Jeffrey Coughlin Keplar Support Scientist | 9/29/16 | $107,090 |
Financial Statements
| Statement of Revenue | |
|---|---|
| Federated campaigns | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 |
| Fundraising events | $160,329 |
| Related organizations | $0 |
| Government grants | $20,947,002 |
| All other contributions, gifts, grants, and similar amounts not included above | $6,983,922 |
| Noncash contributions included in lines 1a–1f | $467,839 |
| Total Revenue from Contributions, Gifts, Grants & Similar | $28,091,253 |
| Total Program Service Revenue | $0 |
| Investment income | $1,186 |
| Tax Exempt Bond Proceeds | $0 |
| Royalties | $0 |
| Net Rental Income | $0 |
| Net Gain/Loss on Asset Sales | $0 |
| Net Income from Fundraising Events | -$52,116 |
| Net Income from Gaming Activities | $0 |
| Net Income from Sales of Inventory | $0 |
| Miscellaneous Revenue | $0 |
| Total Revenue | $28,045,270 |
| Statement of Expenses | |
|---|---|
| Grants and other assistance to domestic organizations and domestic governments. | $2,764,263 |
| Grants and other assistance to domestic individuals. | $94,800 |
| Grants and other assistance to Foreign Orgs/Individuals | $166,161 |
| Benefits paid to or for members | $0 |
| Compensation of current officers, directors, key employees. | $759,428 |
| Compensation of current officers, directors, key employees. | $662,166 |
| Compensation to disqualified persons | $0 |
| Other salaries and wages | $11,229,658 |
| Pension plan accruals and contributions | $718,330 |
| Other employee benefits | $1,868,651 |
| Payroll taxes | $945,874 |
| Fees for services: Management | $0 |
| Fees for services: Legal | $77,750 |
| Fees for services: Accounting | $72,430 |
| Fees for services: Lobbying | $0 |
| Fees for services: Fundraising | $78,201 |
| Fees for services: Investment Management | $0 |
| Fees for services: Other | $1,558,671 |
| Advertising and promotion | $32,020 |
| Office expenses | $204,819 |
| Information technology | $300,897 |
| Royalties | $0 |
| Occupancy | $714,235 |
| Travel | $828,450 |
| Payments of travel or entertainment expenses for any federal, state, or local public officials | $0 |
| Conferences, conventions, and meetings | $48,974 |
| Interest | $33 |
| Payments to affiliates | $0 |
| Depreciation, depletion, and amortization | $1,082,928 |
| Insurance | $176,114 |
| All other expenses | $5,632 |
| Total functional expenses | $24,508,635 |
| Balance Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Cash—non-interest-bearing | $3,096,009 |
| Savings and temporary cash investments | $1,312,675 |
| Pledges and grants receivable | $5,009,516 |
| Accounts receivable, net | $0 |
| Loans from Officers, Directors, or Controlling Persons | $0 |
| Loans from Disqualified Persons | $0 |
| Notes and loans receivable | $169,117 |
| Inventories for sale or use | $0 |
| Prepaid expenses and deferred charges | $227,634 |
| Net Land, buildings, and equipment | $10,579,147 |
| Investments—publicly traded securities | $0 |
| Investments—other securities | $750,000 |
| Investments—program-related | $0 |
| Intangible assets | $0 |
| Other assets | $5,580,302 |
| Total assets | $26,724,400 |
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $3,620,729 |
| Grants payable | $0 |
| Deferred revenue | $96,306 |
| Tax-exempt bond liabilities | $0 |
| Escrow or custodial account liability | $0 |
| Loans and other payables to any current Officer, Director, or Controlling Person | $0 |
| Secured mortgages and notes payable | $0 |
| Unsecured mortgages and notes payable | $0 |
| Other liabilities | $5,716,113 |
| Total liabilities | $9,433,148 |
| Net assets without donor restrictions | $11,342,671 |
| Net assets with donor restrictions | $5,948,581 |
| Capital stock or trust principal, or current funds | $0 |
| Paid-in or capital surplus, or land, building, or equipment fund | $0 |
| Retained earnings, endowment, accumulated income, or other funds | $0 |
| Total liabilities and net assets/fund balances | $26,724,400 |
Grants Awarded
Over the last fiscal year, Seti Institute has awarded $2,764,263 in support to 38 organizations.
| Grant Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
TRILLIUM TECHNOLOGIES INC PURPOSE: RESEARCH | $917,954 |
WEST ED PURPOSE: RESEARCH | $210,229 |
HONEYBEE ROBOTICS PURPOSE: RESEARCH | $137,440 |
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PURPOSE: RESEARCH | $123,418 |
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA PURPOSE: RESEARCH | $108,258 |
Ann Arbor, MI PURPOSE: RESEARCH | $107,436 |
Grants Recieved
Over the last fiscal year, we have identified 16 grants that Seti Institute has recieved totaling $2,365,995.
| Awarding Organization | Amount |
|---|---|
Gordon E And Betty I Moore Foundation Palo Alto, CA PURPOSE: IN SUPPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A USER APP FOR MOBILE DEVICES AND SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS THAT USE DIGITAL TELESCOPES. | $750,466 |
Colonel Il James N Pritzker Charitable Distribution Fund Chicago, IL PURPOSE: GENERAL SUPPORT | $500,000 |
Tenacre Foundation Princeton, NJ PURPOSE: GENERAL SUPPORT | $293,700 |
Schwab Charitable Fund San Francisco, CA PURPOSE: PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT | $283,664 |
Gordon E And Betty I Moore Foundation Palo Alto, CA PURPOSE: IN SUPPORT OF EXPANDED ASTRONOMY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. | $245,005 |
Richard Lounsbery Foundation Inc Washington, DC PURPOSE: AN ALERT SYSTEM FOR ALL CITIZEN ASTRONOMERS | $199,298 |
Endowment Analysis
| Beg. Balance | $328,597 |
| Earnings | -$3,775 |
| Net Contributions | $654,000 |
| Ending Balance | $978,822 |
Peer Organizations
| Organization Name | Assets | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
Gmto Corporation Pasadena, CA | $305,649,164 | $8,771,769 |
California Association For Research In Astronomy Kamuela, HI | $81,069,087 | $25,670,237 |
Seti Institute Mountain View, CA | $26,724,400 | $28,045,270 |
Large Binocular Telescope Corporation Tucson, AZ | $104,607,014 | $11,909,094 |
Lowell Observatory Flagstaff, AZ | $78,377,713 | $22,823,113 |
Planetary Science Institute Tucson, AZ | $5,275,095 | $17,303,405 |
Tmt International Observatory Llc Pasadena, CA | $169,747,389 | $25,562,706 |
Canada France Hawaii Telescope Corporation Kamuela, HI | $15,098,361 | $9,205,566 |
Wiyn Consortium Inc Tucson, AZ | $27,019,162 | $3,689,249 |
Soar Consortium Inc Tucson, AZ | $23,700,628 | $2,948,166 |
B612 Foundation Mill Valley, CA | $5,510,258 | $2,167,756 |
Astronomical Society Of The Pacific San Francisco, CA | $5,482,594 | $2,444,548 |