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Marine Biological Laboratory

The MBL is a world-renowned center for biological discovery and training that is notably affiliated with 60 Nobel Prize winners. Research is conducted by full-time faculty as well …

Science & Technology Woods Hole, MA EIN: 042104690 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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80
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
80/100 · methodology

About Marine Biological Laboratory

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center for research and education in biological and environmental science located in Woods Hole, MA.

Founded
Headquarters
Woods Hole, MA
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
U500
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
large

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1938

Mission

The MBL is a world-renowned center for biological discovery and training that is notably affiliated with 60 Nobel Prize winners. Research is conducted by full-time faculty as well as hundreds of the world's leading scientists who are attracted by the MBL's unique resources and strengths. Their work spans biological scales from molecules and cells to ecosystems. The MBL trains students from high school to postdoctoral levels. Central to the MBL's identity are its advanced graduate level research courses.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Cause tags
SDG alignment The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the global agenda for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. We tag each charity to the goals its work advances.

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar science & technology in United States
Program spending This charity: 83%
Peer average: 82%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 0.64%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 80
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.83
Program$0.83
83% to programs beats the peer average (82%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Marine Biological Laboratory has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 6 independent sources including the IRS.

  • GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 6 independent sources, led by the IRS - among the most thoroughly sourced profiles in its cohort. See the sources
  • Established in 1888, it is among the oldest science & technology charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks. View this cohort
  • It is one of the better-documented science & technology charities in the United States GiveRadar currently tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (14 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Marine Biological Laboratory is a registered science & technology nonprofit based in Woods Hole, MA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1888 and has been operating for 138 years. Its EIN is 042104690. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 80/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $57M in annual revenue. 112 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Marine Biological Laboratory's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 042104690. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

Marine Biological Laboratory has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 80 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 83% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for science & technology charities in United States is 90/100.

Marine Biological Laboratory is located in Woods Hole, MA, United States. The organization was established in 1888 and has been active for 138 years. Its registered address is 7 MBL Street, United States.

Based on official tax filings, Marine Biological Laboratory has $57M in annual revenue. It allocates 83% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 82% for science & technology charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $15M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Marine Biological Laboratory is classified as a Science & Technology organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a large organization. It has $57M in annual revenue. The organization has 112 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Marine Biological Laboratory. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

According to GiveRadar's records, Marine Biological Laboratory holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 83% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 82%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center for research and education in biological and environmental science located in Woods Hole, MA. Marine Biological Laboratory is classified as a science & technology organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1888.

Among science & technology charities registered in United States: It allocates 83% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 82%. Its annual revenue of $57M is well above the peer average of $15M.

Yes, donations to Marine Biological Laboratory are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Marine Biological Laboratory is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 042104690, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$10M-$100M
83% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

10 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020, FY2019, FY2018, FY2017, FY2016, FY2015.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
436

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

MA
Mary S H•••••••••
Director

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Indian American Nipam Patel appointed director of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Wood Hole, MA - The Indian Panoram
May 2026
www.theindianpanorama.news
Keeping the ‘fairy tale’ of the Marine Biological Laboratory alive - Nature
Apr 2026
www.nature.com
Marine Biological Laboratory Receives $5 Million Gift from Valerie and John W. Rowe to Support Graduate Education - PR N
Mar 2026
www.prnewswire.com
Marine Biological Laboratory Establishes Robert Jeffrey Zimmer Chair for Financial Leadership - PR Newswire
Mar 2026
www.prnewswire.com
Marine Biological Laboratory Establishes Robert Jeffrey Zimmer Chair for Financial Leadership - Yahoo Finance
Mar 2026
finance.yahoo.com
Marine Biological Lab will be independent again after university affiliation - CapeCod.com
Feb 2026
www.capecod.com
Historic U.S. marine lab parts ways with the University of Chicago - Science | AAAS
Feb 2026
www.science.org
Marine Biological Laboratory to return to independence, launching its next chapter - University of Chicago News
Feb 2026
news.uchicago.edu
Marine Biological Laboratory names Damian N. Desiderio Chief Financial and Operating Officer - PR Newswire
Jan 2026
www.prnewswire.com
Marine Biological Laboratory Explores Human Memory With AI and Virtual Reality - NVIDIA Blog
Dec 2025
blogs.nvidia.com
Form filed
$57.3M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$53.6M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$59.8M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$44.9M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$43.6M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990
Form filed
$51.7M revenue
FY2019
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$44.1M revenue
FY2018
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$40.4M revenue
FY2017
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$46.3M revenue
FY2016
IRS/ProPublica
Form filed
$21.2M revenue
FY2015
IRS/ProPublica

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
Science & Technology this charity 7,612
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 112 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Supplementary verification
Wikidata structured data
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 112 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1888
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Marine Biological Laboratory

What is Marine Biological Laboratory?
Marine Biological Laboratory is a science & technology publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Woods Hole, United States. The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center for research and education in biological and environmental science located in Woods Hole, MA.
When was Marine Biological Laboratory founded?
Marine Biological Laboratory was founded in 1888.
Who leads Marine Biological Laboratory?
Mary S Harrington serves as Director.
Where is Marine Biological Laboratory located?
Headquartered in Woods Hole, MA, United States.
What is Marine Biological Laboratory's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $10M-$100M. 83% of expenses go to program services.
Is Marine Biological Laboratory trustworthy?
Marine Biological Laboratory has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Marine Biological Laboratory's registration number?
IRS EIN: 042104690.
What is Marine Biological Laboratory's website?
https://www.mbl.edu