The Breakthrough Institute
The Breakthrough Institute is a research center that identifies and promotes technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges.
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The Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Oakland, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges in three areas: energy, conservation, and food and farming.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
The Breakthrough Institute is a research center that identifies and promotes technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar environment in United StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
GiveRadar's verified records show The Breakthrough Institute with a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.
- GiveRadar holds a more complete profile for this organization than for 86% of the 30,143 environment charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 77% of the 13,369 environment charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all comparable organizations, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a donation page
- third-party accreditation
- a contact email
- 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 + methodologyThe Breakthrough Institute is a registered environment nonprofit based in Berkeley, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2016 and has been operating for 10 years. Its EIN is 814526660. 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 77/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $8M in annual revenue. 72 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
The Breakthrough Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 814526660. 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.
The Breakthrough Institute has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77/100. 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 77 ('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 environment charities in United States is 90/100.
The Breakthrough Institute is located in Berkeley, CA, United States. The organization was established in 2016 and has been active for 10 years.
Based on official tax filings, The Breakthrough Institute has $8M in annual revenue. It allocates 83% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 78% for environment charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $2M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
The Breakthrough Institute is classified as an Environment 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 $8M in annual revenue. The organization has 72 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for The Breakthrough Institute. 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, The Breakthrough Institute 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 78%). 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 Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Oakland, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges in three areas: energy, conservation, and food and farming. The Breakthrough Institute is classified as an environment organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2016.
Among environment charities registered in United States: It allocates 83% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 78%. Its annual revenue of $8M is well above the peer average of $2M.
Yes, donations to The Breakthrough Institute are generally tax-deductible in the United States. The Breakthrough Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 814526660, 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.
Filing history
5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
THE BREAKTHROUGH INSTITUTE is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2024 filing
Officers & trustees (22)
Source: Public filings
22 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most.
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 - 72 disclosed in the public registry.
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2024 on record
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Named leadership · 72 officers on file
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Executive pay · Disclosed
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 2016
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Programs & activitiesNo 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.
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Quick facts about The Breakthrough Institute
- What is The Breakthrough Institute?
- The Breakthrough Institute is a environment publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Berkeley, United States. The Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Oakland, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges in three areas: energy, conservation, and food and farming.
- When was The Breakthrough Institute founded?
- The Breakthrough Institute was founded in 2016.
- Who leads The Breakthrough Institute?
- Thomas Riley serves as Sec/Treasury.
- Where is The Breakthrough Institute located?
- Headquartered in Berkeley, CA, United States.
- What is The Breakthrough Institute's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $1M-$10M. 83% of expenses go to program services.
- Is The Breakthrough Institute trustworthy?
- The Breakthrough Institute has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 77 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 The Breakthrough Institute's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 814526660.
- What is The Breakthrough Institute's website?
- http://www.thebreakthrough.org