The Allen Institute is an independent nonprofit bioscience research institute located in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2003, it conducts large-scale basic science research focused on understanding the brain, cells, and immune system. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity and is recognized as a leader in large-scale research with a commitment to an open science model.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$367.1M
+4.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$19.2M
+45.6% YoY
Grant Count
31
+14.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$618K
+26.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission of the Allen Institute is to unlock the complexities of bioscience and advance knowledge to improve human health. Using an open science, multi-scale, team-oriented approach, the Institute focuses on:
- Accelerating foundational research
- Developing standards and models
- Cultivating new ideas to make broad, transformational impact on science
The Institute's research spans neuroscience, cell biology, immunology, machine learning, data science, and cutting-edge bioscience innovations. A core commitment is making all data, tools, models, and reagents publicly available to fellow scientists and research institutions worldwide to catalyze scientific discovery and nurture medical breakthroughs.
Grantmaking
The Allen Institute makes grants to support medical research. Recent grants documented include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Allen Institute serves a worldwide area, making research resources and findings available globally to the scientific community.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total revenues: $240,418,148
- Total expenses: $220,607,045
- Total assets: $351,360,685
- Number of employees: 929
Charity Rating: The organization holds a Three-Star rating with an 81% score based on accountability and finance metrics.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $367,120,032 | $351,360,685 | $317,650,465 |
| Revenue | $272,058,206 | $240,418,148 | $184,245,221 |
| Expenses | $270,683,072 | $220,607,045 | $176,998,648 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $6,033,321 | $4,319,610 | $1,906,826 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Allen Institute
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University of Washington ($3,459,548), The Trustees of Princeton University ($3,388,837), Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($2,518,196).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ADDGENE INC WATERTOWN, MA | RESEARCH | $137,464 |
| APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOONE, NC | RESEARCH | $24,464 |
| ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY TEMPE, AZ | RESEARCH | $125,089 |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE HOUSTON, TX | RESEARCH | $43,567 |
| BOSTON UNIVERSITY BOSTON, MA | RESEARCH | $589,446 |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PASADENA, CA | RESEARCH | $3,015 |
| CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY EAST BAY HAYWARD, CA | RESEARCH | $14,089 |
| CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER LOS ANGELES, CA | RESEARCH | $97,942 |
| ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI NEW YORK, NY | RESEARCH | $1,939,391 |
| KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE OAKLAND, CA | RESEARCH | $61,749 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Paul G. Allen – Founder (co-founder of Microsoft, 1975)
- Jody Allen – Founder and Board Chair
- Rui Costa – CEO (D.V.M., Ph.D.)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JO LYNN ALLEN | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MARGARET ANDERSON | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JOANNE BERGER-SWEENEY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| PHYLLIS CAMPBELL | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ALTA CHARO | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| THOMAS DANIEL | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| CARLA DEWBERRY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| STEPHEN HALL | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ALLAN JONES | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MICHAEL STRYKER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| AVIV REGEV | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| RUI COSTA | PRESIDENT | 40 | $1,229,107 |
| MARJORIE THOMAS | VP, TREASURER, CFO | 40 | $598,200 |
| MARGARET MCCLELLAN | VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY | 40 | $540,369 |
| CHRISTOPHER BEAUDOIN | VICE PRESIDENT, COO | 40 | $554,507 |
| HONGKUI ZENG | EXECUTIVE VP, DIR. BRAIN SCIENCE | 40 | $598,964 |
| ANANDA GOLDRATH | EXECUTIVE VP, DIR. ALLEN I | 40 | $599,239 |
| ANDREW HICKL | CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER | 40 | $558,044 |
| KATHRYN RICHMOND | EXECUTIVE VP, DIR. FRONTIERS | 40 | $509,076 |
| KAREL SVOBODA | EXECUTIVE VP, DIR. NEURAL DYNAMICS | 40 | $556,227 |
| RUWANTHI NIRANJALA GUNAWARDANE | EXECUTIVE VP, DIR. CELL SCIENCE | 40 | $489,066 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Allen Institute announced inaugural Innovation Awards winners and has partnered with Anthropic to supercharge research efforts aimed at helping cure disease. The Institute continues to conduct expansive research projects, including the MICrONS Project, described as the most complicated neuroscience experiment ever attempted, and operates the OpenScope platform for crowdsourced neuroscience studies.
Allen Institute Announces inaugural Innovation Awards winnersSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Allen Institute fund?
The mission of the Allen Institute is to unlock the complexities of bioscience and advance knowledge to improve human health. Using an open science, multi-scale, team-oriented approach, the Institute focuses on: • Accelerating foundational research • Developing standards and models • Cultivating new ideas to make broad, transformational impact on science The Institute's research spans neuroscience, cell biology, immunology, machine learning, data science, and cutting-edge bioscience innovations…
How do I apply for a grant from Allen Institute?
The Allen Institute makes grants to support medical research. Recent grants documented include: • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): $1,681,049 (2023) • Columbia University: $1,237,676 (2023) • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: $883,941 (2023) The Institute made at least 21 grants totaling approximately $8.8 million in documented grantmaking activity.
Where does Allen Institute make grants?
The Allen Institute serves a worldwide area, making research resources and findings available globally to the scientific community.
What size grants does Allen Institute award?
In 2024, Allen Institute awarded 31 grants totaling $19.2M — an average of about $618K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Allen Institute's EIN?
Allen Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2155317. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Allen Institute's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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