Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development
Igsd's mission is to promote fast climate mitigation to slow near-term warming and self-propagating climate feedbacks, avoid or at least delay catastrophic climate and societal tipping points, and limit global temperatures to 1.5 cor at least keep this temperature guardrail in sight and limit overshoot.
Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development at a glance
In short: Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development gave $400K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $200K), mostly in Maryland. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $399,735
- -37.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- -71.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $199,868
- +119.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $199,868
- Total assets
- $15,668,160
- +30.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Maryland (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Maryland ($200K). Together the top 2 received $400K.
Grant Size Distribution
18 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 6 grants of 18 (33%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development gives
- Giving fell 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $195K (2019) to $1.6M (2023). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $400K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland Baltimore, MD | Strategic international collaboration, raising the bar on china's methane mitigation ambition | $200,000 |
| The Regents of the University of California Berkeley, CA | Research on energy efficiency by lawrence berkely national laboratory | $199,735 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $15,668,160 | $13,022,902 | $9,294,625 | $399,735 | 2 | $180,487 |
| 2024 | $12,013,948 | $12,184,827 | $8,476,631 | $637,000 | 7 | $179,331 |
| 2023 | $8,189,235 | $12,604,816 | $8,098,302 | $1,635,000 | 2 | $6,620 |
| 2022 | $5,047,571 | $6,894,670 | $7,385,774 | $500,000 | 1 | — |
| 2021 | $3,406,420 | $7,176,788 | $11,591,081 | $255,000 | 6 | — |
| 2020 | $7,779,701 | $11,311,091 | $8,498,296 | $510,500 | 9 | $19 |
| 2019 | $5,121,470 | $11,229,339 | $9,346,319 | $194,854 | 2 | $564 |
About Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development
Based on IRS filings
Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development is a public charity focused on International, Foreign Affairs & National Security, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $15.7M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 2 grants totaling $400K. Net investment income was $180K.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development is led by Durwood Zaelke, President on every filing since 2019; 7 of 13 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Durwood Zaelke
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$250K (2019) → $300K (2025)
Oran Young
Chair
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melinda Soffer
Director Finance & Administration
Director of Finance & Administrator → Director Finance & Administrator, 2023
Director Finance & Administrator → Director Finance & Administration, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$149K (2019) → $177K (2025)
Zerin Osho
Director India Program
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$184K (2024) → $202K (2025)
Gabrielle Dreyfus
Senior Scientist
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$145K (2019) → $207K (2025)
Richard Ferris
Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel → Senior Council, 2023
Senior Council → Senior Counsel, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$193K (2019) → $242K (2025)
Romina Picolotti
Senior Policy Advisor
Senior Analyst → Senior Policy Analyst, 2020
Senior Policy Analyst → Senior Policy Advisor, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$209K (2019) → $280K (2025)
Xiaopu Sun
Senior China Counsel
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$125K (2022) → $205K (2025)
Donald Kaniaru
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lewis Gordon
Board Member
Vice Chair → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sally Shelton-Colby
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vance Hughes
Vice Chair
Vice Chair & Secretary → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Biderman
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Kristen Taddonio (2022–2023) — Senior Technology Advisor
- Former: Richard Wiles (2019–2021) — Director & Cci
- Former: Alyssa Johl (2020–2021) — Legal Director & Cci
- Former: Lynsy Smithson-Stanley (2019) — Communications Manager
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $300K, to Durwood Zaelke (President). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development
How much does Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development give each year?
Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development gave $400K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $637K across 7 grants.
How large is Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development?
Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development reported $15.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.0M.
What is Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development?
Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development is a public charity focused on International, Foreign Affairs & National Security, based in Washington, DC. It holds $15.7M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development operate?
Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development has awarded grants in California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.
What is Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development's EIN?
Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0616238. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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