Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
60 Bigelow Dr, East Boothbay, ME · IRS data through FY2025
Revenue, expenses and net assets
Revenue Expenses Net assets
| Tax year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $29,714,759 | $20,548,715 | $94,755,487 |
| FY2024 | $30,523,194 | $19,546,629 | $82,978,378 |
| FY2023 | $41,488,593 | $18,589,257 | $68,383,750 |
| FY2022 | $20,387,195 | $16,928,139 | $43,733,044 |
| FY2021 | $19,007,017 | $14,437,344 | $40,359,379 |
| FY2020 | $13,783,271 | $13,855,896 | $32,666,666 |
| FY2019 | $12,875,623 | $12,839,999 | $34,580,970 |
| FY2018 | $11,519,803 | $12,768,567 | $35,300,025 |
| FY2017 | $14,444,038 | $12,705,375 | $36,502,619 |
| FY2016 | $17,580,634 | $11,954,507 | $31,730,154 |
| FY2015 | $11,610,887 | $11,871,120 | $26,105,110 |
| FY2014 | $11,110,567 | $11,728,698 | $26,383,891 |
| FY2013 | $13,485,759 | $10,825,857 | $26,954,595 |
| FY2012 | $18,529,580 | $8,317,460 | $24,260,153 |
Form 990 filings
The returns filed by Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (EIN 01-6006001), including Form 990 PDFs and e-file data by year, are available in ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. The figures on this page come from IRS data files built from those returns.
Where the revenue came from
| Source | Amount | % of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions & grants | $26,069,861 | 88% |
| Program service revenue | $2,828,858 | 10% |
| Other revenue | $816,040 | 3% |
Where the money was spent
| Category | Amount | % of expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Program services | $18,138,491 | 88% |
| Management & general | $475,144 | 2% |
| Fundraising | $1,935,080 | 9% |
What the numbers show
- Contributions & grants made up 88% of total revenue in FY2025.
- Program services accounted for 88% of functional expenses, management & general 2%, and fundraising 9%.
- 88% of functional expenses went to program services in FY2025. That is higher than 71.3% of 171 Science & Technology organizations nationwide (too few in ME for a state comparison).
- Net assets covered about 55.3 months of expenses at the end of the reporting year. That puts it in the 78th percentile among 1885 Science & Technology organizations nationwide (too few in ME for a state comparison).
- Total revenue was higher than 95.2% of 1939 Science & Technology organizations nationwide (too few in ME for a state comparison).
- Total revenue rose from $18,529,580 in FY2012 to $29,714,759 in FY2025. Revenue increased in 7 and decreased in 6 of 13 year-over-year comparisons.
- Expenses exceeded revenue in 4 of 14 reported years (FY2014, FY2015, FY2018, FY2020).
- The highest revenue on record here is $41,488,593 in FY2023.
- Net assets grew from $24,260,153 to $94,755,487 between FY2012 and FY2025.
- Contributions and grants made up 96% of revenue in FY2012 and 88% in FY2025.
- Listed in the IRS Publication 78 data as eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions (public charity).
Figures compared against other organizations of the same NTEE program area in the same state. See the methodology page for how these are calculated and the guide to reading nonprofit financials for their limits.
About this organization
To understand key processes driving the world's ocean ecosystems, their evolution and their fundamental relationship to life on earth through interrelated research, education, and technology transfer programs.
IRS status
| Ruling year | 1961 |
| Subsection | 501(c)(3) |
| Classification | Public charity |
| Program area (NTEE) | U210 — Science & Technology |
| Donations | Listed in the IRS Publication 78 data as eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions (public charity). |
Source: Internal Revenue Service — Exempt Organizations Business Master File (downloaded November 4, 2026), Statistics of Income extracts, Form 990 e-file data, Publication 78 and the Automatic Revocation list. Figures are as reported by the organization; IRS processing may adjust them. This is not a charity rating and not tax advice. Confirm deductibility in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.
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