Central European University

Analysis

Central European University is a registered charity in United States, based in New York, NY. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in October 1997, 29 years ago. Its declared purposes cover international, foreign affairs and national security, which this site groups under overseas aid and international. The IRS classifies it as a school under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending July 2023, Central European University reported income of $20.0m and spending of $84.7m, spending 423% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2019 to July 2023, income fell from $83.0m to $20.0m (-76%), an average of -30% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2020, when income rose by 622%. Over the whole period it spent 49% of the income it received.

Among 10,317 United States charities whose main cause is overseas aid and international and that reported income, Central European University sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 97th percentile, and in the 96th percentile within NY. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc ($19.9m), Transfair USA ($20.0m) and Friends of the Orphans ($19.9m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending July 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 96% of the total. At year end it held assets of $446.1m against liabilities of $16.1m, net assets of $430.1m.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.