irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $857KFINANCING THE ENERGY TRANSITION (FETI), A RESEARCH INITIATIVE SUPPORTING GOVERNMENTS AND INVESTORS AROUND THE GLOBE WITH THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, MODELING, AND FINANCIAL STRUCTURING NEEDED FOR A JUST GREEN TRANSITION.
- #2 $514KSOCIAL WEALTH, AN INITIATIVE HELPING GOVERNMENTS STRUCTURE AND INVEST POOLS OF PUBLIC CAPITAL IN ORDER TO PRESERVE SHARED WEALTH WHILE CATALYZING INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Center for Active Stewardship (CAS)
Develops tools like Splice for visualizing corporate greenhouse gas emissions over time and analyzes climate-related risks and opportunities for investors.
Financing the Energy Transition (FETI)
Provides technical assistance, modeling, and financial structuring to support governments and investors in achieving a just green transition, with focus areas including sovereign fund architecture, critical minerals, green technology market design, and catalyzing private green investment.
Social Wealth
Helps governments structure and invest public capital to preserve shared wealth while catalyzing inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Climate Finance Advisory & Research 2 activities
- Building capacity for climate-vulnerable nations’ financial planningProvides research, technical assistance, modeling, and capacity-building training to approximately 70 finance ministries in the Climate Vulnerable Forum V20 to develop data-driven tools and innovative financial mechanisms for sustainable development and green transitions.
- Providing technical assistance and financial structuring for green transitionsDelivers modeling, policy design, and financial structuring support to governments and investors globally for a just green transition. Includes sovereign fund architecture, critical minerals strategy, green technology market design, and catalyzing private investment in clean energy.
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Global Sustainability Convenings & Forums 1 activity
- Advancing regional integration and industrialization strategies in AfricaConvenes workshops and participates in high-level forums across Africa—including in Zambia, South Africa, and Uganda—to develop roadmaps for regional integration and industrialization. Engages with the African Union, G20 Social Summit, and ORF’s Cape Town Conversation to promote pan-African sovereign wealth funds and SME financing in special economic zones.
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Uncategorized 7 activities
- Advocating for policy reforms in public finance and economic governanceSupported local partners in drafting and passing Law 14.937 in 2024, which authorized subnational social wealth funds in Brazil. Co-hosted policy dialogues during London Climate Action Week and will convene high-level meetings alongside World Bank/IMF gatherings to advance sovereign development capital initiatives.
- Conducting applied research on economic and social policyConducts research on guaranteed income, higher education finance and student debt, AI governance, machine learning ethics, global development, climate finance, and the social impacts of transitioning from fossil fuels. Includes nationwide analysis of U.S. student debt (2019–2025), five-year evaluation of a basic income pilot in Hudson, NY, and studies on financing mechanisms for green technologies.
- Designing and supporting cash transfer and income-contingent financing programsDesigned the analytics and program structure for the Student Freedom Initiative, which uses income-contingent financing to support students at HBCUs and MSIs. Partnered on the design and evaluation of a large-scale guaranteed income program in Maricá, Brazil, serving 42,000 recipients.
- Developing analytical tools and models for public financial policyCreates modeling tools such as microsimulations for tax policy, stochastic portfolio modeling software, credit bureau data analysis for student debt, levelized cost models for green technologies, and tools to assess the bankability of nuclear, solar, wind, and hydrogen projects. Also developed the Mineral Market Dashboard, Mining Fiscal Regime Simulator, and Transition Critical Minerals mapping tool.
- Operating and publishing through Phenomenal WorldRuns Phenomenal World, a publication platform for political economy, economics, history, finance, and policy. Collaborates with The University of Chicago Press on a book series and publishes research reports, including the "Inside Out: Mining and Renewable Energy" series and findings on mineral wealth and electrification.
- Strengthening public financial management in subnational governmentsCollaborated with the Treasury of Niterói and UFF in Brazil to strengthen the management of over $1 billion in public funds through the development of analytic tools, including stochastic modeling software for risk management and portfolio analysis, supporting social programs serving 4.6 million residents.
- Supporting sovereign wealth fund development and collaborationProvides technical assistance and capacity building to sovereign wealth funds, particularly in Brazil and the Global South. Supported the creation of the Forum of Brazilian Sovereign Wealth Funds, collaborates with the International Forum of SWFs on impact metrics, and supports V20 nations in developing a multi-sovereign investment fund.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$5.33M
Contributions & grants$5.01M94%
Program service revenue$306K6%
Investment income$7K0%
Other revenue$3K
expenses
Total expenses$5.37M
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$3.29M
Grants paid out$18K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$764K
Cash$5K
Investments$121K
Liabilities$533K
Net assets$232K
Liquid reserves0.3 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -8.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 8
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL B STYNES | CEO & DIRECTOR | 41 | $254K |
| JEROME HODGES | CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER | 40 | $254K |
| MOLLY DEKTAR | EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | 40 | $213K |
| ALEXANDER JACOBS | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $196K |
| NOLAN LINDQUIST - EXECUTIVE | DIR. CENTER FOR ACTIVE STEWARDSHIP | 40 | $163K |
| SIDHYA BALAKRISHNAN | DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH THRU 11/2024 | 40 | $158K |
| PAUL KATZ | LEAD RESEARCHER | 40 | $149K |
| ROBERT GROSS | EDITOR, PHENOMENAL WORLD | 40 | $136K |
board members · 2
- CAROLA JAIN — DIRECTOR
- ROBERT JAIN — PRESIDENT/CHAIRMAN
relationships · 37
Who they work with
- African Union Government — Engaged through its events and policy frameworks, including Africa Industrialization Week and Agenda 2063, to advance regional integration strategies.
- Andrew Elrod Partner — Senior Editor at The Jain Family Institute and co-author of research on higher education reform
- Appalachian State University Partner — Collaborated with researchers from Appalachian State University on the evaluation and reporting of the HudsonUP Basic Income Pilot.
- BNDES Partner — Participated as a public development bank in the reception, engaging in dialogue on sovereign capital and development finance.
- Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) Partner — Worked with JFI on legislative efforts in Brazil, including an amendment to a BNDES bill that became Law 14.937 on subnational SWFs.
- Carnegie Corporation of New York Partner — Partner in the Minerals for Development Initiative to build policy and analytical capacity in mineral-producing countries.
- Center for Active Stewardship Partner — CAS is a project of the Jain Family Institute focused on advancing shareholder action for public good through data and advocacy tools.
- Center for Active Stewardship Partner — CAS is a project of the Jain Family Institute focused on advancing shareholder action for the public good through data and advocacy tools.
- Center for Active Stewardship Partner — Continues JFI's work on corporate governance and active ownership.
- Climate Vulnerable Forum Partner — Collaborating on discussions toward establishing a multi-sovereign investment fund for climate investment.
- Climate Vulnerable Forum V20 Partner — Collaborates with JFI to develop data-driven tools and financial architectures for sustainable development and green transitions across approximately 70 member finance ministries.
- Climate Vulnerable Forum V20 Partner — Collaborates with the CVFV20 to develop data-driven tools and financial models supporting sustainable development and green transition goals in vulnerable countries.
- Data Insights for Social & Humanitarian Action Partner — JFI is a partner in DISHA, a UN Global Pulse initiative, contributing guidance on ethics, oversight, and applied research under its AI for the Public Good affiliate initiative.
- Development Bank of Southern Africa Partner — Hosted a panel at the G20 Social Summit where JFI participated to discuss pan-African sovereign wealth fund initiatives.
- Forum of Brazilian Sovereign Wealth Funds Partner — Co-hosted an informal reception during London Climate Action Week to convene sovereign wealth fund practitioners and development stakeholders.
- Forum of Brazilian Sovereign Wealth Funds Partner — Collaborates with JFI to build capacity for publicly-held assets and co-host events, including a reception during London Climate Action Week.
- IFSWF Partner — Represented at the reception, contributing speaker remarks and participating in discussions on sovereign wealth and development.
- International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds Network — The Forum of Brazilian Sovereign Wealth Funds, initiated with JFI support, is an associate member of this global network.
- International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds Partner — Collaborates with JFI on impact metrics for sovereign wealth funds and will co-convene a meeting in May 2025.
- Marshall Steinbaum Partner — Senior Fellow at The Jain Family Institute and co-author of research on higher education reform
- ORF Partner — Hosted the Cape Town Conversation where JFI participated in discussions on sovereign wealth funds and industrialization in the Global South.
- Open Society Foundations Partner — Represented by speaker Savior Mwambwa at the reception, contributing to discussions on sovereign wealth and shared prosperity.
- Phenomenal World Partner — Continues JFI's research and publishing agenda in political economy.
- Royal Society of Arts Partner — Hosted the event at the Prince Philip Room for the JFI co-hosted reception during London Climate Action Week.
- RubidiumData Partner — Partner organization collaborating with JFI on regional integration initiatives and supply chain mapping in Africa.
- S&P Global Partner — JFI participated in the 2026 Global Aluminum Symposium hosted by S&P Global.
- SAIPAR Partner — Local partner co-convening workshops with JFI in Zambia on regional integration and industrialization.
- Student Freedom Initiative Partner — Collaborated with Robert Smith and JFI to co-design and implement the Student Freedom Initiative, providing financial support and analytics for students at HBCUs and MSIs.
- Student Freedom Initiative Partner — JFI collaborated with Robert Smith to design and build the analytics and program structure for the Student Freedom Initiative, which supports students at HBCUs and MSIs.
- The University of Chicago Press Partner — Collaborates with JFI on the Phenomenal World Books publishing series.
+ 7 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Equity-Centered Systems Analysis and Reformmethodology: equity-centered_transition_analysisBy analyzing systemic transitions—such as the shift from fossil fuels or tuition-dependent education—the organization designs reforms that prioritize equity and democratic governance—because structural change must address distributional impacts and power imbalances to produce durable, inclusive outcomes.
- Integrated Policy Development for Structural Transformationmethodology: integrated_policy_developmentBy combining theoretical research, context-specific analysis, and practical implementation tools, the organization produces policy interventions that are both intellectually rigorous and operationally viable—because holistic solutions grounded in interdisciplinary scholarship and modeling are more likely to achieve real-world impact on complex systems like energy transition and economic governance.
- Policy Innovation Ecosystem with Modeling and Technical Toolsmethodology: policy-innovation-ecosystemBy developing next-generation policy tools such as agent-based models (e.g., IMPULSE) and data-driven frameworks, the organization strengthens institutional capacity for innovation—because equipping governments and multilateral bodies with advanced simulation and decision-support systems improves their ability to mobilize investment and design effective, forward-looking policies.
- Sovereign Capital as Catalytic Public Financemethodology: sovereign-capital-as-catalystBy deploying sovereign capital through public institutions and social wealth funds, the organization believes it can shape markets, de-risk strategic sectors, and catalyze private investment—because public finance, when strategically positioned, acts as an anchor rather than a concessionary instrument to generate shared prosperity.
- Value Chain and Market Shaping for Global South Producersmethodology: value-chain-upgrading-for-resource-producersBy mapping green transition value chains and building public capacity in resource-producing countries, the organization enables governments to capture more value and move up the chain—because improved strategic understanding and public investment positioning allow low- and middle-income countries to resist extractive dynamics and pursue industrial upgrading.