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research dossier

AMERICAN ACADEMY IN BERLIN
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 521726273 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE Q113 · International Affairs · Large ($10M-$50M) · americanacademy.de
revenue
$10.6M
expenses
$10.2M
net assets
$83.7M
employees
50
volunteers
41
program ratio
55%
mission · from form 990

THE AMERICAN ACADEMY IN BERLIN IS AN INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED WORKS IN THE ARTS, HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PUBLIC POLICY. THE ACADEMY'S GOALS INCLUDE BUILDING DEEPER TIES IN THESE AREAS BETWEEN GERMANY AND THE U.S.A.

profile · synthesized from sources

The American Academy in Berlin is a private institute for advanced study in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and public policy. It hosts scholars and public figures through a fellowship program and promotes transatlantic dialogue between Germany and the United States. The Academy also awards the annual Henry A. Kissinger Prize to distinguished figures in international diplomacy.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Fellowship Program
Residential program hosting scholars, writers, and public intellectuals for advanced research in the humanities, social sciences, and public policy
Hans Arnhold Center Library
Reference library supporting research by fellows, offering access to over 9,000 holdings and research support services
Henry A. Kissinger Prize
Annual award recognizing distinguished American or European figures for outstanding contributions to the transatlantic relationship
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 2 activities
    • Build transatlantic networks
      Develops and sustains an extensive network across academic, cultural, political, and corporate communities in the United States and Germany to support intellectual exchange and collaboration.
    • Host Distinguished Visitors
      Hosts Distinguished Visitors from the United States who engage with public and professional audiences in Berlin and across Germany on current political, cultural, and academic issues.
  • Research and Scholarly Fellowship Support 1 activity
    • Award Berlin Prize fellowships
      Awards approximately 20 semester-long Berlin Prize fellowships annually to U.S. scholars, writers, and artists, enabling them to pursue independent research and creative projects in residence at the Hans Arnhold Center in Berlin.
  • Literary Events & Workshops 1 activity
    • Host public events and discussions
      Organizes and hosts a public program of lectures, readings, performances, workshops, and discussions in Berlin and via livestream, featuring fellows, distinguished visitors, and prominent guests on topics spanning literature, art, politics, and international relations.
  • Specialized Research Library Access 1 activity
    • Support research through library and document services
      Maintains a library of over 9,000 holdings in the humanities and political science and provides inter-library loan, express delivery, extended lending terms, and a document-delivery service to support the research of fellows at the Hans Arnhold Center.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Award Henry A. Kissinger Prize
      Hosts an annual ceremony to award the Henry A. Kissinger Prize to prominent figures in international diplomacy for their contributions to the transatlantic relationship, with events held in Berlin and occasionally in New York City.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$10.63M
Contributions & grants$6.53M61%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$3.12M29%
Other revenue$974K
expenses
Total expenses$10.21M
Program expenses55%
Admin / overhead29%
Fundraising16%
Salaries & benefits$5.13M
Grants paid out$441K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$85.21M
Cash$2.12M
Investments$76.02M
Liabilities$1.47M
Net assets$83.74M
Liquid reserves91.8 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +34.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 6
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
DANIEL BENJAMIN PRESIDENT 40 $685K
CHRISTIAN DIEHL CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 40 $426K
EMILY CAREY VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT 40 $262K
ANA RAMIC VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF OF STAFF 40 $202K
CHRIS HARDY DIRECTOR, FELLOWS SELECTION & ALUMNI AFFAIRS 40 $158K
CORALIE WORNER DIRECTOR, PERSONNEL & LEGAL 40 $126K
board members · 19
  • AMY GUTMANN FROM FALL 2024 — BOARD MEMBER
  • ANDREW S GUNDLACH — BOARD MEMBER
  • ANDREW WYLIE — BOARD MEMBER
  • BENNO DORER — BOARD MEMBER
  • CAROL KAHN STRAUSS — BOARD MEMBER
  • CAROLINE WAMSLER — BOARD MEMBER
  • CHRISTINE I WALLICH — BOARD MEMBER
  • CHRISTOPH SCHWEIZER — BOARD MEMBER
  • DIRK IPPEN — BOARD MEMBER
  • DON VIEIRA FROM FALL 2024 — BOARD MEMBER
  • EMILY HABER — BOARD MEMBER
  • FLORIAN HENCKEL V DONNERSMARCK — BOARD MEMBER
  • GAHL HODGES BURT — BOARD MEMBER
  • HANS-MICHAEL GIESEN — SECRETARY
  • HAROLD HONGJU KOH — BOARD MEMBER
  • JEFFREY A ROSEN — BOARD MEMBER
  • JEFFREY MARK GOLDBERG — BOARD MEMBER
  • JOE KAESER — BOARD MEMBER
  • JOHANNES HUTH — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 16

Who they work with

  • Anna-Maria Kellen Partner — Provided founding gift and supported transformation of her childhood home into the Hans Arnhold Center.
  • Bank of America Europe DAC Partner — Provided supporting sponsorship for the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize and generous support for the 2024 prize.
  • Bayer AG Partner — Provided supporting sponsorship for the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize and generous support for the 2024 prize.
  • Bloomberg Philanthropies Partner — Provided lead and presenting sponsorship for the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize and generous support for the 2024 prize.
  • Deutsche Bank AG Partner — Provided additional funding for the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize and generous support for the 2024 prize.
  • Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA Partner — Provided additional funding for the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize and generous support for the 2024 prize.
  • GBV Network — Participates in the public cooperative library network GBV for shared library services and access.
  • Hans Arnhold Center Partner — Provides the residential facility on Lake Wannsee where Berlin Prize Fellows pursue their work.
  • Mercedes-Benz Group AG Partner — Provided presenting sponsorship for the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize and generous support for the 2024 prize.
  • Microsoft Partner — Provided supporting sponsorship for the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize and generous support for the 2024 prize.
  • New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau Government — Makes its financial report available through the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau website.
  • New York State Charities Bureau Government — Provides financial reporting and regulatory compliance information to the New York State Charities Bureau.
  • Richard C. Holbrooke Partner — Proposed the idea of the American Academy in Berlin and identified the Arnhold villa as its site during his tenure as US ambassador to Germany.
  • Robert Bosch GmbH Partner — Provided additional funding for the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize and generous support for the 2024 prize.
  • Stephen M. Kellen Partner — Co-provided founding gift with Anna-Maria Kellen for the renovation of the villa and grounds.
  • Volker Schlöndorff Partner — Directed a promotional film about the American Academy in Berlin in 2017.
strategies · 3

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.

  • Multidisciplinary Public Programming to Broaden Intellectual Engagement
    methodology: multidisciplinary_public_programming
    By integrating lectures, performances, exhibitions, and workshops, the Academy engages diverse audiences with complex ideas because combining artistic and intellectual formats increases accessibility and public resonance with scholarly discourse.
  • Residential Fellowship Model for Advanced Scholarship
    methodology: residential_fellowship
    By providing a semester-long residential fellowship in a transatlantic setting, the Academy supports advanced intellectual and artistic work because immersive, interdisciplinary environments foster transformative ideas and sustained scholarly productivity.
  • Transatlantic Intellectual and Cultural Exchange as a Catalyst for Global Ideas
    methodology: transatlantic_intellectual_exchange
    By convening U.S. and German intellectuals, artists, and diplomats through fellowships and public programming, the Academy generates transformative ideas and strengthens international relations because sustained cross-cultural dialogue fosters innovative responses to global challenges.