Fund Independent Science
INSTAR Lab Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute. We receive no automatic endowment, no tuition revenue, and no government mandate. Public support — from individual donors, philanthropic foundations, and research partners — is what sustains independent inquiry into AI, quantum science, health, energy, and the broad sciences.
Independence Is What Makes the Science Credible
Research institutions that depend entirely on a single funder — whether corporate, governmental, or ideological — are subject to pressure, explicit or implicit, to produce findings that align with that funder's interests. INSTAR Lab is built to resist that dynamic. By maintaining a diverse funding base that includes individual gifts, philanthropic grants, sponsored research contracts, and fellowship stipends, we preserve the institutional independence that is the prerequisite for credible science.
Your support — at any level — contributes to that independence. A gift of any size signals that the public values science conducted on the public's behalf: rigorous, transparent, openly published, and accountable to evidence rather than agenda.
MAKE A ONE-TIME GIFT
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Your gift to INSTAR Lab Inc. is tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law under IRC §501(c)(3). EIN: 85-0845517. Stripe emails a receipt to your inbox immediately after checkout. INSTAR Lab never stores your payment information.
FRIENDS OF INSTAR
Recurring support is the most impactful form of giving for an independent research institute. A monthly or annual membership gives INSTAR the financial stability to commit to multi-year research programs, recruit fellows, and maintain the open-data infrastructure that makes our findings reproducible.
| Tier | Annual Rate (Monthly) | Recognition & Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Friend | $60 / yr ($5 / mo) | INSTAR research newsletter and annual impact report |
| Supporter | $180 / yr ($15 / mo) | All Friend benefits, plus your name on the INSTAR public supporters list |
| Patron | $600 / yr ($50 / mo) | All Supporter benefits, plus invitations to INSTAR lab briefings and public research events |
| Benefactor | $1,200+ / yr | All Patron benefits, plus direct progress updates from INSTAR researchers |
All membership contributions are tax-deductible. Stripe emails a receipt after each charge. You can view, modify, or cancel your membership at any time through the Stripe customer portal.
Payments processed securely by Stripe. INSTAR Lab never stores your payment details. See our Privacy Policy.
WHERE YOUR SUPPORT GOES
INSTAR Lab allocates support across four pillars that together constitute the full lifecycle of public-benefit research — from discovery through dissemination.
Research Programs
Direct funding for principal investigators, laboratory resources, computational infrastructure, and the operational costs of running rigorous, multi-disciplinary research across INSTAR's full portfolio.
Fellowships
Stipends, benefits, and mentorship resources for Consortium Postdoctoral Research Fellows — the next generation of scientists who bring fresh energy and independent perspective to INSTAR's programs.
Open-Data Infrastructure
Maintenance of reproducible analysis pipelines, dataset documentation, and public artifact repositories that make INSTAR's findings independently verifiable — the infrastructure of scientific transparency.
Public Science
Workshops, technical seminars, published research briefs, and community engagement that translate INSTAR findings into accessible knowledge — fulfilling our obligation as a public-benefit nonprofit.
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT US
Beyond individual giving, INSTAR welcomes institutional partners, major philanthropists, and postdoctoral researchers who want to contribute to the mission directly.
Major Gifts & Grants
Foundations, family offices, and mission-aligned philanthropists can establish named grants, program endowments, or multi-year commitments to specific INSTAR research thrusts or the Fellowship fund.
Research Partnerships
Universities, government agencies, and enterprises can engage INSTAR through sponsored research programs, STTR co-investigations, joint development agreements, and enterprise R&D partnerships.
Fellowship
Postdoctoral researchers contribute directly to INSTAR's mission. The Consortium Fellowship is a 12-month supervised appointment with structured mentorship across the INSTAR Consortium network.
Transparency & Responsible Stewardship
INSTAR Lab Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Marietta, Ohio. EIN: 85-0845517. Public IRS annual filings, including Form 990-N e-Postcards where applicable, are available through the IRS Form 990-N search and the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law.
Our original IRS determination letter is available here: IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter. Our nonprofit profile is listed on GuideStar / Candid Profile.
We operate under a board-approved financial policy that requires independent review of expenditures, conflict-of-interest disclosure for all principal investigators and directors, and annual reconciliation of restricted gift allocations. Donors who establish named grants or program funds receive written allocation reports confirming how their contribution was applied.
We do not sell, trade, or share donor information with any third party. Communications from INSTAR regarding your gift or our research are governed by our Privacy Policy.
Philanthropy & Grants
Fund Independent Science
INSTAR Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your tax-deductible contribution directly supports public-benefit research in AI, quantum science, health, energy, and the broad sciences.