BYRNE INSTITUTE
Cite this
Plain text BYRNE INSTITUTE. furp.org, nonprofit organization profile, tax years 2016–2024. https://furp.org/org/byrne-institute-474634060. Retrieved 2026-10-29.
APA furp.org. (n.d.). BYRNE INSTITUTE [Nonprofit organization profile; tax years 2016–2024]. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://furp.org/org/byrne-institute-474634060
MLA “BYRNE INSTITUTE.” furp.org, tax years 2016–2024, https://furp.org/org/byrne-institute-474634060. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.
Retrieved 2026-10-29; covers tax years 2016–2024. Data: furp.org, CC BY 4.0.
2024 · Form 990 · revenue $316K · expenses $290K · assets $277K
- EIN
- 47-4634060
- Address
- 5535 MEMORIAL DR STE F507, HOUSTON, TX 77007-8021
- Website
- www.houstoninstitute.org
- NTEE code
- B99
- Exempt type
- 501(c)(3): charitable, religious, educational, scientific or literary (corporation)
- Ruling date
- April 2017 (when the IRS recognized its exemption)
- IRS status
- Exempt (unconditional) (IRS Business Master File) IRS data ↗
- Tax-deductible donations
- Yes: listed in IRS Publication 78 (public charity) Pub 78 ↗
- Foundation status
- Public charity supported by the public (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))
- Principal officer
- Luis Tellez (its 2015 Form 990-N)
- Form 990-N e-postcards
- 1 filed, 2015 (organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less file this instead of a full Form 990) IRS data ↗
- Cross-check
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Mission
The mission of Houston Institute is to help the people of Rice University think deeply about the best way to live through the study of the liberal arts especially philosophy and literature. Our goal is to help students become better seekers and speakers of the truth.
Each tax year counts once: when a return was amended, only the latest return for that period is used below (superseded returns stay listed, greyed, under Finances).
People paid by the organization
2 people paid across every filing: current people first, then by total pay from this organization. Organizations counts every nonprofit each person appears on.
| Name | Latest title | Years | Latest year pay | Total pay from here | Organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Saenz | Executive Director | 2019-2024 | $79,625 | $407,581 | 1 |
| James Prather (former) | Director of Operations | 2022-2023 | $62,950 | $120,950 | 1 |
Officers and directors, no compensation reported
10 people listed on the returns with $0 (or no amount) in every compensation column: current people first. Hours are as filed on the latest return each person appears on.
| Name | Latest title | Years | Hrs/wk (latest) | Compensation | Organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Dulworth | Chairman of the Board | 2016-2024 | 2 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Davis Thames | Board Member | 2019-2024 | 0 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Pablo Yepes | Board Member | 2016-2024 | 0 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Luis Tellez | Board Member | 2016-2024 | 0 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Jeffery Polzer | Board Member | 2022-2024 | 0 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Peter Busher | Board Member | 2019-2024 | 0 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Michael Youtt | Board Member | 2022-2024 | 0 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Peter Buscher (former) | Board Member | 2021-2022 | 0 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Jeffrey Polzer (former) | Board Member | 2016-2021 | 1 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Paul Fortunato (former) | Program Director | 2016 | 5 | $0 reported | 1 |
People by year
2024 · 8 people listed · 1 paid, $80K · 4 employees · 0 volunteers
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Saenz | Executive Director | 40 | $79,625 | $0 | $0 | $79,625 | 1 |
| Mark Dulworth | Chairman of the Board | 2 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Davis Thames | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Pablo Yepes | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Luis Tellez | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Jeffery Polzer | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Peter Busher | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Michael Youtt | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2023 · 9 people listed · 2 paid, $133K · 0 employees · 0 volunteers
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Saenz | Executive Director | 40 | $70,000 | $0 | $0 | $70,000 | 1 |
| James Prather | Director of Operations | 40 | $62,950 | $0 | $0 | $62,950 | 1 |
| Mark Dulworth | Chairman of the Board | 2 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Davis Thames | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Pablo Yepes | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Luis Tellez | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Jeffery Polzer | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Peter Busher | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Michael Youtt | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2022 · 9 people listed · 2 paid, $122K · 3 employees · 0 volunteers
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Saenz | Executive Director | 40 | $63,600 | $0 | $0 | $63,600 | 1 |
| James Prather | Director of Operations | 40 | $58,000 | $0 | $0 | $58,000 | 1 |
| Mark Dulworth | Chairman of the Board | 2 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Davis Thames | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Pablo Yepes | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Luis Tellez | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Jeffery Polzer | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Peter Buscher | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Michael Youtt | Board Member | 0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2021 · 7 people listed · 1 paid, $67K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Saenz | Executive Director | 40 | $62,700 | - | $4,440 | $67,140 | 1 |
| Mark Dulworth | Chairman of the Board | 2 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Davis Thames | Board Member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Luis Tellez | Board Member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Pablo Yepes | Board Member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Jeffrey Polzer | Board Member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Peter Buscher | Board Member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2020 · 7 people listed · 1 paid, $64K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Saenz | Executive Director | 40 | $60,000 | - | $4,420 | $64,420 | 1 |
| Mark Dulworth | Chairman | 2 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Luis Tellez | board member | 2 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Pablo Yepes | board member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Jeffrey Polzer | board member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Peter Busher | board member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Davis Thames | board member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2019 · 7 people listed · 1 paid, $63K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Saenz | Executive Director | 40 | $60,000 | - | $2,796 | $62,796 | 1 |
| Mark Dulworth | Chairman | 2 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Luis Tellez | board member | 2 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Pablo Yepes | board member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Jeffrey Polzer | board member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Peter Busher | board member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Davis Thames | board member | 1 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2016 · 5 people listed · none paid
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUIS TELLEZ | President | 5 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
| MARK DULWORTH | Board Member | 5 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
| PABLO YEPES | Board Member | 5 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
| JEFFREY POLZER | Board Member | 5 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
| PAUL FORTUNATO | Program Director | 5 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
Highest-paid independent contractors
No independent contractors reported.
Who gave
Contributor names are not public for this form type.
Public charities filing Form 990 or 990-EZ report large donors on Schedule B, but the IRS withholds their names and addresses from public copies. Private foundations (990-PF) are different: their contributors are public.
Finances
Newest first. Each filing: its name on one row, its figures on the row beneath. Greyed filings are superseded by a later return for the same period and are left out everywhere else on this page.
| Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Net assets | Contributions | Program revenue | Officer pay | Employees | Volunteers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 · Form 990 | ||||||||
| $316,343 | $289,761 | $277,336 | $276,215 | $312,468 | $2,094 | $137,924 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023 · Form 990 | ||||||||
| $249,283 | $266,009 | $253,296 | $249,633 | $247,323 | $1,960 | $124,150 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 · Form 990 | ||||||||
| $279,861 | $213,418 | $269,277 | $266,359 | $279,861 | $0 | $63,600 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $196,790 | $129,614 | $202,581 | $199,917 | $182,261 | - | - | - | - |
| 2020 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $153,738 | $115,737 | $150,500 | $132,741 | $153,738 | - | - | - | - |
| 2019 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $162,590 | $106,152 | $93,004 | $91,267 | $162,585 | - | - | - | - |
| 2016 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $31,100 | $17,566 | $15,970 | $15,970 | $31,100 | $0 | - | - | - |
Funders of this organization
4 grantors reported grants to this organization, $785,495 in all, tax years 2019 to 2025. Exact: the grantor wrote this organization's EIN. Fuzzy: the grantor wrote only a name (foundations' 990-PF has no EIN field), matched to the same or a near-identical name in the same state; the name as filed is shown. From the latest return for each grantor and year, so amended returns aren't counted twice. CSV
| Grantor | Type | Match | Years given | Grants | Total | Latest year | Latest year's amount | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION INC | Public charity | Exact | 2022-2025 | 4 | $494,995 | 2025 | $119,995 | show |
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2020-2024 | 5 | $175,500 | 2024 | $50,750 | show |
| GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2019-2020, 2022, 2024 | 4 | $60,000 | 2024 | $20,000 | show |
| DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2020-2024 | 5 | $55,000 | 2024 | $15,000 | show |
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Who funds organizations like this
Grantors that funded the 100 most similar organizations. Ranked by total given to them. Foundations (990-PF) and donor-advised fund sponsors only. Same matching as Funders above (by EIN, or by name for foundations).
The full list · all similar organizations
Where the money went
Every expense line on each return, biggest first: Form 990 Part IX (with its program, management and fundraising columns), 990-EZ Part I, or 990-PF Part I. Event marks lines the organization itself describes as events. “Events” in each summary adds those lines, conferences and meetings, and the direct costs of fundraising events. Unusual is not the same as improper. Many of these patterns have ordinary explanations. Check the filing.
2024 · Form 990 · $289,761 spent · pay $192,890 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Program | Management | Fundraising | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay: officers, directors, trustees, key employees | $137,924 | $68,962 | $19,906 | $49,056 | 47.6% | |
| Occupancy | $47,947 | $0 | $47,947 | $0 | 16.5% | |
| Other (as described) | Program Expenses | $30,528 | $30,528 | $0 | $0 | 10.5% |
| Other salaries and wages | $25,872 | $21,120 | $4,752 | $0 | 8.9% | |
| Other employee benefits | $14,175 | $7,087 | $1,703 | $5,385 | 4.9% | |
| Payroll taxes | $12,530 | $6,891 | $1,886 | $3,753 | 4.3% | |
| Office expenses | $9,178 | $0 | $8,243 | $935 | 3.2% | |
| Other (as described) | Fundraising | $5,596 | $0 | $0 | $5,596 | 1.9% |
| Insurance | $2,700 | $0 | $2,700 | $0 | 0.9% | |
| Pension plan contributions | $2,389 | $1,195 | $597 | $597 | 0.8% | |
| Fees: accounting | $922 | $0 | $922 | $0 | 0.3% | |
| Total | $289,761 | 100% |
2023 · Form 990 · $266,009 spent · pay $154,768 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Program | Management | Fundraising | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay: officers, directors, trustees, key employees | $124,150 | $94,150 | $10,000 | $20,000 | 46.7% | |
| Occupancy | $52,423 | $0 | $52,423 | $0 | 19.7% | |
| Other (as described) | program expenses | $33,734 | $33,734 | $0 | $0 | 12.7% |
| Other employee benefits | $16,220 | $0 | $16,220 | $0 | 6.1% | |
| Office expenses | $14,147 | $0 | $14,147 | $0 | 5.3% | |
| Advertising and promotion | $9,930 | $0 | $0 | $9,930 | 3.7% | |
| Payroll taxes | $9,883 | $0 | $9,883 | $0 | 3.7% | |
| Other salaries and wages | $4,515 | $0 | $4,515 | $0 | 1.7% | |
| Depreciation and depletion | $1,007 | $0 | $1,007 | $0 | 0.4% | |
| Total | $266,009 | 100% |
2022 · Form 990 · $213,418 spent · pay $114,541 · grants $1,100 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Program | Management | Fundraising | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay: officers, directors, trustees, key employees | $63,600 | $31,800 | $15,900 | $15,900 | 29.8% | |
| Occupancy | $48,543 | $0 | $48,543 | $0 | 22.7% | |
| Other salaries and wages | $35,522 | $30,000 | $5,522 | $0 | 16.6% | |
| Other (as described) | Rice Class | $18,320 | $18,320 | $0 | $0 | 8.6% |
| Other (as described) | Reading Groups | $15,593 | $15,593 | $0 | $0 | 7.3% |
| Office expenses | $11,144 | $0 | $11,144 | $0 | 5.2% | |
| Other employee benefits | $7,837 | $5,233 | $1,302 | $1,302 | 3.7% | |
| Payroll taxes | $7,582 | $4,728 | $1,638 | $1,216 | 3.6% | |
| Fees: other services | $2,500 | $2,500 | $0 | $0 | 1.2% | |
| Travel | $1,413 | $0 | $1,413 | $0 | 0.7% | |
| Grants to US individuals | $1,100 | $1,100 | - | - | 0.5% | |
| Advertising and promotion | $264 | $0 | $0 | $264 | 0.1% | |
| Total | $213,418 | 100% |
2021 · Form 990EZ · $129,614 spent · pay $77,023 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $77,023 | 59.4% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $36,348 | 28.0% | |
| Occupancy, rent, utilities, maintenance | $13,020 | 10.0% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $3,223 | 2.5% | |
| Total | $129,614 | 100% |
2020 · Form 990EZ · $115,737 spent · pay $81,503 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $81,503 | 70.4% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $30,734 | 26.6% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $3,500 | 3.0% | |
| Total | $115,737 | 100% |
2019 · Form 990EZ · $106,152 spent · pay $76,396 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $76,396 | 72.0% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $25,608 | 24.1% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $2,558 | 2.4% | |
| Occupancy, rent, utilities, maintenance | $1,590 | 1.5% | |
| Total | $106,152 | 100% |
2016 · Form 990EZ · $17,566 spent · pay $0 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $15,635 | 89.0% | |
| Occupancy, rent, utilities, maintenance | $1,931 | 11.0% | |
| Total | $17,566 | 100% |
State business registration
- BYRNE INSTITUTE TX, CN, Active franchise taxpayer (SOS status R), formed 2015-06-23
The same business name in the same state, from the state’s official registry data.
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