Los Angeles, CA

Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies

EIN 25-1843470

Faith & Spiritual Communities Clergy & Theological Education Faith communities

Mission

To strengthen Catholic thought and imagination and their ability to contribute to the important questions of the day by supporting research, scholarship, and public engagement across disciplines and traditions.

IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity Contributions are tax-deductible

Claim this page Visit dornsife.usc.edu/iacs

About Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies

The Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies (IACS) is an independent global research center founded in 1998 and located at the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. IACS draws an international pool of scholars and artists across disciplines to produce books, host academic conferences and cultural events, run fellowship programs, and advance the intellectual work of the Catholic tradition. IACS is governed by an independent board of trustees and led by a professional team (President Richard Wood, Ph.D., and Executive Director Rebecca King Cerling). In the past 2–3 years the Institute has mounted high-profile public forums and interdisciplinary initiatives (for example work on nuclear disarmament and deterrence, programs on women in ministry, and the Humanizing Networks initiative) and continued to publish scholarship and host fellows through its Generations in Dialogue and other flagship programs.

Notable achievements

Generations in Dialogue

IACS’s flagship fellowship program bringing together scholars and practitioners across generations and disciplines to produce research, publications, and public programs that renew Catholic intellectual life.

Major public forums and convenings (2023–2024)

Organized interdisciplinary, international events—including a 2024 Forum on Nuclear Strategy: Disarmament & Deterrence and public conversations on ecology and ministry—that convened scholars, church leaders and policy experts and made sessions publicly available.

Scholarly publications and editorial support

Produces and supports books, essays, and newsletters that advance research in Catholic thought and its intersections with the arts, sciences, and public life.

At a glance

Total assets: $9.9M
Annual revenue: $887K
Tax status: 501(c)(3)Public charity
EIN: 25-1843470
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Website: dornsife.usc.edu/iacs
On Mahalo since: April 2026

Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.

Recognition

Academic affiliation and institutional support — IACS is hosted at and supported by USC Dornsife while operating under an independent board of trustees, reflecting both academic standing and organizational autonomy.

Sustained nonprofit reporting and financial scale — the organization files public Form 990s and reported multi-million-dollar assets and operating activity in recent filings, indicating ongoing operations and transparent financial reporting.

Public engagement and media presence — IACS programs, recorded forums, and leadership interviews have been featured in public media and made available online, demonstrating active outreach and partnership with other universities and civic institutions.

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