Founded on 31 May 1969 in Quincy, Illinois, as the Midwest UFO Network, the organization rebranded as the Mutual UFO Network in 1973 when chapters expanded beyond the Great Lakes.1 Early leadership included aerospace engineer Walter H. Andrus Jr., atmospheric physicist Allen R. Utke, and NASA contractor John F. Schuessler.2
Mission and Methodology
MUFON states its objective as "the scientific study of UFOs for the benefit of humanity."3 It trains volunteers through a 265-page manual, an examination, and a background check before granting Field Investigator credentials.4 Certified investigators employ calibrated photography, sky-mapping software, and standardized witness interview protocols to classify cases under the Balloon/Airship — Unknown — Insufficient Data typology used in the Case Management System (CMS).
Organizational Structure
The network is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. A volunteer Board of Directors appoints an Executive Director who oversees day-to-day operations and three paid staff positions.5 More than 4,000 dues-paying members populate state and national chapters across fifty United States and forty-three additional countries.6
Investigative Process
- Witness submits an online report or hotline call.
- CMS automatically timestamps and geolocates the entry.
- A State Director assigns a Field Investigator who performs on-site measurements, collects metadata, and submits a narrative plus evidentiary files.
- At least one peer reviewer checks consistency before a disposition is posted to the public portal, redacted for privacy.
As of March 2025 the CMS hosts over 140,000 cases, including historical records digitised from Skylook and MUFON Journal back to 1969.7
Publications and Data Assets
The monthly MUFON UFO Journal summarises notable investigations and technical studies. Project Aquarius, launched in 2023, streams nearly 6,000 original paper reports, 9,000 press clippings, and a GIS-ready global sighting map for researchers.8
Annual Symposium
Since 1971 MUFON has convened an international symposium that pairs field-investigator workshops with lectures by aerospace engineers, former intelligence officials, and academic psychologists. The 2025 meeting in Covington, Kentucky carries the theme "Hidden Truths — A Modern Analysis of Lost Research."9
Funding and Governance
IRS Form 990 filings show revenue derived primarily from member dues, symposium tickets, and MUFON TV subscriptions; no board member receives compensation.10 The network allocates current surplus toward CMS modernisation, laboratory expansion, and a planned physical museum in New York.
Criticism and Controversies
Skeptical researchers argue that the group's focus on alien abduction and hypnotic regression departs from rigorous science.11 In April 2018 internal resignations followed revelations of racist statements by high-profile donors.12 Former Executive Director Jan Harzan was removed in July 2020 after his arrest on child-solicitation charges.13 MUFON publicly reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy and instituted background checks for directors.
Cultural Impact
Media ranging from The X-Files to the Discovery Channel series UFOs Over Earth consult MUFON investigators for footage and commentary. Academics mining longitudinal data on unidentified aerial phenomena regularly cite the CMS, making MUFON the longest-running civilian archive of such observations.