Creative Commons Corporation: FY2021 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 04-3585301)

Anna Tumadottir’s $230K as CEO is at the 88th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3394 $1–10M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

Name	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Catherine Stihler	$115,660	$289,246	$252,243	$243,499	$69,319
Diane Peters	—	—	—	$122,202	$231,632
Anna Tumadottir	$230,000	$161,500	—	—	—
Cable Green	$196,778	$181,100	$179,442	$166,201	$187,528
Kriti Godey	—	—	—	—	$156,472
Kathleen Walsh	$155,821	$148,400	$126,000	—	—
Sarah Hinchliff Pearson	$71,530	—	$51,737	$154,150	$136,217
Anna K Tumadottir	—	—	$150,000	—	—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Creative Commons Corporation executive salaries →

Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Builds legal and technical tools for digital creation and sharing.

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1 program · $1.2M · in their own filed words · FY2021

01

Cc Certificate

Offer the creative commons certificate, an in-depth course for people interested in becoming experts in creating and engaging with openly licensed WORKS.GLAM - the openglam program support the adoption of progressive open access policies by glam institutions, including the adoption of creative commons tools.

$1.2Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid

Grants received · FY2024

National Philanthropic TrustFY2024$130K

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFY2024$26K

Raymond James Charitable Endowment FundFY2024$15K

American Online Giving Foundation INCFY2024$8K

Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$178K

See all 4 funders →

Grants paid · 23 grants · $597K · 2020–2024

Unitemized GrantFY2024$4,000

Unitemized GrantFY2024$3,000

Unitemized GrantFY2024$2,925

Unitemized GrantFY2024$1,250

Unitemized GrantFY2024$250

New Venture FundDC · FY2023$154,500

Unitemized GrantFY2023$10,000

Unitemized GrantFY2023$7,800

Unitemized GrantFY2023$3,750

Unitemized GrantFY2023$2,540

Unitemized GrantFY2023$1,168

Unitemized GrantFY2023$406

Public KnowledgeDC · FY2022$200,888

New Venture FundDC · FY2022$174,000

Software Freedom Conservancy INCNY · FY2022$8,000

Unitemized GrantFY2022$5,000

Unitemized GrantFY2022$1,483

Unitemized GrantFY2022$1,000

See all 23 grants →

By the numbers

Org confirmed 0 of 11 linesconfirmednot yet

The FY2021 990, line by line.

Download 990

from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$9.9M

Ln 12

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.5M

Fees for servicesLn 2g$347K

Other incomeLn 4–11$466

Money outPt IX

$3.1M

Ln 25

Programscol B$1.2M

Managementcol C$1.6M

Fundraisingcol D$370K

Owns and owesPt X

$8.9M

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$4.5M

Total assetsLn 16$9.6M

LiabilitiesLn 26$682K

PeoplePt VI, VII

17

listed · VII A

PaidVII A5

Voting boardVI 1a10

IndependentVI 1b10

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.5M

Government grantsLn 1e$343K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$347K

Investment incomeLn 3$113

Other incomeLn 4–11$466

Total revenueLn 12$9.9M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$2.0M

SavingsLn 2$2.5M

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$4.5M

Pledges and grants receivableLn 3$5.0M

Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesLn 9$52K

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K

InvestmentsLn 11–13$682

Total assetsLn 16$9.6M

LiabilitiesLn 26$682K

Net assetsLn 32$8.9M

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 515

VolunteersI 6175

Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember

Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes

Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes

Records policyVI 14Yes

3More from this return

Abroad and in kindSch F, M

Grants to other countriesSch F Pt II–III$11K

4Year over year

Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B

Line	Start FY21	End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$2.7M	$4.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13	$723	$682
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$2K	$2K
Total assetsLn 16	$2.9M	$9.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$764K	$682K
Net assetsLn 32	$2.2M	$8.9M

5Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1	$6K	$6K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2	$1K	$1K
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3	$11K	$11K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$493K	$166K	$279K	$48K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$1.1M	$529K	$358K	$168K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8	$60K	$25K	$26K	$9K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$131K	$24K	$94K	$13K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$117K	$59K	$47K	$11K
Legal feesLn 11b	$49K		$49K
Accounting feesLn 11c	$39K		$39K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$595K	$304K	$183K	$109K
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$10K	$195	$10K	$112
Office expensesLn 13	$42K	$431	$41K	$514
Information technologyLn 14	$202K	$12K	$181K	$8K
OccupancyLn 16	$7K	$880	$5K	$1K
TravelLn 17	$1K	$153	$1K	$73
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19	$61K	$60K	$649
InsuranceLn 23	$44K		$44K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$173K	$380	$172K	$96
All other expensesLn 24e	$28K	$6K	$20K	$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25	$3.1M	$1.2M	$1.6M	$370K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Nov 13, 2025	$2.4M	$3.9M	−$1.5M	$9.2M	990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2024	$4.9M	$4.8M	$133K	$10.6M	990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2023	$7.7M	$4.3M	$3.4M	$12.3M	990 PDF
FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 7, 2022	$9.9M	$3.1M	$6.7M	$8.9M	990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2021	$943K	$4.1M	−$3.2M	$2.2M	990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support F · Foreign J · Pay O · Explanations

See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $9,853,619 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $718,244$9,506,488

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $207,758$346,552

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $12,681$113

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $4,101$466

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $942,784$9,853,619

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $95,895$19,041

I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $2,402,671$1,856,560

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,631,316$1,251,501

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $4,129,882$3,127,102

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$3,187,098$6,726,517

Part VI · Governance 10 of 10 board members independent, no flags

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10

VI-1b Independent voting members10

VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo

VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes

VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes

VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $9,853,619 across 7 lines filed

Lines not itemized here account for $455 of total revenue; see the IRS return.

VIII-1e Government grants$342,523

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$9,163,965

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$9,506,488

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $346,552$346,552

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $113$113

VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $11$11

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $347,018 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $113$9,853,619

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $3,127,102 across 20 lines filed

IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $6,500$6,500

IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $1,491$1,491

IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $11,050$11,050

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $165,630 · Management $279,122 · Fundraising $48,055$492,807

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $528,988 · Management $357,990 · Fundraising $168,124$1,055,102

IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $25,335 · Management $26,213 · Fundraising $8,622$60,170

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $24,471 · Management $93,767 · Fundraising $13,148$131,386

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $59,497 · Management $46,639 · Fundraising $10,959$117,095

IX-11b Legal feesManagement $49,406$49,406

IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $39,328$39,328

IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $303,664 · Management $182,715 · Fundraising $108,886$595,265

IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $195 · Management $9,945 · Fundraising $112$10,252

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $431 · Management $40,695 · Fundraising $514$41,640

IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $11,913 · Management $181,239 · Fundraising $8,470$201,622

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $880 · Management $5,229 · Fundraising $1,023$7,132

IX-17 TravelPrograms $153 · Management $1,144 · Fundraising $73$1,370

IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $60,400 · Management $649$61,049

IX-23 InsuranceManagement $43,907$43,907

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $380 · Management $172,400 · Fundraising $96$172,876

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $6,170 · Management $19,735 · Fundraising $1,749$27,654

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,207,148 · Management $1,550,123 · Fundraising $369,831$3,127,102

Part X · Balance sheet $9,584,245 assets, 16 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $263,514$2,013,000

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $2,467,854$2,467,854

X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $155,624$5,048,666

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $50,219$52,435

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,608$1,608

X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $723$682

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,939,542$9,584,245

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $267,091$168,935

X-18 Grants payableStart of year $38,393$116,277

X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $87,500$26,000

X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $371,233$371,232

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $764,217$682,444

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $2,061,575$2,696,433

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $113,750$6,205,368

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $2,175,325$8,901,801

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,939,542$9,584,245

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $8,901,801 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$9,853,619

XI-2 Total expenses$3,127,102

XI-3 Revenue less expenses$6,726,517

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$2,175,325

XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$41

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$8,901,801

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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Creative Commons Corporation FY2021 filing

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