Third Way EIN 20-1734070

Third Way

EIN  20-1734070 Membership association Washington, DC Founded 2004
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 8/7/26 · see original filing: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Researches and develops centrist policy ideas focused on middle-class affordability, healthcare cost reduction, and entrepreneurial opportunities for non-college-educated workers.
Leadership
Jonathan Cowan · President and CEO · $413K
Money in and out
$31.7M revenue, $24.5M expenses
Bottom line
+23% operating surplus

Researches and develops centrist policy ideas focused on middle-class affordability, healthcare cost reduction, and entrepreneurial opportunities for non-college-educated workers. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $31.7M in revenue, $24.5M in expenses, and $58.7M in net assets.Pt I

Membership & operating revenue · FY2024
Total revenue
$31.7M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$24.5M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$58.7M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $7.2M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.88 Management & general $0.10 Fundraising $0.02
Operating surplus
+23%
revenue over expenses▲ +4% vs prior filing year
Earned revenue
0%
of revenue from program services & dues
Payroll share
47%
of spending is salaries & benefits▼ -5% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$31.7M
FY2024▲ +17%
Expenses
$24.5M
FY2024▲ +15%
Total assets
$66.0M
FY2024▲ +14%
Total liabilities
$7.2M
FY2024▼ -5%
Total revenue
$31.7M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$24.5M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$58.7M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$7.2M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$66.0M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B88%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 332
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 431
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $21.1M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Please note that for this program, and for all of the organization's programs, all reports developed by third way are made available to the general public through its website: WWW.THIRDWAY.ORG.CLIMATE and energy:in 2024, third way's climate and energy program helped solidify the united states' position as a global leader in clean energy…

$12.7Mprogram expense
02

Social Policy and Politics

In 2024, third way's social policy, education and politics team focused on three core areas: 1) defining what american want from washington; 2) centering value in the higher education debate; and 3) addressing threats on social issues:defining what americans want from washington: third way's politics team answered this question by…

$5.0Mprogram expense
03

Economics Program

In 2024, third way's economic program focused on three core areas: 1) making the middle class more affordable and attainable for non-college educated workers; 2) strengthening the affordable care act and lowering health care costs; and 3) expanding entrepreneurial opportunity in AMERICA.MAKING the middle class affordable and attainable…

$3.3Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CThird Way
EINHdr · item D20-1734070
Principal addressHdr · item CWashington, DC
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.thirdway.org
Year of formationHdr · item L2004
State of legal domicileHdr · item MDC
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(4) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFCivil Rights & Advocacy (R99)
Ruling yearIRS BMFJul 2005

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a32
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b31
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2Yes

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President and CEO
$413,118Pt VII · Sec A
Exe. VP of Public Affairs
$379,453Pt VII · Sec A
Exe. VP of Policy
$377,021Pt VII · Sec A
Social Policy & Politics
$299,942Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Econ Program
$296,343Pt VII · Sec A
Of Clean Energy
$294,687Pt VII · Sec A
Of Dev. & External Affairs
$230,542Pt VII · Sec A
Board Treasurer
$181,205Pt VII · Sec A

Jonathan Cowan’s $413K as President and CEO is at the 82nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 129 $10–100M civil rights & advocacy 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Jonathan Cowan$413,118$413,528$414,937$306,684$306,145
Matthew Bennett Secretary and$379,453$379,363$383,379$291,581$291,887
James Kessler$377,021$377,318$378,910$302,608$306,543
Lanae M Erickson SR VP for$299,942$299,964$248,240$249,773$225,236
Gabriel a Horwitz Senior$296,343
Gabriel a Horwitz$296,335$248,152$247,994$220,049
Joshua Freed$295,072$246,273$246,990$218,098
Joshua Freed Senior VP$294,687

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.

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$29.5M · 93%
Investment income$2.2M · 7%
Contributions & grants93%$29.5M
Investment income7%$2.2M
Total revenueLn 12$31.7M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.88 Management & general $0.10 Fundraising $0.02
Program services88%$21.5M
Management & general10%$2.5M
Fundraising2%$533K
Total functional expensesLn 25$24.5M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$4.8M
Total assetsLn 16$66.0M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$7.2M
Total net assetsLn 32$58.7M
Months of cash on handcomputed2.3

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $56.0M · Operating expenses/yr $24.5M
27.4 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $21.5M · Total expenses $24.5M
88%
Management & General
Management & general $2.5M · Total expenses $24.5M
10%
Fundraising
Fundraising $533K · Total expenses $24.5M
2%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $346K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $27.4M
$0.01 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $29.5M · Total revenue $31.7M
93%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $31.7M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $0 · Total revenue $31.7M
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $2.2M · Total revenue $31.7M
+7%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $0 · Total expenses $24.5M
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $31.7M · Prior year $27.2M
+17%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $18.4M · FY2024 $31.7M
+15%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $58.7M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $31.7M · Expenses $24.5M
+23%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $66.0M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $58.7M · Total assets $66.0M
89%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $23.6M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $27.7M · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $66.0M
78%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Jonathan Cowan · Reported title PRESIDENT AND CEO · Highest reported compensation $413K · Total expenses $24.5M
2%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $11.5M · Total expenses $24.5M
47%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 88%
Overhead ratio 10%
Fundraising cost ratio 2%
Revenue growth 17%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 1%
Accounting fee ratio 0%
Fundraising fee ratio 1%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Action Now INCFY2025$258K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$258K
Grants paid · 27 grants · $3.5M · 2020–2024
Protect Our Families INCFY2024$475,000
National Urban League INCNY · FY2024$256,000
Civic Attention INCFY2024$180,000
For Facts SakeDC · FY2024$150,000
The Welcome Party INCMA · FY2024$125,000
The Next 50 Network LLCFY2024$100,000
For Facts Sake ActionDC · FY2024$75,000
Newdeal ForumDC · FY2024$65,000
Common Sense CoalitionFY2024$50,000
Newdeal ForumDC · FY2023$250,000
National Urban League INCNY · FY2023$200,000
Emily's ListFY2023$10,000
National Urban League INCNY · FY2022$210,000
Center for Innovative PolicyDC · FY2022$10,000
NewdealDC · FY2021$150,000
See all 27 grants →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024 (Latest)$31.7M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$27.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$27.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$24.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$18.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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