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The Tor Project INC FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

Winchester, NH501(c)(3)Since 2006Public & Societal Benefit EIN 20-8096820Revenue $4.4M in FY2020

On file with the IRStorproject.orgPo Box 5, 03470-0005 · Winchester, NHTax-exempt since Feb 2007Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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The organization's mission is to provide support and management services to the Tor network, which is a group of volunteer-operated servers that allows people to improve their privacy and security on the internet. The organization's users employ the Tor network by connecting through a series of virtual tunnels rather than making a direct connection, thus allowing both organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy. Along the same line, the Tor network is an effective censorship circumvention tool, allowing its users to reach otherwise blocked destinations or content. The Tor network can also be used as a building block for software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$785K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.6M a year · 21% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$785K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.9 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
14
named funders · $3.8M
Looks good: 14 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$657K
63% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 63% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.4M
Spent
$4.4M
To programs
89%
Net assets
$390K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$4.4M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$4.4M
FY2021$7.4M
FY2022$6.0M
FY2023$8.5M
FY2024$7.3M
FY2025$12.3M
Expenses
$4.4M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$4.4M
FY2021$4.0M
FY2022$4.9M
FY2023$6.7M
FY2024$7.3M
FY2025$9.0M
Net assets
$390K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$390K
FY2021$3.9M
FY2022$5.0M
FY2023$6.8M
FY2024$6.7M
FY2025$10.0M

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending June 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 2007.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $3.9M Management & general 4% · $153K Fundraising 7% · $309K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

16 people listed on the 990; $785K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
Nick Mathewson
Vice-President
$124,125Pt VII · Sec A
$124,125Pt VII · Sec A
Isabela Bagueros
Executive Director
$120,000Pt VII · Sec A
Mike Perry
Developer
$112,500Pt VII · Sec A
$108,000Pt VII · Sec A
Taylor Yu
Developer
$102,239Pt VII · Sec A
Susan Abt
Chief Financial Officer
$94,144Pt VII · Sec A
Matt Blaze
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Isabela Dias Fernandes’s $189K as Executive Director is at the 18th percentile of top reported officer pay among 232 $10–100M public & societal benefit 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Isabela Dias Fernandes$188,985$173,648$162,094$153,750——
Micah Anderson$185,400$182,200————
Susan Abt$173,236$129,567$123,389$116,835$82,921$94,144
Nick Mathewson$172,892$166,585—$153,750$99,231$124,125
Roger Dingledine$172,892$166,531$160,238$152,550$99,500$124,125
Nicholas Mathewson——$161,438———
Mike Perry$144,703$141,258$134,531$128,125—$112,500
Matthew Finkel———$123,000——

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 The Tor Project INC executive salaries →

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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

Promotes online anonymity and privacy through research, education, and advocacy.

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1 program · $3.9M · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

1) to develop, improve and distribute free, publicly available tools and programs that promote free speech, free expression, civic engagement, and privacy rights online 2) to conduct scientific research regarding, and to promote the use of and knowledge about, such tools, programs, and related issues internationally 3) to educate the…

$3.9Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFY2024$3.1M
Ford FoundationFY2024$300K
Foundation to Promote Open SocietyFY2024$170K
National Philanthropic TrustFY2024$100K
Dt InstituteFY2024$75K
American Online Giving Foundation INCFY2024$34K
Donor Advised Charitable Giving INCFY2024$16K
Charities Aid Foundation AmericaFY2024$5K
Total grants receivedfrom 14 funders$3.8M
See all 14 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.4M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.4M
Investment incomeLn 3$607
Money outPt IX
$4.4M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.9M
Managementcol C$153K
Fundraisingcol D$309K
Owns and owesPt X
$390K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$679K
Total assetsLn 16$1.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$657K
PeoplePt VI, VII
16
listed · VII A
PaidVII A7
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.4M
Government grantsLn 1e$2.4M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$203K
Investment incomeLn 3$607
Total revenueLn 12$4.4M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$536K
SavingsLn 2$143K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$679K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$141K
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$1.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$657K
Net assetsLn 32$390K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 522
VolunteersI 610,000
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$380K$679K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$186K$141K
Total assetsLn 16$836K$1.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$578K$657K
Net assetsLn 32$259K$390K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$439K$397K$15K$27K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.4M$2.2M$81K$144K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$38K$34K$1K$2K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$166K$150K$6K$10K
Payroll taxesLn 10$268K$242K$9K$16K
Legal feesLn 11b$1K$763$73$308
Accounting feesLn 11c$54K$36K$3K$14K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$678K$648K$6K$25K
Office expensesLn 13$79K$38K$12K$29K
Information technologyLn 14$51K$43K$6K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$26K$21K$4K$1K
TravelLn 17$52K$52K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$38K$27K$22$11K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$46K$37K$6K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$25K$21K$4K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$24K$24K
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.4M$3.9M$153K$309K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $12.3M$9.0M$3.3M$10.0M 990 PDF
FY2024 $7.3M$7.3M−$56K$6.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $8.5M$6.7M$1.8M$6.8M 990 PDF
FY2022 $6.0M$4.9M$1.1M$5.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $7.4M$4.0M$3.4M$3.9M 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $4.4M$4.4M$40K$390K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $4,400,782 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $4,670,356$4,400,175
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $195,000$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,678$607
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,868,034$4,400,782
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $3,717,639$3,286,330
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,733,295$1,074,117
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $5,450,934$4,360,447
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$582,900$40,335
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
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 $4,400,782 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$2,372,145
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$2,028,030
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$202,597
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$4,400,175
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $607$607
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $607$4,400,782
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,360,447 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $397,490 · Management $15,041 · Fundraising $26,583$439,114
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $2,150,274 · Management $81,366 · Fundraising $143,801$2,375,441
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $34,473 · Management $1,305 · Fundraising $2,305$38,083
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $150,227 · Management $5,685 · Fundraising $10,047$165,959
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $242,354 · Management $9,171 · Fundraising $16,208$267,733
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $763 · Management $73 · Fundraising $308$1,144
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $35,665 · Management $3,435 · Fundraising $14,400$53,500
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $647,719 · Management $5,888 · Fundraising $24,690$678,297
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $38,072 · Management $11,789 · Fundraising $28,906$78,767
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $43,199 · Management $5,788 · Fundraising $1,916$50,903
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $21,353 · Management $3,669 · Fundraising $1,178$26,200
IX-17 TravelPrograms $52,086$52,086
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $26,992 · Management $22 · Fundraising $10,951$37,965
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $37,202 · Management $6,392 · Fundraising $2,053$45,647
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $20,583 · Management $3,537 · Fundraising $1,136$25,256
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Fundraising $24,352$24,352
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $3,898,452 · Management $153,161 · Fundraising $308,834$4,360,447
Part X · Balance sheet $1,046,925 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $209,783$535,709
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $170,217$143,275
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $173,196$219,458
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $5,595$7,738
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $186,392$140,745
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $91,311$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $836,494$1,046,925
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $390,407$145,066
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $95,815$130,519
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$380,980
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $577,533$656,565
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $240,961$331,950
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $18,000$58,410
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $258,961$390,360
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $836,494$1,046,925
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $390,360 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$4,400,782
XI-2 Total expenses$4,360,447
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$40,335
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$258,961
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$91,311
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$247
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$390,360

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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