Fuse Washington FY2021 filing

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To achieve progress through government,by the people, and for the people, in Washington state.

501(c)(4) social-welfare organization; gifts are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
$90K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Pay: Part VII

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FY2021 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(4)
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
No
Donations are not tax-deductible
Worth a look: the IRS does not list 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
1 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $125K a year · 9% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
393%
of spending
Looks good: 393% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$90K
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
18 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 18.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $77K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$84K
9% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 9% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
14
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 14 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$525K
Spent
$442K
To programs
393%
Net assets
$905K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$525K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$525K
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$1.8M
FY2024$2.0M
FY2025$1.5M
Expenses
$442K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$442K
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$2.0M
FY2024$2.3M
FY2025$1.6M
Net assets
$905K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$905K
FY2022$834K
FY2023$620K
FY2024$391K
FY2025$73K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Dec 2007.

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

Where the money goes

393 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 393% · $1.7M Management & general 35% · $156K Fundraising 39% · $174K

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

30 people listed on the 990; $90K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$58,553Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$31,458Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary / Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Collin Jergens’s $56K as National Voter Guide Director is at the 5th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1851 $1–10M environment 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Aaron Ostrom$51,438$71,175$74,616$69,165$58,553
Collin Jergens$56,297————
Reiny Cohen$43,164————

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 Fuse Washington 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

Empowers citizens to improve government and advocate for their communities.

Questions for Fuse Washington

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Provided by the organization

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4 programs · $1.9M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Organizing Educated, recruited and engaged with Washington residents about progressive issues and campaigns in target districts through direct activist contact, email, media and other tools.

$1.4Mprogram expense
02

Communications Used earned media, new media and other tools to educate Washington State residents about progressive issues, values and decisions.

$278Kprogram expense
03

Communications Used earned media, new media and other tools to educate Washington State residents about progressive issues, values and decisions.

$121Kprogram expense
04

Accountability and Advocacy

Evaluating the performance and leadership of our elected officials and increasing active public support for progressive policies and decisions.

$97Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$77K
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 46 grants · $2.7M · 2020–2024
Michigan Civic Action FundMI · FY2024$100,000
PA Alliance ActionPA · FY2024$88,000
Power to the PollsDC · FY2024$65,000
Strategic Victory FundNC · FY2024$50,000
In Union USA ActionDC · FY2024$50,000
Rural Arizona ActionAZ · FY2024$50,000
Our Voice Our Vote ArizonaAZ · FY2024$50,000
Together Wisconsin Acts INCWI · FY2024$35,000
For Our Future Action FundDC · FY2024$25,000
Somos VotantesNH · FY2024$25,000
Together for ProgressFY2024$12,500
Together for Pierce CountyWA · FY2024$7,000
Together for ProgressFY2023$245,000
In Union USA ActionDC · FY2023$70,000
Strategic Victory FundNC · FY2023$57,500
Defend WashingtonWA · FY2023$45,000
Power to the PollsDC · FY2023$43,000
See all 46 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$525K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$243K
Investment incomeLn 3$167
Money outPt IX
$442K
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.7M
Managementcol C$156K
Fundraisingcol D$174K
Owns and owesPt X
$905K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$683K
Total assetsLn 16$958K
LiabilitiesLn 26$84K
PeoplePt VI, VII
30
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b14
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$243K
Investment incomeLn 3$167
Total revenueLn 12$525K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$683K
Total assetsLn 16$958K
LiabilitiesLn 26$84K
Net assetsLn 32$905K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 518
VolunteersI 625
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.5M$1.6M−$148K$73K 990 PDF
FY2024 $2.0M$2.3M−$282K$391K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.8M$2.0M−$229K$620K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.1M$1.1M−$51K$834K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $525K$442K$83K$905K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (1 part)
Part VI · Governance 14 of 14 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14
VI-1b Independent voting members14
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

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

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