The Colorado Sun is a digital, nonpartisan news organization that seeks to educate and inform the people of Colorado about the issues that affect us all. We produce daily news stories about the environment, climate change, education, health, water, transportation, and govt.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

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FY2025 · 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
2 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.5M a year · 31% of revenue · last 2 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 2 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
77%
of spending
Looks good: 77% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $3K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$900K
94% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 94% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.0M
-30% vs prior year
Spent
$3.3M
To programs
77%
Net assets
$60K
By yearFY2024–FY2025
Revenue
$4.0M
FY2025▼ -30%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2024$5.8M
FY2025$4.0M
Expenses
$3.3M
FY2025▼ -6%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2024$3.5M
FY2025$3.3M
Net assets
$60K
FY2025▲ +109%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2024−$705K
FY2025$60K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 2023.

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

Where the money goes

77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 77% · $2.5M Management & general 18% · $573K Fundraising 5% · $164K

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

11 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Board President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Sylvia Harmon’s $125K as Board Member is at the 52nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3925 $1–10M arts & culture 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.

See Colorado Sun 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

Informs Coloradans daily on environment, climate, education, health, water, transportation, and government.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $2.5M · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Provide a journalist-founded, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado.

$2.5Mprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$3K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.0M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.0M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.0M
Investment incomeLn 3$9K
Money outPt IX
$3.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.5M
Managementcol C$573K
Fundraisingcol D$164K
Owns and owesPt X
$60K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$958K
Total assetsLn 16$960K
LiabilitiesLn 26$900K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.0M
Investment incomeLn 3$9K
Other incomeLn 4–11$436
Gains on assetsLn 7$2K
Total revenueLn 12$4.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$958K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$958K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3K
Total assetsLn 16$960K
LiabilitiesLn 26$900K
Net assetsLn 32$60K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 529
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$568K$958K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$5K$3K
Total assetsLn 16$595K$960K
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.3M$900K
Net assetsLn 32−$705K$60K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$2K$2K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.3M$1.5M$377K$357K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$58K$58K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$84K$71K−$24K$38K
Payroll taxesLn 10−$72K$181K$28K−$280K
Legal feesLn 11b$618$618
Accounting feesLn 11c$25K$25K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$15K$15K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$349K$349K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$69K$69K
Information technologyLn 14$176K$135K$20K$21K
OccupancyLn 16$13K$3K$10K$9
TravelLn 17$33K$33K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$45K$45K
InterestLn 20$35K$35K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$11K$11K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$130K$76K$40K$13K
All other expensesLn 24e$1K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$3.3M$2.5M$573K$164K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $4.0M$3.3M$766K$60K 990 PDF
FY2024 $5.8M$3.5M$2.3M−$705K 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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $4,020,681 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grants$1,975,750
I-9 Program service revenue$2,035,035
I-10 Investment income$9,460
I-11 Other revenue$436
I-12 Total revenue$4,020,681
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$2,440
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$2,348,703
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$15,434
I-17 Other expenses$888,337
I-18 Total expenses$3,254,914
I-19 Revenue less expenses$765,767
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
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 $4,020,681 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$1,730,610
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$245,140
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,975,750
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $2,035,035$2,035,035
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $7,716$7,716
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $1,744$1,744
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $436$436
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $2,044,931 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$4,020,681
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $3,254,914 across 19 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $2,440$2,440
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,544,202 · Management $377,339 · Fundraising $356,823$2,278,364
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsManagement $58,033$58,033
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $70,594 · Management −$24,461 · Fundraising $37,792$83,925
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $180,537 · Management $27,794 · Fundraising −$279,950−$71,619
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $618$618
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $24,625$24,625
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $15,434$15,434
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $348,740$348,740
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $68,575$68,575
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $135,431 · Management $19,634 · Fundraising $20,762$175,827
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,522 · Management $10,493 · Fundraising $9$13,024
IX-17 TravelPrograms $33,338$33,338
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $44,582$44,582
IX-20 InterestManagement $35,250$35,250
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $2,119$2,119
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $10,826$10,826
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $75,690 · Management $40,386 · Fundraising $13,493$129,569
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $1,244$1,244
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $2,517,477 · Management $573,074 · Fundraising $164,363$3,254,914
Part X · Balance sheet $960,470 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $567,978$957,512
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $5,449$2,958
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $594,703$960,470
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $1,300,000$900,000
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$705,297$60,470
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$705,297$60,470
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $594,703$960,470
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $60,470 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$4,020,681
XI-2 Total expenses$3,254,914
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$765,767
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$705,297
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$60,470

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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