Participatory Budgeting Project INC

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Our mission is to empower people to decide together how to spend public money.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
45¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 6 volunteers and 20 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $138K a year · 6% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
45%
of spending
Concern: 45% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$102K
to officers and key staff · 5% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 5% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
12 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 11.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $1.8M
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$81K
3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 3% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.6M
-68% vs prior year
Spent
$2.1M
To programs
45%
Net assets
$2.4M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$1.6M
FY2024▼ -68%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.5M
FY2022$2.3M
FY2023$4.8M
FY2024$1.6M
Expenses
$2.1M
FY2024▼ -34%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4M
FY2021$2.0M
FY2022$1.9M
FY2023$3.2M
FY2024$2.1M
Net assets
$2.4M
FY2024▼ -19%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$716K
FY2022$1.3M
FY2023$2.9M
FY2024$2.4M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jun 2012.

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

Where the money goes

45 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 45% · $934K Management & general 51% · $1.1M Fundraising 4% · $94K

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

7 people listed on the 990; $102K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Co- Executive Director
$102,309Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Elizabeth Crews’s $102K as Co- Executive Director is at the 23rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 731 $1–10M 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 · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Elizabeth Crews$102,309————
Shari Davis—$98,119$78,063$87,406$80,820
Kristina Banks—$97,496$96,494$82,090—
Kristania De Leon—$90,868$96,482$81,495—
Josh Lerner————$80,205

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 Participatory Budgeting 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

Empowers people to decide together how to spend public money.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $903K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Technical Assistance

We provide direct support to strategic PB processes and institutions, in order to grow and improve the practice of PB. This work includes delivering trainings, materials, coaching, and other support to staff from local governments and organizations, to enable them to implement high-impact civic engagement processes.

$843Kprogram expense
02

Communications

The communications program manages the organizations internal and external communications strategy, it oversees messaging, branding, media relations, digital engagement (website, social media, and newsletter), and production of public-facing materials.

$43Kprogram expense
03

Participation Lab

We develop and test innovative strategies and design solutions that streamline PB and deepen, measure, and communicate its impacts. We make it possible for governments to adopt and expand PB by making the process easier and more effective.

$17Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 5 funders$1.8M
See all 5 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.6M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.2M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$396K
Money outPt IX
$2.1M
Ln 25
Programscol B$934K
Managementcol C$1.1M
Fundraisingcol D$94K
Owns and owesPt X
$2.4M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.0M
Total assetsLn 16$2.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$81K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.2M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$396K
Total revenueLn 12$1.6M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$2.0M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$2.0M
Other assetsLn 15$8K
Total assetsLn 16$2.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$81K
Net assetsLn 32$2.4M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 520
VolunteersI 66
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$487K$2.0M
Total assetsLn 16$3.1M$2.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$212K$81K
Net assetsLn 32$2.9M$2.4M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$90K$41K$44K$4K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.1M$514K$551K$47K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$69K$32K$34K$3K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$110K$51K$55K$5K
Payroll taxesLn 10$94K$44K$47K$4K
Legal feesLn 11b$38K$0$38K$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$12K$0$12K$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$45K$0$45K$0
Office expensesLn 13$12K$4K$8K$0
Information technologyLn 14$66K$3K$63K$0
OccupancyLn 16$10K$2K$8K$0
TravelLn 17$86K$33K$53K$0
InsuranceLn 23$18K$0$18K$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$281K$161K$90K$31K
All other expensesLn 24e$51K$50K$190$587
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.1M$934K$1.1M$94K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 13, 2025 $1.6M$2.1M−$541K$2.4M 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2024 $4.8M$3.2M$1.6M$2.9M 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Oct 20, 2025 $2.3M$1.9M$340K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2022 $1.5M$2.0M−$573K$716K 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Dec 14, 2021 $1.3M$1.4M−$142K$1.3M 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,552,555 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,253,887$1,156,625
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $2,540,140$395,930
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,794,027$1,552,555
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,921,124$1,474,948
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,264,991$618,163
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,186,115$2,093,111
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,607,912−$540,556
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,552,555 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,156,625
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,156,625
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$395,930
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $395,930 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,552,555
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,093,111 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $41,431 · Management $44,415 · Fundraising $3,817$89,663
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $513,726 · Management $550,734 · Fundraising $47,327$1,111,787
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $31,889 · Management $34,186 · Fundraising $2,938$69,013
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $50,951 · Management $54,622 · Fundraising $4,694$110,267
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $43,536 · Management $46,671 · Fundraising $4,011$94,218
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $0 · Management $37,600 · Fundraising $0$37,600
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $11,876 · Fundraising $0$11,876
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $0 · Management $44,922 · Fundraising $0$44,922
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,522 · Management $8,088 · Fundraising $0$11,610
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $3,376 · Management $63,106 · Fundraising $0$66,482
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,177 · Management $7,687 · Fundraising $0$9,864
IX-17 TravelPrograms $32,667 · Management $53,266 · Fundraising $0$85,933
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $17,646 · Fundraising $0$17,646
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $160,920 · Management $89,873 · Fundraising $30,660$281,453
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $50,000 · Management $190 · Fundraising $587$50,777
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $934,195 · Management $1,064,882 · Fundraising $94,034$2,093,111
Part X · Balance sheet $2,462,321 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $487,185$2,027,886
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $2,461,383$274,045
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $127,732$127,732
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $48,643$24,368
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $8,290$8,290
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $3,133,233$2,462,321
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $211,585$45,619
X-19 Deferred revenue$35,610
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $211,585$81,229
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $2,921,648$2,381,092
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $2,921,648$2,381,092
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $3,133,233$2,462,321
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $2,381,092 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,552,555
XI-2 Total expenses$2,093,111
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$540,556
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$2,921,648
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$2,381,092

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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