The Conversation US INC FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Waltham, MA501(c)(3)Since 2012EducationEIN 46-0906774Revenue $11.0M in FY2021

On file with the IRStheconversation.com/us303 Wyman St Ste 300, 02451-1255 · Waltham, MATax-exempt since Dec 2013Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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The Conversation (tc) is a unique form of global, borderless and independent journalism that brings together academics and journalists across the US to address topics of global interest. IT makes the research and scholarly work from the university community accessible worldwide, fosters collaboration and provides readers with high quality, trusted coverage.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
96¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$802K 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

FY2021 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $273K a year · 3% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
96%
of spending
Looks good: 96% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$802K
to officers and key staff · 8% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 8% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
8 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 8.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
17
named funders · $7.2M
Looks good: 17 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$5.3M
73% of total assets
Worth a look: liabilities are 73% of assets; over 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
16
of 16 voting members
Looks good: 16 of 16 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$11.0M
+123% vs prior year
Spent
$10.6M
To programs
96%
Net assets
$2.0M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$11.0M
FY2021▲ +123%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$4.9M
FY2021$11.0M
FY2022$4.0M
FY2023$14.9M
FY2024$8.3M
FY2025$11.2M
Expenses
$10.6M
FY2021▲ +182%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$3.8M
FY2021$10.6M
FY2022$5.0M
FY2023$13.9M
FY2024$7.9M
FY2025$11.5M
Net assets
$2.0M
FY2021▲ +27%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.6M
FY2021$2.0M
FY2022$933K
FY2023$1.9M
FY2024$2.4M
FY2025$2.0M

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 2013.

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

Where the money goes

96 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 96% · $10.2M Management & general 1% · $82K Fundraising 3% · $310K

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

17 people listed on the 990; $802K 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
Director
$240,434Pt VII · Sec A
President/Director
$212,361Pt VII · Sec A
University Relations
$135,341Pt VII · Sec A
Executive
$107,372Pt VII · Sec A
Deputy Editor
$106,533Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Bruce Wilson’s $315K as Chief Innovation Officer is at the 68th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3683 $10–100M education 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
Bruce Wilson$314,597$302,994$263,204$239,887$240,434$235,067
Elizabeth Daley$246,443$250,000$235,000$210,959$212,361$171,496
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar$150,609$154,500————
Ernest Crowder$150,568$145,000$142,327$104,831——
Eric Zack———$131,053$135,341$111,328
Emily L Castello$121,641$125,225————
Martin Lamonica——$112,365$107,855$106,533—
Charles Cuneo————$107,372$104,341

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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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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Brings together academics and journalists to make scholarly research accessible worldwide.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $10.2M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

The organization acted as a fiscal sponsor of a global religon journalism colloboration and a philanthropy journalism collaboration. These projects will educate the general public and improve the understanding of religon and philanthropy by the projects broadly distributed and well researched journalistic articles.

$6.9Mprogram expense
02

To create an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.

$3.3Mprogram 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
See all 17 funders →
Grants paid · 5 grants · $20.9M · 2020–2024
Associated PressFY2024$4,789,815
Associated PressFY2023$1,905,965
Associated PressFY2022$7,587,651
Individual RecipientFY2020$4,501,622
Chronicle of Higher Education INCFY2020$2,070,860

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$11.0M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$5K
Money outPt IX
$10.6M
Ln 25
Programscol B$10.2M
Managementcol C$82K
Fundraisingcol D$310K
Owns and owesPt X
$2.0M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$7.2M
Total assetsLn 16$7.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$5.3M
PeoplePt VI, VII
17
listed · VII A
PaidVII A5
Voting boardVI 1a16
IndependentVI 1b16
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.0M
Government grantsLn 1e$680K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$5K
Total revenueLn 12$11.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$7.2M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$7.2M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3K
Other assetsLn 15$2K
Total assetsLn 16$7.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$5.3M
Net assetsLn 32$2.0M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 532
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.4M$7.2M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K$3K
Total assetsLn 16$2.9M$7.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.4M$5.3M
Net assetsLn 32$1.6M$2.0M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$6.6M$6.6M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.7M$2.5M$27K$185K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$220K$207K$42$14K
Payroll taxesLn 10$217K$198K$1K$19K
Legal feesLn 11b$73K$73K
Accounting feesLn 11c$33K$33K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$200K$200K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$42K$42K$127
Office expensesLn 13$20K$16K$3K$533
TravelLn 17$18K$18K$37$527
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$10K$10K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$14K$8K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$419K$338K$3K$78K
All other expensesLn 24e$75K$53K$8K$14K
Total functional expensesLn 25$10.6M$10.2M$82K$310K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $11.2M$11.5M−$349K$2.0M 990 PDF
FY2024 $8.3M$7.9M$453K$2.4M 990 PDF
FY2023 $14.9M$13.9M$994K$1.9M 990 PDF
FY2022 $4.0M$5.0M−$1.0M$933K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $11.0M$10.6M$418K$2.0M 990 PDF
FY2020 $4.9M$3.8M$1.2M$1.6M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $11,048,742 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,964,408$8,963,034
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,965,962$2,080,339
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $13,256$5,369
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,943,626$11,048,742
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$6,572,482
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $2,799,283$3,153,298
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $974,640$904,766
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,773,923$10,630,546
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,169,703$418,196
Part VI · Governance 16 of 16 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body16
VI-1b Independent voting members16
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $11,048,742 across 6 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $177,047 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$680,144
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$8,282,890
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$8,963,034
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,903,292$1,903,292
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $5,369$5,369
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $2,085,708 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$11,048,742
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $10,630,546 across 15 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $6,572,482$6,572,482
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $2,503,834 · Management $27,015 · Fundraising $184,652$2,715,501
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $206,552 · Management $42 · Fundraising $13,758$220,352
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $197,522 · Management $1,101 · Fundraising $18,822$217,445
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $73,451$73,451
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $32,561$32,561
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $200,073$200,073
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $41,592 · Management $127$41,719
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $15,847 · Management $3,202 · Fundraising $533$19,582
IX-17 TravelPrograms $17,777 · Management $37 · Fundraising $527$18,341
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $10,259$10,259
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $1,756$1,756
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $8,159 · Management $5,584$13,743
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $337,671 · Management $2,783 · Fundraising $78,197$418,651
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $52,919 · Management $7,906 · Fundraising $13,805$74,630
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $10,238,138 · Management $82,114 · Fundraising $310,294$10,630,546
Part X · Balance sheet $7,286,639 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $2,383,858$7,227,547
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $182,370$46,000
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $7,926$8,023
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,718$3,116
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $7,250$1,953
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,932,080$7,286,639
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $229,318$281,372
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $362,475$3,805,076
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $777,750$1,219,458
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $1,369,543$5,305,906
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$535,419$202,075
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,097,956$1,778,658
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,562,537$1,980,733
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,932,080$7,286,639
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,980,733 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$11,048,742
XI-2 Total expenses$10,630,546
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$418,196
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,562,537
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,980,733

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

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