To be a local media resource hub and ideas lab that serves all coloradans by strengthening high-quality local journalism, supporting civic engagement, and ensuring public accountability.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $45K a year · 7% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
11 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 11.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $20K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$52K
13% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 13% of assets; 50% or less.
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
$625K
Spent
$432K
To programs
100%
Net assets
$358K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$625K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$625K
FY2021$876K
FY2022$646K
FY2023$541K
FY2024$560K
FY2025$791K
Expenses
$432K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$432K
FY2021$729K
FY2022$899K
FY2023$760K
FY2024$456K
FY2025$493K
Net assets
$358K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$358K
FY2021$558K
FY2022$304K
FY2023$85K
FY2024$176K
FY2025$474K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · 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 Nov 2014.

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

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $432K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

3 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Laura Frank’s $72K as Executive Di is at the 63rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 2168 $100K–1M human services 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022
Laura Frank$72,161$116,137$128,888$128,888
Tina Griego—$112,046——

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 Colorado News Collaborative 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Trains and coaches journalists to amplify vulnerable voices and hold officials accountable.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $432K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

The colorado independent has been amplifying the voices of vulnerable coloradans and holding public officials to account since 2013. Starting in 2020, we teamed up with the colorado press association and colorado media project as part of colab, a resource hub for journalists to collaborate at a time when news resources are scarce.

$432Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$20K
Grants paid · 11 grants · $265K · 2025–2025
Back2basicsFY2025$96,686
Colorado Hispanic MultimediaFY2025$46,548
Bizzy Bee EnterprisesFY2025$20,838
Confetti Events ManagerFY2025$19,649
Alpenglow PublishersFY2025$19,291
Colorado Times LLCFY2025$19,000
Zepol Media PartnersFY2025$10,915
Estes Valley VoiceFY2025$10,324
Denver WestwordFY2025$8,330
TeletrendsFY2025$7,203
Front Porch Ne Denver LLCFY2025$5,825

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$625K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$625K
Money outPt IX
$432K
Ln 25
Programscol B$432K
Owns and owesPt X
$358K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$405K
Total assetsLn 16$410K
LiabilitiesLn 26$52K
PeoplePt VI, VII
3
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$625K
Total revenueLn 12$625K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$405K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$405K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$6K
Total assetsLn 16$410K
LiabilitiesLn 26$52K
Net assetsLn 32$358K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 64
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$160K$405K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0$0
Total assetsLn 16$166K$410K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$52K
Net assetsLn 32$166K$358K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$262K$262K
Payroll taxesLn 10$19K$19K
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$6K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$62K$62K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$15K$15K
Information technologyLn 14$25K$25K
OccupancyLn 16$6K$6K
TravelLn 17$5K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$10K$10K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$19K$19K
All other expensesLn 24e$3K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$432K$432K$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $791K$493K$298K$474K 990 PDF
FY2024 $560K$456K$104K$176K 990 PDF
FY2023 $541K$760K−$219K$85K 990 PDF
FY2022 $646K$899K−$253K$304K 990 PDF
FY2021 $876K$729K$148K$558K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $625K$432K$193K$358K 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $624,896 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $534,253$624,896
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $534,253$624,896
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 $274,280$281,043
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $248,693$151,065
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $522,973$432,108
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $11,280$192,788
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
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
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $624,896 across 3 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$624,896
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$624,896
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$624,896
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $432,108 across 11 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $261,581$261,581
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $19,462$19,462
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $6,029$6,029
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $61,869$61,869
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $14,950$14,950
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $24,751$24,751
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $6,020$6,020
IX-17 TravelPrograms $5,163$5,163
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $10,465$10,465
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $18,545$18,545
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $3,273$3,273
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $432,108 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$432,108
Part X · Balance sheet $410,409 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $159,886$404,840
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $5,735$5,569
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $165,621$410,409
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$52,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$52,000
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $165,621$358,409
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $165,621$410,409
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $358,409 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$624,896
XI-2 Total expenses$432,108
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$192,788
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$165,621
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$358,409

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

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