American Potential

Not tax-deductible

Alexandria, VA501(c)(4)Public & Societal Benefit EIN 47-4797969Revenue $425K in FY2024Latest return filed Jun 18, 2025

On file with the IRSAlexandria, VATax-exempt since Oct 2015

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American Potential seeks to educate members of the public on a number of public policy issues, including, but not limited to (a) unlocking individual potential, (b) revitalizing main street America and the American middle class; (c) re-imagining federal, state and local government, and (d) restoring American leadership in the world through research and public communications.

501(c)(4) social-welfare organization; gifts are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
99¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(4)
not on the IRS revocation list
Listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
No
Donations are not tax-deductible
The IRS does not list gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
The latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $27K a year · 3% of revenue · last 4 filings
A surplus in 3 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
99%
of spending
99% of spending went to programs.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
2.2 mo
of spending, in cash
2.2 months of spending in cash.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$6K
9% of total assets
Liabilities are 9% of assets.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
3 of 3 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Revenue
$425K
+16% vs prior year
Spent
$394K
To programs
99%
Net assets
$65K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$425K
FY2024▲ +16%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$2.2M
FY2021$360
FY2022$652K
FY2023$366K
FY2024$425K
Expenses
$394K
FY2024▲ +17%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$2.1M
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$654K
FY2023$337K
FY2024$394K
Net assets
$65K
FY2024▲ +92%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$52K
FY2021$7K
FY2022$5K
FY2023$34K
FY2024$65K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Oct 2015.

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

Where the money goes

99 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 99% · $391K Management & general 1% · $3K

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

3 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Chair & Executive Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary and General Counsel
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Partrick Hynes’s $5K as Chair & Executive Director is at the 5th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1044 $100K–1M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2022FY2020
Partrick Hynes$5,000$15,000
William B Canfield—$10,000

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 American Potential executive salaries →

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

Educates the public on policy issues like unlocking potential, revitalizing communities, and restoring global leadership.

Questions for American Potential

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1 program · $391K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

American Potential carried out its exempt purpose through advertising and communications strategies.

$391Kprogram expense

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$425K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$425K
Money outPt IX
$394K
Ln 25
Programscol B$391K
Managementcol C$3K
Owns and owesPt X
$65K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$71K
Total assetsLn 16$71K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K
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$425K
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Total revenueLn 12$425K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$71K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$71K
Total assetsLn 16$71K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K
Net assetsLn 32$65K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$34K$71K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0$0
Total assetsLn 16$34K$71K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$6K
Net assetsLn 32$34K$65K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Management feesLn 11a$33K$33K
Legal feesLn 11b$46K$46K
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$26K$26K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$281K$281K
Office expensesLn 13$787$787
Information technologyLn 14$288$288
TravelLn 17$3K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$811$811$0$0
All other expensesLn 24e$686$686
Total functional expensesLn 25$394K$391K$3K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Jun 18, 2025 $425K$394K$31K$65K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS May 8, 2024 $366K$337K$29K$34K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 2, 2023 $652K$654K−$2K$5K 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Oct 26, 2022 $360$7K 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 12, 2021 $2.2M$2.1M$50K$52K 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

A · Public support I · Grants O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990
Part I · Summary $424,727 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $366,272$424,727
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 $366,272$424,727
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 $0$0
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $337,189$393,598
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $337,189$393,598
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $29,083$31,129
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
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 $424,727 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$0
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$424,727
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$424,727
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$424,727
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $393,598 across 10 lines filed
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $32,550$32,550
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $46,229$46,229
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $2,013$2,013
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $25,860$25,860
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $281,395$281,395
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $787$787
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $288$288
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,979$2,979
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $811 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$811
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $686$686
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $390,899 · Management $2,699 · Fundraising $0$393,598
Part X · Balance sheet $71,193 assets, 20 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $33,662$71,193
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $0$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $0$0
X-5 Loans to officers and key peopleStart of year $0$0
X-6 Loans to other insiders$0
X-7 Notes and loans receivableStart of year $0$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $0$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $0$0
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $0$0
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $0$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $33,662$71,193
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$6,402
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$6,402
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $33,662$64,791
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $33,662$64,791
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $33,662$71,193
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $64,791 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$424,727
XI-2 Total expenses$393,598
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$31,129
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$33,662
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$64,791

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

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