Essential Information INC FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Washington, DC501(c)(3)EIN 52-1299631

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Essential Information educates the public on topics neglected by the media and policy-makers.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

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
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 deficit $16K a year · 2% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
12 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 11.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $24K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$16K
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.1M
+72% vs prior year
Spent
$726K
To programs
89%
Net assets
$727K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$1.1M
FY2021▲ +72%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$659K
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$583K
FY2023$954K
FY2024$899K
Expenses
$726K
FY2021▲ +14%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$634K
FY2021$726K
FY2022$992K
FY2023$1.0M
FY2024$911K
Net assets
$727K
FY2021▲ +130%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$316K
FY2021$727K
FY2022$318K
FY2023$224K
FY2024$212K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Aug 1983.

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

Where the money goes

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $647K Management & general 7% · $51K Fundraising 4% · $28K

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

4 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary/Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022
Allison Kole$107,026$127,965$113,527
Zehava Robbins$100,872$115,333—

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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Educates the public on important topics media and policymakers overlook.

Provided by the organization

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3 program services account for $647K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2021.
01

UnKoch My Campus (UKMC), a nonprofit project dedicated to fighting the undue donor influence that seeks to manipulate higher education to serve corporate interests. UKMC investigates improper relationships between wealthy donors, corporations, and educational institutions.

$305Kprogram expense
02

Inventive Initiatives

Essential Information has started more than a dozen projects in recent years. The Organization's primary criteria is: Does it promote innovation in the public interest? With quiet determination and sophistication, project leaders identify the fulcrums of power that invariably lie in the shadows, envision new pathways of change that…

$290Kprogram expense
03

Human Rights

The project has involved work overseas in areas of severe repression involving the collection and distribution of human rights information, encouraging peaceful political solutions to violent conflicts, and facilitating local community work on issues of poverty, security and justice.

$51Kprogram expense

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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
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$24K
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 5 grants · $163K · 2020–2024
DC Tool LibraryDC · FY2024$27,221
Action InformationMD · FY2022$75,000
University of WashingtonFY2020$40,000

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$9K
Other incomeLn 4–11$368
Money outPt IX
$726K
Ln 25
Programscol B$647K
Managementcol C$51K
Fundraisingcol D$28K
Owns and owesPt X
$727K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$721K
Total assetsLn 16$743K
LiabilitiesLn 26$16K
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.1M
Government grantsLn 1e$73K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Fees for servicesLn 2g$9K
Investment incomeLn 3$51
Other incomeLn 4–11$368
Gains on assetsLn 7$0
Total revenueLn 12$1.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$702K
SavingsLn 2$18K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$721K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$10K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$243
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$743K
LiabilitiesLn 26$16K
Net assetsLn 32$727K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 64
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$353K$721K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$10K$10K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$719$243
Total assetsLn 16$406K$743K
LiabilitiesLn 26$90K$16K
Net assetsLn 32$316K$727K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$300$300
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$0$0$0$0
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0$0$0$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$440K$392K$26K$21K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0$0$0$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$970$753$118$99
Payroll taxesLn 10$35K$31K$2K$2K
Management feesLn 11a$0$0$0$0
Legal feesLn 11b$0$0$0$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$9K$0$9K$0
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0$0$0$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0$0$0$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$168K$167K$2K$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$100$100$0$0
Office expensesLn 13$24K$17K$4K$3K
Information technologyLn 14$32K$29K$2K$2K
RoyaltiesLn 15$0$0$0$0
OccupancyLn 16$750$0$750$0
TravelLn 17$4K$3K$382$0
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0$0$0$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$2K$1K$442$0
InterestLn 20$0$0$0$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0$0$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$476$0$476$0
InsuranceLn 23$590$0$590$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$9K$5K$4K$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$726K$647K$51K$28K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $899K$911K−$11K$212K 990 PDF
FY2023 $954K$1.0M−$94K$224K 990 PDF
FY2022 $583K$992K−$409K$318K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $1.1M$726K$411K$727K 990 PDF
FY2020 $659K$634K$25K$316K 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 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,136,509 across 15 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $368 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$72,526
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,054,952
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,127,478
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $8,612 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$8,612
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $51$51
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $8,980 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $51$1,136,509
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $725,552 across 30 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $300$300
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $0$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $0$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for membersPrograms $0$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $392,485 · Management $26,406 · Fundraising $21,144$440,035
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $753 · Management $118 · Fundraising $99$970
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $30,753 · Management $2,176 · Fundraising $1,675$34,604
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $8,507 · Fundraising $0$8,507
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $0$0
IX-11f Investment management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $166,525 · Management $1,555 · Fundraising $0$168,080
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $100 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$100
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $17,296 · Management $3,948 · Fundraising $3,094$24,338
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $28,757 · Management $1,879 · Fundraising $1,642$32,278
IX-15 RoyaltiesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $0 · Management $750 · Fundraising $0$750
IX-17 TravelPrograms $3,156 · Management $382 · Fundraising $0$3,538
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officialsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $1,232 · Management $442 · Fundraising $0$1,674
IX-20 InterestPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliatesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $0 · Management $476 · Fundraising $0$476
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $590 · Fundraising $0$590
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $5,377 · Management $3,935 · Fundraising $0$9,312
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $646,734 · Management $51,164 · Fundraising $27,654$725,552
Part X · Balance sheet $743,201 assets, 24 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $98,841$702,421
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $254,495$18,428
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $30,302$140
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $11,027$10,855
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $0$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $640$1,226
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $719$243
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $9,861$9,888
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-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $405,885$743,201
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $11,590$10,450
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $0$0
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $0$0
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $6,000$6,000
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $90,116$16,450
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $294,655$566,206
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $21,114$160,545
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $315,769$726,751
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $405,885$743,201
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $726,751 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,136,509
XI-2 Total expenses$725,552
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$410,957
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$315,769
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$25
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$726,751

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

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