The foundation's primary tax-exempt purpose is to give the public a greater voice in the public policy process by seeking to discern public opinion on public policy and to communicate its findings to the policy community, academia and the press.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
78¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$5K 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

FY2022 · 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
4 of 7
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $437K a year · 43% of revenue · last 7 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 4 of the last 7 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 7 filings
Spent on programs
78%
of spending
Looks good: 78% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$5K
to officers and key staff · 0.8% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 1% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $825K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 0.8 months of spending in cash, plus $825K in investments.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $110K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$2.8M
304% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 304% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 5 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
$295K
-87% vs prior year
Spent
$651K
To programs
78%
Net assets
−$1.9M
By yearFY2018–FY2024
Revenue
$295K
FY2022▼ -87%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2018$644K
FY2019$544K
FY2020$2.3M
FY2021$2.3M
FY2022$295K
FY2023$349K
FY2024$697K
Expenses
$651K
FY2022▲ +28%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2018$931K
FY2019$600K
FY2020$411K
FY2021$510K
FY2022$651K
FY2023$255K
FY2024$659K
Net assets
−$1.9M
FY2022▼ -42%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2018−$4.5M
FY2019−$4.6M
FY2020−$2.8M
FY2021−$1.3M
FY2022−$1.9M
FY2023−$1.5M
FY2024−$1.5M

From the FY2022 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

990 PDF Claim
You’re viewing the FY2022 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 1992.

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

Where the money goes

78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 78% · $508K Management & general 19% · $123K Fundraising 3% · $20K

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

6 people listed on the 990; $5K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President
$5,100Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2022FY2021FY2020FY2019FY2018
Steven G Kull$5,100$7,800$7,800$7,800$7,800

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 The Circle Foundation 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
  • Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II4 listed

Programs and updates

Discovers and shares public opinion on policy to inform decision-makers and the public.

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1 program · $508K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

The foundation, through its alliance with the program for public consultation at the university of maryland, studies overt policy opinions and conducts nationwide polls, focus groups and interviews.

$508Kprogram 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 · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$110K
Grants paid · 3 grants · $342K · 2018–2020
Voice of the People INCDC · FY2020$50,000
Voice of the People INCDC · FY2019$129,600
Voice of the People INCDC · FY2018$162,000

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$295K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$286K
Investment incomeLn 3$9K
Money outPt IX
$651K
Ln 25
Programscol B$508K
Managementcol C$123K
Fundraisingcol D$20K
Owns and owesPt X
−$1.9M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$45K
Total assetsLn 16$935K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.8M
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$286K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$285K
Investment incomeLn 3$9K
Total revenueLn 12$295K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$45K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$45K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$825K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$788
Total assetsLn 16$935K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.8M
Net assetsLn 32−$1.9M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
VolunteersI 60
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 FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.7M$45K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$3K$825K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$857$788
Total assetsLn 16$1.7M$935K
LiabilitiesLn 26$3.0M$2.8M
Net assetsLn 32−$1.3M−$1.9M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$233K$210K$12K$12K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$5K$5K$255$255
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$8K$7K$411$411
Other employee benefitsLn 9$11K$10K$540$540
Payroll taxesLn 10$20K$18K$978$978
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$2K$786
Accounting feesLn 11c$29K$29K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$99K$89K$5K$5K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$4K$3K$752$188
Office expensesLn 13$6K$6K$309$309
Information technologyLn 14$361$361
OccupancyLn 16$9K$9K
TravelLn 17$3K$3K
InterestLn 20$109K$55K$55K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$69$69
InsuranceLn 23$4K$3K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$93K$89K$4K$196
All other expensesLn 24e$14K$8K$5K$179
Total functional expensesLn 25$651K$508K$123K$20K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $697K$659K$38K−$1.5M 990 PDF
FY2023 $349K$255K$94K−$1.5M 990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing $295K$651K−$356K−$1.9M 990 PDF
FY2021 $2.3M$510K$1.8M−$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2020 $2.3M$411K$1.9M−$2.8M 990 PDF
FY2019 $544K$600K−$56K−$4.6M 990 PDF
FY2018 $644K$931K−$287K−$4.5M 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 M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $294,771 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,850,000$286,000
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $433,500$8,771
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,283,500$294,771
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 $278,375$276,951
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $231,599$373,717
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $509,974$650,668
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,773,526−$355,897
Part VI · Governance 5 of 6 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members5
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $294,771 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1d Related organizations$285,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,000
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$285,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$286,000
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $8,771$8,771
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $8,771$294,771
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $650,668 across 18 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $209,941 · Management $11,663 · Fundraising $11,663$233,267
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $4,590 · Management $255 · Fundraising $255$5,100
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $7,403 · Management $411 · Fundraising $411$8,225
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $9,720 · Management $540 · Fundraising $540$10,800
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $17,603 · Management $978 · Fundraising $978$19,559
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $2,357 · Management $786$3,143
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $28,981$28,981
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $88,792 · Management $4,897 · Fundraising $4,897$98,586
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,207 · Management $752 · Fundraising $188$4,147
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $5,560 · Management $309 · Fundraising $309$6,178
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $361$361
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $8,700$8,700
IX-17 TravelPrograms $3,407$3,407
IX-20 InterestPrograms $54,548 · Management $54,548$109,096
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $69$69
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,317 · Management $1,106$4,423
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $89,194 · Management $3,688 · Fundraising $196$93,078
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $8,377 · Management $4,992 · Fundraising $179$13,548
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $508,016 · Management $123,036 · Fundraising $19,616$650,668
Part X · Balance sheet $934,530 assets, 12 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $63,377; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,671,459$44,651
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $57$57
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,088$1,088
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $857$788
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $2,588$824,569
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,701,479$934,530
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $10,450$0
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $7,049$6,688
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $3,047,180$2,840,254
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$1,345,701−$1,905,724
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$1,345,701−$1,905,724
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,701,479$934,530
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$1,905,724 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$294,771
XI-2 Total expenses$650,668
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$355,897
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$1,345,701
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$204,126
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$1,905,724

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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