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Center for Digital Democracy FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

Washington, DC501(c)(3)Since 2001Civil Rights & Advocacy EIN 52-2311577Revenue $1.0M in FY2020

On file with the IRSdemocraticmedia.org1015 15th St Nw Ste 600, 20005-2605 · Washington, DCTax-exempt since Dec 2001Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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The Center for Digital Democracy's (CDD) mission is to ensure that digital technologies serve and strengthen democratic values, institutions and processes. CDD strives to safeguard privacy and civil and human rights, as well as to advance equity, fairness and community. CDD works to protect and expand digital rights and data justice through research-led initiatives designed to influence policymakers, corporate leaders, the news media, civil society and the general public. The organization focuses on developing and advocating for rules and policies that: (1) foster privacy, justice and non-discriminatory treatment in the digital marketplace; (2) safeguard young people against unfair, manipulative and other harmful practices; (3) promote responsible commercial data and digital marketing operations in political campaigns and elections; and (4) ensure that digital marketing practices contribute to fair and equitable public health outcomes.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
81¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$90K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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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
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $19K a year · 4% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
81%
of spending
Looks good: 81% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$90K
to officers and key staff · 23% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 23% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
16 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 16.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $299K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$76K
8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 8% 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
$1.0M
Spent
$396K
To programs
81%
Net assets
$889K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.0M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.0M
FY2021$530K
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$115K
FY2024$105K
FY2025$299K
Expenses
$396K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$396K
FY2021$552K
FY2022$563K
FY2023$639K
FY2024$581K
FY2025$455K
Net assets
$889K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$889K
FY2021$867K
FY2022$1.3M
FY2023$787K
FY2024$312K
FY2025$156K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · 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 Dec 2001.

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

Where the money goes

81 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 81% · $322K Management & general 14% · $54K Fundraising 5% · $19K

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; $90K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Jeffrey Chester
Executive Director/Secretary
$89,536Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Nicholas Carter
Managing Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jeffrey Chester’s $76K as President is at the 54th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1031 $100K–1M civil rights & advocacy 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Katharina Kopp—$144,100$143,008$131,000——
Kathryn Montgomery—$116,481$143,008$109,167——
Jeffrey Chester$76,175$118,342$142,976$133,000$127,500$89,536

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 Center for Digital Democracy 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

Promote open internet and public interest programming for digital communication.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $322K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Digital rights of children digital safeguards for children and youth - children are growing up tethered to social media, video entertainment, gaming, and mobile platforms operated by facebook, google, and other powerful corporations.

$307Kprogram expense
02

Media accountability the center's media accountability program identifies, analyzes and develops public education initiatives to ensure the us digital media system operates in ways that support democracy.

$15Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2023
The Oak Foundation USAFY2023$200K
Omidyar Network Fund INCFY2023$75K
Robert Wood Johnson FoundationFY2023$24K
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$299K
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.0M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2K
Investment incomeLn 3$368
Money outPt IX
$396K
Ln 25
Programscol B$322K
Managementcol C$54K
Fundraisingcol D$19K
Owns and owesPt X
$889K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$536K
Total assetsLn 16$965K
LiabilitiesLn 26$76K
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2K
Investment incomeLn 3$368
Total revenueLn 12$1.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$19K
SavingsLn 2$517K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$536K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Other assetsLn 15$75
Total assetsLn 16$965K
LiabilitiesLn 26$76K
Net assetsLn 32$889K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 63
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$230K$536K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$987$2K
Total assetsLn 16$309K$965K
LiabilitiesLn 26$40K$76K
Net assetsLn 32$269K$889K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$95K$79K$11K$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$195K$181K$3K$11K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$5K$4K$542$238
Other employee benefitsLn 9$5K$4K$518$227
Payroll taxesLn 10$23K$868$22K
Legal feesLn 11b$355$355
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$24K$23K$405
Office expensesLn 13$31K$17K$11K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$4K$4K$75
OccupancyLn 16$900$300$600
TravelLn 17$3K$3K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$689$577$78$34
InsuranceLn 23$5K$4K$552$243
Total functional expensesLn 25$396K$322K$54K$19K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $299K$455K−$156K$156K 990 PDF
FY2024 $105K$581K−$475K$312K 990 PDF
FY2023 $115K$639K−$524K$787K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.0M$563K$444K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2021 $530K$552K−$22K$867K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $1.0M$396K$620K$889K 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 $1,015,631 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $37,445$1,013,736
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $10,925$1,527
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$368
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $582$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $48,952$1,015,631
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 $364,858$321,610
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $159,181$73,914
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $524,039$395,524
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$475,087$620,107
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 $1,015,631 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,013,736
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,013,736
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,527$1,527
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $368$368
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,527 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $368$1,015,631
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $395,524 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $79,172 · Management $10,677 · Fundraising $4,686$94,535
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $181,448 · Management $2,675 · Fundraising $10,793$194,916
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $4,019 · Management $542 · Fundraising $238$4,799
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $3,837 · Management $518 · Fundraising $227$4,582
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $868 · Management $21,910$22,778
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $355$355
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $5,405$5,405
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $23,480 · Fundraising $405$23,885
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $17,419 · Management $11,098 · Fundraising $2,359$30,876
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $3,561 · Management $75$3,636
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $300 · Management $600$900
IX-17 TravelPrograms $3,276$3,276
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $577 · Management $78 · Fundraising $34$689
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $4,097 · Management $552 · Fundraising $243$4,892
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $322,054 · Management $54,485 · Fundraising $18,985$395,524
Part X · Balance sheet $965,105 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $19,830$18,599
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $209,908$517,113
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $75,923$421,078
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,071$6,386
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $987$1,854
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $75$75
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $308,794$965,105
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $39,663$9,978
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payable$65,890
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $39,663$75,868
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $45,100−$27,719
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $224,031$916,956
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $269,131$889,237
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $308,794$965,105
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $889,237 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,015,631
XI-2 Total expenses$395,524
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$620,107
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$269,131
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$1
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$889,237

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

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