Cobalt Community Research

Tax-deductible

Charlotte, MI501(c)(3)EducationEIN 61-1548263

To help local governments measure, benchmark, and manage their efforts through shared data, high-quality affordable surveys, focus groups, and facilitated meetings. To uncover trends, innovations, and best practices across many fields as changes emerge in the economic, demographic, and social landscapes.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$140K 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

FY2025 · 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
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $69K a year · 18% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$140K
to officers and key staff · 31% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 94% of similar orgs
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 31% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$2K
0.4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% 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
$541K
+23% vs prior year
Spent
$458K
To programs
100%
Net assets
$390K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$541K
FY2025▲ +23%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$198K
FY2021$212K
FY2022$285K
FY2023$393K
FY2024$439K
FY2025$541K
Expenses
$458K
FY2025▲ +34%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021$172K
FY2022$256K
FY2023$298K
FY2024$343K
FY2025$458K
Net assets
$390K
FY2025▲ +27%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$70K
FY2021$87K
FY2022$115K
FY2023$210K
FY2024$306K
FY2025$390K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 2008.

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% · $458K

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

Who runs it and what they're paid

3 people listed on the 990; $140K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$140,000Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

William D Saintamour’s $140K as President/Ce is at the 94th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
William D Saintamour$140,000$140,000$116,250$85,000$65,993$65,993

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Helps local governments improve by sharing data and insights from surveys and meetings.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Cobalt Community Research claims this page.

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3 program services account for $451K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2025.
01

Core Surveys

Provided a high-quality, low-cost research tool to allow local governments, local schools, and non-profit organizations to gather reliable data to better focus resources and benchmark results. Including public retirement fund study - continued the annual pension strategies surevey.

$361Kprogram expense
02

Citizen Satisfaction Baseline

Continued the annual citizen satisfaction program to provide a baseline nationally and by region, released results nationally and to several associations and the media.

$68Kprogram expense
03

Provided educational materials such as monthly newsletters, webinars, and in-person presentations based on research findings.

$23Kprogram expense

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By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$541K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$411K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$130K
Money outPt IX
$458K
Ln 25
Programscol B$458K
Owns and owesPt X
$390K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$76K
Total assetsLn 16$391K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K
PeoplePt VI, VII
3
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$130K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$411K
Total revenueLn 12$541K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$76K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$76K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$315K
Total assetsLn 16$391K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K
Net assetsLn 32$390K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$110K$76K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$193K$315K
Total assetsLn 16$306K$391K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$2K
Net assetsLn 32$306K$390K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$140K$140K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$83K$83K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$6K$6K
Payroll taxesLn 10$29K$29K
Legal feesLn 11b$115$115
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$20K$20K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$3K$3K
Office expensesLn 13$37K$37K
Information technologyLn 14$5K$5K
OccupancyLn 16$51K$51K
TravelLn 17$6K$6K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$1K$1K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$8K$8K
InsuranceLn 23$10K$10K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$55K$55K
All other expensesLn 24e$1K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$458K$458K$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $541K$458K$83K$390K 990 PDF
FY2024 $439K$343K$96K$306K 990 PDF
FY2023 $393K$298K$95K$210K 990 PDF
FY2022 $285K$256K$29K$115K 990 PDF
FY2021 $212K$172K$41K$87K 990 PDF
FY2020 $198K$70K 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 FY2025 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $541,460 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$130,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$130,000
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $411,460$411,460
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $411,460$541,460
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $458,226 across 17 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $140,000$140,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $82,504$82,504
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $5,580$5,580
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $29,428$29,428
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $115$115
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $2,425$2,425
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $20,394$20,394
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,273$3,273
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $36,599$36,599
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $4,589$4,589
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $51,410$51,410
IX-17 TravelPrograms $6,247$6,247
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $1,272$1,272
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $7,820$7,820
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $9,936$9,936
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $55,219$55,219
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,415$1,415
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $458,226 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$458,226
Part X · Balance sheet $391,140 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $109,971$76,204
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $192,756$314,936
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $306,393$391,140
X-25 Other liabilities$1,513
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$1,513
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $306,393$389,627
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $306,393$389,627
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $306,393$391,140
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $389,627 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$541,460
XI-2 Total expenses$458,226
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$83,234
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$306,393
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$389,627

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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