Investigative Studios INC

Tax-deductible

Greenbrae, CA501(c)(3)Colleges & UniversitiesEIN 81-0750717Revenue $915K in FY2025

On file with the IRS290 Via Casitas Apt 206, 94904-2303 · Greenbrae, CATax-exempt since Jun 2016Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Investigative Studios produces documentary films and multimedia reporting that exposes oppression and corruption to rouse the most dynamic level of change: an informed public.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
97¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 10 volunteers and 12 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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
1 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $132K a year · 26% of revenue · last 3 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
97%
of spending
Looks good: 97% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $250K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 3 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
$915K
×41 vs prior year
Spent
$742K
To programs
97%
Net assets
$191K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$915K
FY2025▲ ×41
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$390K
FY2021$172K
FY2022$109K
FY2023$214K
FY2024$22K
FY2025$915K
Expenses
$742K
FY2025▲ +174%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$902K
FY2021Not on file
FY2022Not on file
FY2023$271K
FY2024Not on file
FY2025$742K
Net assets
$191K
FY2025▲ +586%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$449K
FY2021$225K
FY2022$103K
FY2023$42K
FY2024$28K
FY2025$191K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · see the original

Form 990 (PDF) Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 2016.

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

Where the money goes

97 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 97% · $719K Management & general 3% · $23K

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 · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Board Presidentinterim Ed
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jennifer Janisch’s $149K as Executive Director is at the 95th 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 · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021
Jennifer Janisch$148,580$70,071$15,375
Lowell Bergman——$12,300
David Schneider—$7,218—
Richard Alden Feldon—$1,575—
Jameka Autry—$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 Investigative Studios 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

Programs and updates

Creates films and reports exposing oppression and corruption to inform the public for change.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $719K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The Reckoning this fiscal sponsorship program, which was launched last fiscal year, is in the production phase. Waste, Fraud, and Abuse This Investigative Studios project is in pilot podcast development. Once funded, it will be a series of podcast episodes investigating the consequences of downsizing the federal government.

$719Kprogram 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 · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$250K
Grants paid · 2 grants · $704K · 2024–2024
Cam Bay Productions INCFY2024$615,700
The Champion City LLCFY2024$88,683

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$915K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$751K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$151K
Other incomeLn 4–11$8K
Money outPt IX
$742K
Ln 25
Programscol B$719K
Managementcol C$23K
Owns and owesPt X
$191K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$185K
Total assetsLn 16$191K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$751K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$151K
Investment incomeLn 3$5K
Other incomeLn 4–11$8K
Total revenueLn 12$915K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$185K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$185K
Total assetsLn 16$191K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$191K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 512
VolunteersI 610
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
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$17K$185K
Total assetsLn 16$28K$191K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$28K$191K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$704K$704K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$8K$8K
Payroll taxesLn 10$2K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$4K$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$343$343
Office expensesLn 13$769$769
Information technologyLn 14$1K$1K
TravelLn 17$1K$1K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$14K$13K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$742K$719K$23K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $915K$742K$174K$191K 990 PDF
FY2024 $22K$28K 990 PDF
FY2023 $214K$271K−$57K$42K 990 PDF
FY2022 $109K$103K 990 PDF
FY2021 $172K$225K 990 PDF
FY2020 $390K$902K−$512K$449K 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 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $915,072 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $20,231$750,850
I-9 Program service revenue$150,728
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1$5,198
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $2,183$8,296
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $22,415$915,072
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$704,383
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $8,619$10,154
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $51,527$27,030
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $60,146$741,567
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$37,731$173,505
Part VI · Governance 3 of 4 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $915,072 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$750,850
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$750,850
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $150,728$150,728
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $5,198$5,198
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $8,296$8,296
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $159,024 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $5,198$915,072
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $741,567 across 11 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $704,383$704,383
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $8,403$8,403
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $1,751$1,751
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $3,439$3,439
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $3,813$3,813
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $343$343
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $769$769
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $1,008$1,008
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,488$1,488
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,196$2,196
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $12,920 · Management $1,054$13,974
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $718,791 · Management $22,776 · Fundraising $0$741,567
Part X · Balance sheet $191,393 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $17,435$185,015
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $453$6,378
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $27,888$191,393
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $27,888$191,393
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $27,888$191,393
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $27,888$191,393
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $191,393 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$915,072
XI-2 Total expenses$741,567
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$173,505
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$27,888
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$10,000
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$191,393

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

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