The Commons INC EIN 81-2531881 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

The Commons INC

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Provides open-source technology and digital services to environmental groups for data-driven problem-solving and collaboration. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $1.1M in revenue, $1000K in expenses, and $1.5M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
2016
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Nonprofit
Location
Washington, DC
Website
www.ourcommoncode.org
Filings
6 on file (2020–2025)
Revenue
$1.1MFY2025
Expenses
$1000K
Net assets
$1.5M
People
9
Filings
6
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  81-2531881 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Washington, DC Founded 2016
Form 990 (PDF)
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Provides open-source technology and digital services to environmental groups for data-driven problem-solving and collaboration.
Leadership
Robert John Dawes · Executive Director · $192K
Money in and out
$1.1M revenue, $1000K expenses
Bottom line
93% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$1.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$1000K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$1.5M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $72K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.93 Management & general $0.07
Program efficiency
93%
of spending reaches programs▲ +8% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
16.4mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -13% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+7%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -64% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$1.1M
FY2025▲ +8%
Expenses
$1000K
FY2025▲ +24%
Total assets
$1.5M
FY2025▲ +5%
Total liabilities
$43K
FY2025▲ +10%
Total revenue
$1.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$1000K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$1.5M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$72K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$1.5M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B93%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 36
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 45

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CThe Commons INC
EINHdr · item D81-2531881
Principal addressHdr · item CWashington, DC
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.ourcommoncode.org
Year of formationHdr · item L2016
State of legal domicileHdr · item MDC
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFNonprofit
Ruling yearIRS BMFJul 2016

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a6
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b5
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aNo
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$192,000Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Technology Officer
$190,000Pt VII · Sec A
Strategy and Application Lead
$170,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Robert John Dawes$192,000$142,042$125,005$113,500$113,500$105,000
Brendan McIntyre$190,000$138,768$121,744$112,000$115,300
Erin Hofmann$170,000
Erin Hoffman$120,136$104,352

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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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $912K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2025.
01

Common Products for Environmental Restoration

This program develops the software platforms, such as water reporter and fielddoc, which meet the overlapping needs of the restoration community to document their work, recruit and manage volunteers, and develop a unified picture of water quality.

$613Kprogram expense
02

Digital Services for Environmental Restoration

This program provides custom software to nonprofits for a fee on a sliding scale basis to help them become more efficient in their mission to improve water quality and the environment.

$238Kprogram expense
03

Research and Development

This program enables the commons to stay abreast of trending technologies that can benefit its stakeholders working to restore the environment.

$61Kprogram expense

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$850K · 79%
Program service revenue$203K · 19%
Investment income$19K · 2%
Contributions & grants79%$850K
Program service revenue19%$203K
Investment income2%$19K
— government grantsLn 1e$333K
Total revenueLn 12$1.1M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.93 Management & general $0.07
Program services93%$934K
Management & general7%$66K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1000K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$1.4M
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$43K
Total net assetsLn 32$1.5M
Months of cash on handcomputed16.4

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $1.4M · Operating expenses/yr $1000K
16.4 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $934K · Total expenses $1000K
93%
Management & General
Management & general $66K · Total expenses $1000K
7%
Fundraising
Fundraising $0 · Total expenses $1000K
0%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $0 · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $542K
Solicited contributions below reporting floor
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $850K · Total revenue $1.1M
79%
Government reliance
Government grants $333K · Total revenue $1.1M
31%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $203K · Total revenue $1.1M
19%
Investment reliance
Investment income $19K · Total revenue $1.1M
+2%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $203K · Total expenses $1000K
20%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $1.1M · Prior year $994K
+8%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $1.1M · FY2025 $1.1M
-0.04%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $1.5M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $1.1M · Expenses $1000K
+7%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $1.5M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $1.5M · Total assets $1.5M
97%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $1.5M
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Robert John Dawes · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $192K · Total expenses $1000K
19%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $627K · Total expenses $1000K
63%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 93%
Overhead ratio 7%
Revenue growth 8%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$218K
Grants paid · 5 grants · $48K · 2020–2021
Downstream ProjectVA · FY2021$25,500
River NetworkCO · FY2021$5,571
Waterkeeper Alliance INCNY · FY2020$5,571
Chesapeake Conservancy INCMD · FY2020$5,571

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$1.1M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$994K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$949K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$916K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$965K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$1.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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