The Commons INC FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

Washington, DC501(c)(3)Since 2016EIN 81-2531881

To partner with individuals and organizations to access, organize, and share data that inspires action that restores our environment.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
86¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$105K 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

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
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $165K a year · 17% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
86%
of spending
Looks good: 86% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$105K
to officers and key staff · 17% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 17% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
16 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 15.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $218K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$25K
3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 3% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.1M
Spent
$626K
To programs
86%
Net assets
$927K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.1M
FY2020
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.1M
FY2021$965K
FY2022$916K
FY2023$949K
FY2024$994K
FY2025$1.1M
Expenses
$626K
FY2020
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$626K
FY2021$818K
FY2022$888K
FY2023$846K
FY2024$805K
FY2025$1000K
Net assets
$927K
FY2020
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$927K
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.4M
FY2025$1.5M

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · 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 Jul 2016.

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

Where the money goes

86 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 86% · $541K Management & general 14% · $85K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Who runs it and what they're paid

8 people listed on the 990; $105K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$105,000Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$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.

See The Commons 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

Provides open-source technology and digital services to environmental groups for data-driven problem-solving and collaboration.

Provided by the organization

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3 program services account for $517K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2020.
01

Common Products for Environmental Restoration

This program develops the software platforms, such as water reporter and field doc, 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.

$426Kprogram 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.

$74Kprogram expense
03

Water Data Collaborative

This program is estabilished to grow and maintain an inclusive community of trained and qualified community water scientists who employ best available practices and technologies to collect data that enable the protection and restoration of the nation's waterway.

$17Kprogram expense

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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$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

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$609K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$463K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Money outPt IX
$626K
Ln 25
Programscol B$541K
Managementcol C$85K
Owns and owesPt X
$927K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$806K
Total assetsLn 16$952K
LiabilitiesLn 26$25K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$609K
Government grantsLn 1e$62K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$463K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Total revenueLn 12$1.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$328K
SavingsLn 2$478K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$806K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$10K
Total assetsLn 16$952K
LiabilitiesLn 26$25K
Net assetsLn 32$927K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 68
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$361K$806K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$12K$10K
Total assetsLn 16$485K$952K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K$25K
Net assetsLn 32$479K$927K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$18K$18K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$112K$100K$12K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$304K$272K$31K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$6K$5K$982
Other employee benefitsLn 9$13K$11K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$34K$31K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$23K$23K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$52K$51K$759
Advertising and promotionLn 12$54$54
Office expensesLn 13$5K$465$4K
OccupancyLn 16$13K$12K$1K
TravelLn 17$511$296$215
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$806$574$232
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$3K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$4K$3K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$39K$37K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$626K$541K$85K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.1M$1000K$72K$1.5M 990 PDF
FY2024 $994K$805K$189K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2023 $949K$846K$103K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 $916K$888K$29K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2021 $965K$818K$147K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $1.1M$626K$448K$927K 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 FY2020 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,074,057 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$62,200
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$546,613
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$608,813
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $462,801$462,801
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $2,443$2,443
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $462,801 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $2,443$1,074,057
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $626,118 across 16 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $17,918$17,918
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $100,079 · Management $11,954$112,033
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $272,468 · Management $31,354$303,822
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $5,190 · Management $982$6,172
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $10,670 · Management $2,018$12,688
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $30,587 · Management $3,340$33,927
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $22,800$22,800
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $51,059 · Management $759$51,818
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $54$54
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $465 · Management $4,275$4,740
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $11,515 · Management $1,231$12,746
IX-17 TravelPrograms $296 · Management $215$511
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $574 · Management $232$806
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $2,718$2,718
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,860 · Management $1,225$4,085
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $37,180 · Management $2,100$39,280
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $540,861 · Management $85,257 · Fundraising $0$626,118
Part X · Balance sheet $951,815 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $197,347$328,415
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $163,834$477,870
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $109,031$123,200
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,797$12,780
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $12,268$9,550
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $485,277$951,815
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $5,977$24,576
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $5,977$24,576
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $413,616$678,325
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $65,684$248,914
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $479,300$927,239
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $485,277$951,815
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $927,239 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,074,057
XI-2 Total expenses$626,118
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$447,939
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$479,300
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$927,239

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

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