The Commons INC FY2023 filing

Tax-deductible

Washington, DC501(c)(3)Since 2016EIN 81-2531881Revenue $949K in FY2023

On file with the IRSourcommoncode.org200 Massachusetts Ave Nw, 20001-1429 · Washington, DCTax-exempt since Jul 2016Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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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.
90¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$351K 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

FY2023 · 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
90%
of spending
Looks good: 90% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$351K
to officers and key staff · 42% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 42% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
15 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 14.6 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
$45K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$949K
+4% vs prior year
Spent
$846K
To programs
90%
Net assets
$1.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$949K
FY2023▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.1M
FY2021$965K
FY2022$916K
FY2023$949K
FY2024$994K
FY2025$1.1M
Expenses
$846K
FY2023▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$626K
FY2021$818K
FY2022$888K
FY2023$846K
FY2024$805K
FY2025$1000K
Net assets
$1.2M
FY2023▲ +9%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$927K
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.4M
FY2025$1.5M

From the FY2023 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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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

90 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 90% · $764K Management & general 10% · $82K

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

9 people listed on the 990; $351K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$125,005Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Software Engineer
$121,744Pt VII · Sec A
Strategy and Application Lead
$104,352Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$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 15aNo

Programs and updates

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

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $700K · in their own filed words · FY2023
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.

$424Kprogram 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.

$207Kprogram expense
03

Water Data Collaborative

This program is established 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.

$69Kprogram 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$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 FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$949K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$650K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$296K
Investment incomeLn 3$3K
Money outPt IX
$846K
Ln 25
Programscol B$764K
Managementcol C$82K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.0M
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$45K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$650K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$296K
Investment incomeLn 3$3K
Gains on assetsLn 7−$593
Total revenueLn 12$949K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$463K
SavingsLn 2$567K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$45K
Net assetsLn 32$1.2M
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$902K$1.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$4K$3K
Total assetsLn 16$1.1M$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$35K$45K
Net assetsLn 32$1.1M$1.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$129K$120K$9K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$388K$361K$27K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$14K$13K$1K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$15K$14K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$42K$38K$4K
Accounting feesLn 11c$27K$27K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$42K$41K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$3K$3K$607
Information technologyLn 14$114K$114K
OccupancyLn 16$8K$7K$679
TravelLn 17$5K$4K$1K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$2K$2K$380
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$3K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$5K$5K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$49K$49K$266
Total functional expensesLn 25$846K$764K$82K$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 Viewing $949K$846K$103K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 $916K$888K$29K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2021 $965K$818K$147K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2020 $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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $949,118 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $257,060$650,352
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $659,239$295,642
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $143$3,124
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $916,442$949,118
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $500$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $623,325$587,385
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $263,844$258,337
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $887,669$845,722
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $28,773$103,396
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $949,118 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$650,352
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$650,352
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $295,642$295,642
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $3,717$3,717
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission −$593−$593
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $295,049 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $3,717$949,118
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $845,722 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $119,674 · Management $9,081$128,755
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $360,760 · Management $27,307$388,067
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $12,521 · Management $1,029$13,550
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $13,881 · Management $1,140$15,021
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $38,258 · Management $3,734$41,992
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $26,710$26,710
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $40,504 · Management $1,647$42,151
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $2,527 · Management $607$3,134
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $113,820$113,820
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $6,919 · Management $679$7,598
IX-17 TravelPrograms $3,910 · Management $1,492$5,402
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,034 · Management $380$2,414
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $2,736$2,736
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $5,358$5,358
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $48,748 · Management $266$49,014
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $763,556 · Management $82,166 · Fundraising $0$845,722
Part X · Balance sheet $1,251,670 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $422,260$462,518
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $479,721$566,665
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$80,298
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $217,878$125,791
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $14,327$12,965
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $4,113$3,433
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,138,299$1,251,670
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $35,431$45,406
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $35,431$45,406
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,087,532$1,183,428
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $15,336$22,836
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,102,868$1,206,264
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,138,299$1,251,670
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,206,264 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$949,118
XI-2 Total expenses$845,722
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$103,396
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,102,868
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,206,264

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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