Underscore produces indigenous-centered journalism that illuminates the intersections of sovereignty and justice and portrays the rich diversity of Native communities in the Pacific Northwest.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
94¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2022 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $65K a year · 11% of revenue · last 4 filings
Fine: a surplus in 3 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
94%
of spending
Looks good: 94% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
12
named funders · $667K
Looks good: 12 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$50
0.03% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% 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
$422K
+10% vs prior year
Spent
$459K
To programs
94%
Net assets
$166K
By yearFY2021–FY2024
Revenue
$422K
FY2022▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$382K
FY2022$422K
FY2023$697K
FY2024$917K
Expenses
$459K
FY2022▲ +39%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$330K
FY2022$459K
FY2023$630K
FY2024$739K
Net assets
$166K
FY2022▼ -18%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$203K
FY2022$166K
FY2023$233K
FY2024$411K

From the FY2022 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2022 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Feb 2021.

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

Where the money goes

94 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 94% · $430K Management & general 4% · $21K Fundraising 2% · $9K

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

7 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Underscore Media Collaboration 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

Produces indigenous journalism highlighting Native sovereignty, justice, and diversity in the Pacific Northwest.

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3 programs · $430K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Underscore won five national journalism awards from the Native American Journalists Association in 2022 for work completed in 2021 while also winning five awards from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2023 for work completed in 2022.

$401Kprogram expense
02

Underscore was selected for the Google News Initiatives inaugural cohort for its Data-Driven Reporting Project (DDRP), in partnership with Northwestern University. As part of our yearlong DDRP program, we launched and published an award-winning,four-part reporting series called Sovereign Justice, illuminating the historical context…

$15Kprogram expense
03

Underscore launched a pilot program called the Underscore Indigenous Journalism Fellowship, designed to help equip and encourage the next generation of Indigenous journalists while contributing to broader efforts to improve representation in media.

$14Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Ford FoundationFY2024$100K
Total grants receivedfrom 12 funders$667K
See all 12 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$422K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$422K
Investment incomeLn 3$225
Money outPt IX
$459K
Ln 25
Programscol B$430K
Managementcol C$21K
Fundraisingcol D$9K
Owns and owesPt X
$166K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$155K
Total assetsLn 16$166K
LiabilitiesLn 26$50
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$422K
Investment incomeLn 3$225
Total revenueLn 12$422K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$155K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$155K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$11K
Total assetsLn 16$166K
LiabilitiesLn 26$50
Net assetsLn 32$166K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$201K$155K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K$11K
Total assetsLn 16$203K$166K
LiabilitiesLn 26$50$50
Net assetsLn 32$203K$166K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$212K$191K$15K$6K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$19K$19K
Payroll taxesLn 10$19K$17K$1K$576
Management feesLn 11a$21K$19K$1K$622
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K$282
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$124K$124K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$5K$5K$357$153
OccupancyLn 16$15K$15K
TravelLn 17$5K$5K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$109$109
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$1K$1K
InsuranceLn 23$9K$8K$613$263
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$21K$18K$2K$616
All other expensesLn 24e$2K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$459K$430K$21K$9K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $917K$739K$178K$411K 990 PDF
FY2023 $697K$630K$67K$233K 990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing $422K$459K−$37K$166K 990 PDF
FY2021 $382K$330K$53K$203K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $421,958 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $382,156$421,733
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $142$225
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $382,298$421,958
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$250,123
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $329,667$208,655
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $329,667$458,778
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $52,631−$36,820
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
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 $421,958 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$421,733
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$421,733
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $225$225
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $225 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$421,958
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $458,778 across 15 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $190,739 · Management $14,835 · Fundraising $6,358$211,932
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $18,974$18,974
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $17,296 · Management $1,345 · Fundraising $576$19,217
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $18,674 · Management $1,452 · Fundraising $622$20,748
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $4,522 · Management $282$4,804
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $124,272$124,272
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,679$1,679
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,587 · Management $357 · Fundraising $153$5,097
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $14,808$14,808
IX-17 TravelPrograms $5,068$5,068
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $109$109
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $1,016$1,016
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $7,877 · Management $613 · Fundraising $263$8,753
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $18,450 · Management $1,655 · Fundraising $616$20,721
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,580$1,580
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $429,651 · Management $20,539 · Fundraising $8,588$458,778
Part X · Balance sheet $166,145 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $201,260$155,397
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,705$10,748
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $202,965$166,145
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $50$50
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $50$50
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $202,915$166,095
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $202,965$166,145
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $166,095 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$421,958
XI-2 Total expenses$458,778
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$36,820
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$202,915
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$166,095

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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