Washington Innocence Project: FY2023 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 83-3498962)

Lara Zarowsky’s $142K as Executive Director is at the 58th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1147 $1–10M crime & legal 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

Name	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Lara Zarowsky	$141,900	$143,600	$133,900	$130,000	$90,089

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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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

Frees innocent prisoners and improves the justice system through education and advocacy.

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3 programs · $657K · in their own filed words · FY2023

01

DIRECT CLIENT REPRESENTATION. Our direct-client representation work has grown significantly in 2023 with the addition of a Litigation Director and two new staff attorneys, all recently joining our office from public defense offices where they developed extensive trial and litigation skills.

$328Kprogram expense

02

EDUCATION & POLICY REFORM. Our engagement with public defenders and the defense bar is expanding to provide resources at the trial stage, with hope to prevent more wrongful convictions before they happen. Directors Zarowsky and Marlow presented at a state-wide Public Defender training.

$230Kprogram expense

03

POST-RELEASE CLIENT SUPPORT. We provided shoulder-to-shoulder support to Evaristo Junior Salas following his release, including coordinating his travel to events and speaking engagements in Seattle throughout the remainder of 2023.

$99Kprogram 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

Lakeshore Foundation 04052011FY2024$150K

Herman P & Sophia Taubman FoundationFY2024$119K

Vitalogy FoundationFY2024$110K

The Seattle FoundationFY2024$50K

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFY2024$19K

American Online Giving Foundation INCFY2024$17K

Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust INCFY2024$10K

Real Progress FoundationFY2024$10K

Total grants receivedfrom 8 funders$484K

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Grants paid · 1 grant · $100K · 2024–2024

Unitemized GrantFY2024$100,000

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

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from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$817K

Ln 12

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$880K

Investment incomeLn 3$281

Money outPt IX

$1.1M

Ln 25

Programscol B$657K

Managementcol C$346K

Fundraisingcol D$90K

Owns and owesPt X

$319K

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$217K

Total assetsLn 16$411K

LiabilitiesLn 26$92K

PeoplePt VI, VII

7

listed · VII A

PaidVII A1

Voting boardVI 1a7

IndependentVI 1b7

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$880K

Noncash giftsLn 1g$4K

Fundraising eventsLn 1c$106K

Investment incomeLn 3$281

Total revenueLn 12$817K

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$17K

SavingsLn 2$200K

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$217K

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3K

Total assetsLn 16$411K

LiabilitiesLn 26$92K

Net assetsLn 32$319K

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 54

VolunteersI 615

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

Line	Start FY23	End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$514K	$217K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$5K	$3K
Total assetsLn 16	$624K	$411K
LiabilitiesLn 26	$29K	$92K
Net assetsLn 32	$595K	$319K

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2	$2K	$2K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$144K	$80K	$33K	$30K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$512K	$425K	$63K	$24K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8	$22K	$18K	$2K	$2K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$88K	$34K	$48K	$7K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$58K	$46K	$8K	$5K
Legal feesLn 11b	$129	$129
Accounting feesLn 11c	$14K		$14K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$15K	$1K	$5K	$8K
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$11K		$11K
Office expensesLn 13	$14K	$1K	$13K
Information technologyLn 14	$33K	$17K	$15K
OccupancyLn 16	$53K	$2K	$51K
TravelLn 17	$47K	$15K	$28K	$4K
InterestLn 20	$77		$77
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$2K		$2K
InsuranceLn 23	$12K	$34	$11K	$982
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$63K	$12K	$42K	$9K
All other expensesLn 24e	$1K	$2K	−$362
Total functional expensesLn 25	$1.1M	$657K	$346K	$90K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2024 Latest	$1.7M	$1.4M	$331K	$650K	990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing	$817K	$1.1M	−$276K	$319K	990 PDF
FY2022	$675K	$917K	−$242K	$595K	990 PDF
FY2021	$685K	$722K	−$37K	$837K	990 PDF
FY2020	$497K	$207K	$290K	$464K	990 PDF
FY2019	$178K			$175K	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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $816,682 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $677,172$880,010

I-9 Program service revenue$0

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $180$281

I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$2,686−$63,609

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $674,666$816,682

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$2,470

I-14 Benefits paid to members$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $635,328$824,377

I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $281,480$265,792

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $916,808$1,092,639

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$242,142−$275,957

Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, no flags

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7

VI-1b Independent voting members7

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

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $816,682 across 7 lines filed

VIII-1c Fundraising events$105,764

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$774,246

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$4,050

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$880,010

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $281$281

VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$63,609−$63,609

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$63,328$816,682

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,092,639 across 19 lines filed

IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $2,470$2,470

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $80,416 · Management $33,027 · Fundraising $30,157$143,600

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $425,420 · Management $63,024 · Fundraising $23,789$512,233

IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $17,867 · Management $1,730 · Fundraising $2,273$21,870

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $33,685 · Management $48,170 · Fundraising $6,566$88,421

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $45,702 · Management $7,935 · Fundraising $4,616$58,253

IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $129$129

IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $13,962$13,962

IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $1,419 · Management $5,330 · Fundraising $8,500$15,249

IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $11,322$11,322

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,490 · Management $13,004$14,494

IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $17,171 · Management $15,332$32,503

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,069 · Management $50,828$52,897

IX-17 TravelPrograms $15,493 · Management $27,941 · Fundraising $3,805$47,239

IX-20 InterestManagement $77$77

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $1,538$1,538

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $34 · Management $10,996 · Fundraising $982$12,012

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $11,559 · Management $42,408 · Fundraising $8,939$62,906

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,826 · Management −$362$1,464

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $656,750 · Management $346,262 · Fundraising $89,627$1,092,639

Part X · Balance sheet $410,714 assets, 13 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $314,281$16,537

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $200,185$200,466

X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $91,303$168,553

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,668$15,032

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $4,664$3,126

X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $11,000$7,000

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $624,101$410,714

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$10,888

X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $29,102$80,784

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $29,102$91,672

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $594,999$319,042

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $594,999$319,042

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $624,101$410,714

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $319,042 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$816,682

XI-2 Total expenses$1,092,639

XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$275,957

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$594,999

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$319,042

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

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Washington Innocence Project FY2023 filing

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