Defending Digital Campaigns INC

Washington, DCUnknown exempt organizationSince 2018 EIN 84-2023180Revenue $6.1M in FY2024

On file with the IRSdefendcampaigns.org1776 K Street Nw · Washington, DC

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Secure our democratic campaign process by providing eligible Campaigns and political parties, committees, and related organizations with knowledge, training, and resources to defend themselves from cyber threats.

92¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$448K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
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
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $143K a year · 5% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
92%
of spending
Looks good: 92% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$448K
to officers and key staff · 7% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 7% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $150K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$33K
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$6.1M
+73% vs prior year
Spent
$6.3M
To programs
92%
Net assets
$1.5M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$6.1M
FY2024▲ +73%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$2.3M
FY2021$1.6M
FY2022$1.5M
FY2023$3.5M
FY2024$6.1M
Expenses
$6.3M
FY2024▲ +179%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.8M
FY2021$1.7M
FY2022$2.2M
FY2023$2.3M
FY2024$6.3M
Net assets
$1.5M
FY2024▼ -14%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.2M
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$485K
FY2023$1.7M
FY2024$1.5M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024.

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

Where the money goes

92 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 92% · $5.8M Management & general 8% · $519K

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

11 people listed on the 990; $448K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President & CEO
$222,789Pt VII · Sec A
$116,965Pt VII · Sec A
$107,830Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Michael Kaiser$222,789$216,300$230,500$200,000$210,000
Melody Thomas$116,965$113,558$107,888$107,500—
Elizabeth Fleming$107,830$103,789———

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 Defending Digital Campaigns 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

Defends democratic campaigns and parties from cyber threats with knowledge and resources.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $5.8M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The Organization Has Two Core Initiatives

(1) providing cybersecurity products, services, and onboarding support (including knowledge base) to entities eligible under fec ao and (2) conducting nationwide training for candidates, campaign staff and volunteers, and organizations in the political sphere. These trainings are open widely to attendees.

$5.8Mprogram 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 · FY2022
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$150K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$6.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$6.1M
Money outPt IX
$6.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$5.8M
Managementcol C$519K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.5M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$506K
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$33K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$6.1M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$4.8M
Total revenueLn 12$6.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$506K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$506K
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$33K
Net assetsLn 32$1.5M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 60
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$499K$506K
Total assetsLn 16$1.8M$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$39K$33K
Net assetsLn 32$1.7M$1.5M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$258K$222K$36K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$289K$251K$38K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$22K$18K$4K
Payroll taxesLn 10$37K$33K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$120K$120K
Accounting feesLn 11c$44K$44K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$509K$378K$131K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$8K$8K
Office expensesLn 13$4K$3K$503
Information technologyLn 14$15K$8K$6K
TravelLn 17$38K$37K$587
InsuranceLn 23$12K$8K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$4.9M$4.8M$132K
Total functional expensesLn 25$6.3M$5.8M$519K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $6.1M$6.3M−$239K$1.5M 990 PDF
FY2023 $3.5M$2.3M$1.2M$1.7M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.5M$2.2M−$680K$485K 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.6M$1.7M−$85K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2020 $2.3M$1.8M$475K$1.2M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants M · Noncash J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $6,054,990 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $3,496,707$6,054,990
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $3,496,707$6,054,990
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $588,332$605,976
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,665,025$5,688,069
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $2,253,357$6,294,045
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,243,350−$239,055
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
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 $6,054,990 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$6,054,990
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$4,804,990
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$6,054,990
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$6,054,990
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $6,294,045 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $222,400 · Management $35,669$258,069
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $251,114 · Management $37,733$288,847
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $17,581 · Management $4,019$21,600
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $32,944 · Management $4,516$37,460
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $119,682$119,682
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $43,625$43,625
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $378,184 · Management $131,028$509,212
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $8,162$8,162
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,382 · Management $503$3,885
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $8,243 · Management $6,324$14,567
IX-17 TravelPrograms $37,328 · Management $587$37,915
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $8,398 · Management $3,599$11,997
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $4,807,099 · Management $131,925$4,939,024
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $5,774,835 · Management $519,210 · Fundraising $0$6,294,045
Part X · Balance sheet $1,522,796 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $499,433$506,395
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,250,000$1,000,000
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $18,104$16,401
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,767,537$1,522,796
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $39,081$33,395
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $39,081$33,395
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$555,193−$1,180,978
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,283,649$2,670,379
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,728,456$1,489,401
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,767,537$1,522,796
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,489,401 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$6,054,990
XI-2 Total expenses$6,294,045
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$239,055
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,728,456
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,489,401

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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