Our mission is to inform and engage the citizens of Asheville and surrounding communities by providing fair, factual and reliable in-depth news stories about local government, institutions, issues, and people.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
70¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 12 volunteers and 5 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
3 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $161K a year · 30% of revenue · last 4 filings
Fine: a surplus in 3 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
70%
of spending
Fine: 70% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$141K
to officers and key staff · 21% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 21% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $565K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 2.7 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
12
named funders · $122K
Looks good: 12 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
−$19K
-3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are -3% 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
$665K
+6% vs prior year
Spent
$669K
To programs
70%
Net assets
$735K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$665K
FY2025▲ +6%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$99K
FY2022$456K
FY2023$426K
FY2024$627K
FY2025$665K
Expenses
$669K
FY2025▲ +37%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$80K
FY2023$294K
FY2024$487K
FY2025$669K
Net assets
$735K
FY2025-0.5%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$90K
FY2022$466K
FY2023$579K
FY2024$739K
FY2025$735K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 2020.

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

Where the money goes

70 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 70% · $466K Management & general 13% · $85K Fundraising 18% · $118K

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; $141K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Managing Editor
$103,000Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$25,200Pt VII · Sec A
Former Board Chair/Former Ed
$13,200Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Keith Campbell’s $103K as Managing Editor is at the 90th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture 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.

See Asheville Watchdog 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 fair, factual news about local government, institutions, issues, and people.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $466K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Asheville watchdog published 355 stories on our website in 2025, reaching 1,695,132 unique visitors. Our in-depth investigative and local accountability stories about people and institutions in asheville and western north carolina received 6 million views on our facebook page and 1.9 million views on our instagram account.

$466Kprogram 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
See all 12 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$665K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$624K
Investment incomeLn 3$41K
Money outPt IX
$669K
Ln 25
Programscol B$466K
Managementcol C$85K
Fundraisingcol D$118K
Owns and owesPt X
$735K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$150K
Total assetsLn 16$716K
LiabilitiesLn 26−$19K
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$624K
Investment incomeLn 3$41K
Total revenueLn 12$665K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$150K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$150K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$565K
Total assetsLn 16$716K
LiabilitiesLn 26−$19K
Net assetsLn 32$735K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
VolunteersI 612
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$123K$150K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$593K$565K
Total assetsLn 16$754K$716K
LiabilitiesLn 26$15K−$19K
Net assetsLn 32$739K$735K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$38K$38K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$436K$359K$76K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$23K$18K$1K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$42K$31K$4K$7K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$13K$13K
Office expensesLn 13$32K$30K$2K$185
TravelLn 17$12K$6K$4K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$17K$3K$5K$9K
InsuranceLn 23$9K$9K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$44K$14K$8K$22K
Total functional expensesLn 25$669K$466K$85K$118K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $665K$669K−$3K$735K 990 PDF
FY2024 $627K$487K$141K$739K 990 PDF
FY2023 $426K$294K$132K$579K 990 PDF
FY2022 $456K$80K$375K$466K 990 PDF
FY2021 $99K$90K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $665,198 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $604,332$624,416
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $2,062$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $20,947$40,782
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $627,341$665,198
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $357,010$538,413
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $129,519$130,175
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $486,529$668,588
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $140,812−$3,390
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 $665,198 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$624,416
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$624,416
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $40,782$40,782
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $40,782 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$665,198
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $668,588 across 11 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $38,400$38,400
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $359,300 · Fundraising $76,267$435,567
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $18,178 · Management $1,050 · Fundraising $3,300$22,528
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $31,181 · Management $4,198 · Fundraising $6,539$41,918
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $2,919$2,919
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $12,776$12,776
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $30,076 · Management $1,575 · Fundraising $185$31,836
IX-17 TravelPrograms $6,273 · Management $4,452 · Fundraising $1,505$12,230
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $3,223 · Management $5,379 · Fundraising $8,703$17,304
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $9,054$9,054
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $14,434 · Management $7,923 · Fundraising $21,699$44,056
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $465,584 · Management $84,807 · Fundraising $118,198$668,588
Part X · Balance sheet $716,035 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $123,200$149,791
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $9$791
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $593,316$565,453
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $754,016$716,035
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $327$5,597
X-19 Deferred revenue−$24,871
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $15,326−$19,274
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $597,878$735,309
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $140,812$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $738,690$735,309
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $754,016$716,035
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $735,309 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$665,198
XI-2 Total expenses$668,588
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$3,390
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$738,690
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$735,309

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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