Consumer Watchdog FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Los Angeles, CA501(c)(3)Since 1985Public & Societal BenefitEIN 95-3993720Revenue $4.3M in FY2021

On file with the IRSconsumerwatchdog.org6330 San Vicente Blvd Ste 250, 90048-5466 · Los Angeles, CATax-exempt since Aug 1988Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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To conduct public education, research and litigation on issues including Consumer protection and government reform.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
90¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$977K 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

FY2021 · 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
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $263K a year · 7% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 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
$977K
to officers and key staff · 26% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 26% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
14 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 14.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $40K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$281K
6% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 6% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.3M
+63% vs prior year
Spent
$3.8M
To programs
90%
Net assets
$4.7M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$4.3M
FY2021▲ +63%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$2.6M
FY2021$4.3M
FY2022$3.7M
FY2023$3.4M
FY2024$5.9M
Expenses
$3.8M
FY2021▲ +5%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$3.6M
FY2021$3.8M
FY2022$4.1M
FY2023$4.0M
FY2024$5.7M
Net assets
$4.7M
FY2021▲ +11%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$4.3M
FY2021$4.7M
FY2022$4.4M
FY2023$3.8M
FY2024$4.0M

From the FY2021 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Aug 1988.

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% · $3.4M Management & general 7% · $253K Fundraising 4% · $135K

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; $977K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President
$320,975Pt VII · Sec A
Litigation Director
$190,575Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Staff Attorney
$178,500Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Dir.
$172,439Pt VII · Sec A
$114,450Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jamie Court’s $356K as President is at the 95th percentile of top reported officer pay among 731 $1–10M public & societal benefit 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Jamie Court$355,740$355,740$338,771$320,975$305,021
Carmen Balber$215,911$209,630$188,246$172,439$173,741
Gerald Flanagan$193,701$209,630$204,072$190,575$190,575
Benjamin Armstrong$200,000$118,205———
Pamela Pressley$187,425$187,425$183,706$178,500—
Pamela Pressely————$178,500
Elizabeth Tucker$111,368$125,895$121,126$114,450$114,450
Daniel Sternberg—$106,436———

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 Consumer 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

Educates, researches, and litigates for consumer protection and government reform.

Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $3.1M · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Litigation -- consumer watchdog (CWD) works to protect consumers in the courts and before administrative agencies. CWD litigated to protect consumer access to the health care and insurance benefits they are promised, prevent insurance companies from violating consumer protection laws, ensure transparency in government, and return illegal…

$2.2Mprogram expense
02

Healthcare & insurance reform -- consumer watchdog (CWD) fights to protect patients from insurance abuses, to improve patient safety and accountability in the health care system, and for universally accessible and affordable health care.

$508Kprogram expense
03

Energy reform -- consumer watchdog (CWD) investigates the regulation of companies generating fossil fuels and pollution, advocates to improve oversight of the oil, gas and utility industries, and fights for reliable, affordable and clean energy.

$470Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$40K
Grants paid · 3 grants · $750K · 2020–2022
Consumer Watchdog CampaignCA · FY2022$250,000
Consumer Watchdog CampaignCA · FY2021$250,000
Consumer Watchdog CampaignCA · FY2020$250,000

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.3M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.6M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Other incomeLn 4–11$9K
Money outPt IX
$3.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.4M
Managementcol C$253K
Fundraisingcol D$135K
Owns and owesPt X
$4.7M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$4.6M
Total assetsLn 16$5.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$281K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A5
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Government grantsLn 1e$487K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.6M
Investment incomeLn 3$6K
Other incomeLn 4–11$9K
Total revenueLn 12$4.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$1.9M
SavingsLn 2$2.7M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$4.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$64K
Other assetsLn 15$32K
Total assetsLn 16$5.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$281K
Net assetsLn 32$4.7M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 515
VolunteersI 640
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$4.4M$4.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$73K$64K
Total assetsLn 16$4.6M$5.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$289K$281K
Net assetsLn 32$4.3M$4.7M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$250K$250K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$553K$430K$62K$60K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.1M$1.0M$66K$10K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$53K$50K$3K$436
Other employee benefitsLn 9$153K$142K$10K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$105K$96K$7K$3K
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$725$795
Accounting feesLn 11c$46K$46K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$36K$36K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$879K$878K$918$122
Advertising and promotionLn 12$14K$14K
Office expensesLn 13$94K$30K$12K$52K
Information technologyLn 14$56K$48K$7K$967
OccupancyLn 16$309K$296K$7K$7K
TravelLn 17$63K$41K$21K$1K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$737$737
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$18K$14K$4K
InsuranceLn 23$16K$13K$3K$135
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$57K$53K$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$3.8M$3.4M$253K$135K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $5.9M$5.7M$150K$4.0M 990 PDF
FY2023 $3.4M$4.0M−$588K$3.8M 990 PDF
FY2022 $3.7M$4.1M−$311K$4.4M 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $4.3M$3.8M$448K$4.7M 990 PDF
FY2020 $2.6M$3.6M−$1.0M$4.3M 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $4,267,187 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,254,139$1,682,876
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,316,524$2,569,575
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $19,110$5,507
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $5,000$9,229
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,594,773$4,267,187
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $250,000$250,000
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,907,117$1,979,031
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,478,235$1,589,800
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,635,352$3,818,831
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$1,040,579$448,356
Part VI · Governance 4 of 5 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members4
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 $4,267,187 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$486,608
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,196,268
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,682,876
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $2,569,575$2,569,575
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $5,507$5,507
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $9,229$9,229
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $2,569,575 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $14,736$4,267,187
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $3,818,831 across 19 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $250,000$250,000
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $430,109 · Management $62,446 · Fundraising $60,406$552,961
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,039,178 · Management $66,116 · Fundraising $9,615$1,114,909
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $49,830 · Management $2,754 · Fundraising $436$53,020
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $141,620 · Management $10,136 · Fundraising $1,279$153,035
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $95,795 · Management $6,806 · Fundraising $2,505$105,106
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $725 · Management $795$1,520
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $45,716$45,716
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $35,500$35,500
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $878,198 · Management $918 · Fundraising $122$879,238
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $14,026$14,026
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $30,497 · Management $11,677 · Fundraising $51,553$93,727
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $47,620 · Management $7,345 · Fundraising $967$55,932
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $295,608 · Management $6,771 · Fundraising $6,702$309,081
IX-17 TravelPrograms $40,977 · Management $21,228 · Fundraising $1,046$63,251
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $737$737
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $14,418 · Management $4,066$18,484
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $12,962 · Management $2,794 · Fundraising $135$15,891
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $53,020 · Management $3,677$56,697
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $3,430,820 · Management $253,245 · Fundraising $134,766$3,818,831
Part X · Balance sheet $4,994,329 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,730,811$1,918,593
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $2,690,808$2,695,303
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $500$40,672
X-4 Accounts receivable$242,408
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $26,837$1,700
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $72,965$64,138
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $31,515$31,515
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $4,553,604$4,994,329
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $142,499$172,225
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $146,045$108,688
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $288,544$280,913
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $4,264,560$4,672,744
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $500$40,672
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $4,265,060$4,713,416
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $4,553,604$4,994,329
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $4,713,416 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$4,267,187
XI-2 Total expenses$3,818,831
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$448,356
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$4,265,060
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$4,713,416

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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