Civic Signal Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
334450361
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2025737455
Rating
48
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,156,724
Expenses
$1,876
Assets
$1,155,048
Liabilities
$200

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

People named in this filing

  • ROBERTA ELIAS (TREASURER)
  • MARY FORD (SECRETARY)
  • MATT HOLLAMBY (CHAIR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Civic signal supports public education and communication to provide americans the information they need to be engaged citizens. Guided by evidence, we prioritize both proven strategies and innovative approaches.

What it reported doing in 2025

In its initial year of operations, civic signal focused on establishing the organizational, governance, and strategic foundation necessary to carry out its public education and communication mission. Activities included board development and governance structuring; development of internal compliance systems and financial controls; landscape research and analysis of public education and media infrastructure; strategic planning to identify priority issue areas and target audiences; and preliminary exploration of evidence- based and innovative communication strategies for future implementation. The organization did not conduct large-scale public programming during 2025, as the year was dedicated to planning, research, and infrastructure development to support effective program deployment in subsequent years.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
No current program activity. The filing reports no program spending for the current year.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 0
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 95
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Program expense ratio: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 615.7; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 0% of revenue deployed · 0% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 14 of 14 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.