Demand Progress Education Fund

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
871987049
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2021
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2026817582
Rating
60
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,338,949
Expenses
$2,068,092
Assets
$1,891,044
Liabilities
$63,839

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVID SEGAL (PRESIDENT/TREASURER/SENIOR ADVISOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARK STANLEY (MANAGING DIRECTOR): $224,759 total reported compensation
  • SEAN VITKA (POLICY DIRECTOR): $197,365 total reported compensation
  • EMILY PETERSON-CASSIN (CORPORATE POWER DIRECTOR): $168,986 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To educate the public on the impacts of concentrated power over our economy and democracy.

What it reported doing in 2024

Corporate power and economics - dpef seeks to reduce the corrupting influence of corporate interests in policy-making, break up and regulate concentrations of corporate power, and reform the financial system - so our democracy and economy work for everyone. Dpef works to protect an internet that affords the public the ability to communicate freely online, without unjust interference from corporations or governments.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 75% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 92% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most filed governance safeguards are in place. 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: 51
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 62
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 46.8%; rating input score 47
  • Program expense ratio: 52.5%; rating input score 52
  • Fundraising efficiency: $24.31 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 50%; rating input score 50; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 11.6%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.91; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 43.7%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 17.2% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -20.3% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -9.4% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 46.8% of revenue deployed · 52.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $1.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $225K · 10 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 47/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 52/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 50/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.