Progressives United Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
452317777
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2014
Forms available
Form 990 2014
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Phone
6088317877
Rating
61
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Voter Education, Registration

Reported finances

Revenue
$123,598
Expenses
$129,503
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • COLE LEYSTRA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT)
  • LENEE KRUSE (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • COLE LEYSTRA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT): $24,333 total reported compensation
  • LENEE KRUSE (VICE PRESIDENT): $22,779 total reported compensation
  • CHRIS LOUDERBACK (TREASURER): $11,367 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to stand up to the exploding corporate influence in our political system through grassroots lobbying by organizing and amplifying the voices of those who believe that corporations have too much power, and by promoting solutions that ensure individual rights and democratic principles are upheld to the highest standards, even in the face of the lawless citizens united supreme court decision.

What it reported doing in 2014

Progressives united works to influence policy makers, opinion leaders, and the public about the corrupting influence of corporate money in our political system. This work includes online activism, grassroots organizing, and work in the media.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 89% 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 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: 39
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 14
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 43.1%; rating input score 43
  • Program expense ratio: 41.1%; rating input score 41
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.25 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -4.8%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 45.2%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -163.1% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -65.1% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -123.9% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 43.1% of revenue deployed · 41.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $53K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $24K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2012 to 2014
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 43/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 41/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 15/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 4/100.