Fairness Project

Legal name: The Fairness Project

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
371779557
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2026026981
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Homeowners & Tenants Associations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$33,319,396
Expenses
$32,801,846
Assets
$4,324,677
Liabilities
$146,633

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KELLY HALL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/SEC./TREAS.)
  • HANNAH LEDFORD (DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CAMPAIGNS DIRECTOR)
  • STEVE TROSSMAN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • KELLY HALL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/SEC./TREAS.): $284,800 total reported compensation
  • HANNAH LEDFORD (DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CAMPAIGNS DIRECTOR): $227,753 total reported compensation
  • ALEXIS MAGNAN-CALLAWAY (COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL DIRECTOR): $194,490 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Fairness Project works to advance progressive policies and economic justice through strategic support of ballot measure campaigns across the United States.

What it reported doing in 2024

Promoting general social welfare of the community through the use of, and education around, ballot measures advancing economic and social equity.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 86% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.7%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 95.2%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: $42.15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • 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: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.6%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.13; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.6%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 25.1% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 24.4% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 20.8% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 93.7% of revenue deployed · 95.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $31.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $285K · 12 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.2M reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 17 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 11 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 40/100.