Openplans Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OPEN PLANS' MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM HOW PEOPLE EXPERIENCE NEW YORK CITY'S STREETS. OPEN PLANS USES GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY AND POLICY CHANGE TO INSPIRE STRUCTURAL REFORMS AND CULTURAL SHIFTS. WE PROMOTE A PEOPLE-FIRST STREET CULTURE THAT PRIORITIZES COMMUNITY, SAFETY, JOY, MOBILITY AND EMPOWERMENT. WHAT WE DO: BUILD PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS, FROM POLICY TO PHYSICAL CHANGES, THAT SOLVE REAL ISSUES IN COMMUNITIES;EMPOWER NEIGHBORHOODS TO VISION AND CREATE CHANGE ON THEIR STREETS;PROMOTE A PEOPLE-FIRST APPROACH TO CITIES THAT DISMANTLES CAR CULTURE;CREATE A CULTURE OF MOBILITY JUSTICE AND ABUNDANCE OF OPTIONS, TO ENSURE EVERY CITY RESIDENT HAS WHAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE;CELEBRATE PUBLIC SPACES AND THEIR STEWARDS;ADVANCE LEGISLATION THAT BUILDS A PEOPLE-CENTERED CITY;PARTNER WITH ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS ON CITY AND STATE LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS.
- Income
- $3.3 million
- Spending
- $3.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 15.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 95%
- Employees
- 32
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $218,105, co-executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 51% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 15.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 33% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $2.9 million spent. AT OPEN PLANS ADVOCACY, WE CONTINUED OUR EFFORTS TO ENGAGE AND EMPOWER COMMUNITIES WITH THE TOOLS TO MAKE THEIR STREETS MORE VIBRANT, FUNCTIONAL AND SAFE. THIS WORK INCLUDED PRESENTATIONS TO OVER 30 COMMUNITY BOARDS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DAYLIGHTING THE PRACTICE OF PREVENTING PARKING WITHIN 20 FEET OF AN INTERSECTION TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY AND SAFETY. THROUGH OUR SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY TO DATE, 22 COMMUNITY BOARDS REPRESENTING OVER THREE MILLION NEW YORKERS HAVE PASSED RESOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF DAYLIGHTING. WE ALSO SOLICITED LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR DAYLIGHTING FROM NUMEROUS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LED AN ORGANIZATIONAL SIGN-ON LETTER WITH 100'S OF SIGN-ONS. OUR SCHOOLS PLANNER HELPED OVER 25 SCHOOLS APPLY (AND REAPPLY) FOR THE SCHOOL STREETS PROGRAM, BRINGING OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND SPACE FOR RECESS AND GYM CLASS TO THESE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE CITY. WE ALSO CONTINUED HELPING NEW YORKERS UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY TO APPLY TO THEIR COMMUNITY BOARDS AND, ONCE ON THEIR BOARDS, WE SUPPORTED MEMBERS BY CONNECTING THEM WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO FEEL EMPOWERED, SUPPORTED AND SUCCESSFUL. ON THE POLICY SIDE, OPEN PLANS ADVOCACY LED ON MANY EFFORTS RELATED TO OUR MISSION. FIRST, WE WERE THE LEAD TRANSPORTATION ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE PARKING MANDATES THE OUTDATED CODE THAT REQUIRED DEVELOPERS TO BUILD PARKING SPACES IN NEW CONSTRUCTION, WHETHER PARKING WAS NEEDED OR NOT. THE CITY OF YES WAS A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT INTENDED TO OPEN THE PATH FOR MORE HOUSING IN THE CITY AND A VITAL PART OF THAT AMENDMENT INCLUDED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PARKING MANDATES FOR A VAST SWATH OF THE CITY. OPEN PLANS ORGANIZED, CANVASSED AND PHONE BANKED AND ULTIMATELY HAD MORE THAN 100 ADVOCATES SPEAK IN PERSON AT THE CITY COUNCIL HEARING AND OVER 200 PEOPLE SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY. OPEN PLANS ALSO MOBILIZED AGAINST GOVERNOR HOCHUL'S CONGESTION PRICING PAUSE BY LEADING, JOINING AND ORGANIZING RALLIES, LETTERS OF SUPPORT AND EDITORIALS STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF STARTING THE CONGESTION CHARGE IMMEDIATELY. ULTIMATELY, THE CONGESTION PRICING CAMERAS WERE TURNED ON ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS LATE AND HAVE ALREADY PROVEN A HUGE SUCCESS FOR REDUCING CONGESTION IN THE CONGESTION RELIEF ZONE, REDUCING NOISE POLLUTION AND RAISING FUNDS FOR THE METRO TRANSIT AUTHORITY. OPEN PLANS SOUNDED THE ALARM BELLS AROUND CITY COUNCIL'S OUTDOOR DINING LEGISLATION THAT MANDATED A SEASONAL PROGRAM, LEADING TO WHAT WE ARE NOW SEEING AS A PRECIPITOUS DROP IN RESTAURANT PARTICIPATION, LOST TAX REVENUES AND A REDUCTION IN STREET VIBRANCY. STREETSBLOGNY CONTINUED THEIR COVERAGE OF THE CITY'S PLACARD CLASS, ESPECIALLY LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES WHO COVER OR DEFACE THEIR PLATES. AFTER A YEAR IN THE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT, STREETSBLOG'S EDITOR WAS FEATURED ON "THE DAILY SHOW AND "THIS AMERICAN LIFE" FOR THIS WORK. STREETSBLOG'S GHOST TAG SERIES WON NUMEROUS AWARDS FOR SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE BLACK MARKET FOR FRAUDULENT TEMPORARY TAGS. STREETSBLOG HELD A CONSTANT LIGHT TO THE CITY'S WILLFUL IGNORING REQUIREMENTS TO BUILD BUS AND BIKE LANES UNDER THE CITY'S STREETS PLAN LAW. AND, WHEN GOVERNOR HOCHUL PAUSED CONGESTION PRICING, STREETSBLOG JUMPED INTO ACTION, WRITING OVER 500 POSTS ON THE PAUSE AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE MTA, CONGESTION, AND PUBLIC TRUST IN THE LAW. STREETFILMS CONTINUED CREATING CONTENT THAT IS VISUALLY INSPIRING WHILE STILL BEING EDUCATIONAL. FILMS THIS YEAR INCLUDED FOOTAGE FROM TRIPS TO PARIS, STOCKHOLM AND GHENT INCLUDING BEAUTIFUL AND INNOVATIVE SCHOOL STREETS DESIGNS. OTHER FILMS FOCUSED ON SUPPORT FOR DAYLIGHTING, CROSSTOWN BIKE LANES, NYC SCHOOL STREETS, OUTDOOR DINING AND A NUMBER OF FILMS SHOWCASING BEFORE AND AFTER FOOTAGE FROM OVER 20 YEARS OF FILMING NEW YORK CITY STREET TRANSFORMATIONS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2001.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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