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Groundswell Inc

EIN 27-0201126 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood70 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • Only 43% of its spending went to programs.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

GROUNDSWELL BUILDS COMMUNITY POWER BY ENABLING NEIGHBORS TO WORK TOGETHER TO SHARE POWER THROUGH COMMUNITY SOLAR. WE CONNECT SOLAR POWER TO ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT BY DEVELOPING EQUITABLE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS AND DELIVERING SUBSCRIBER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. OUR COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS DELIVER ENERGY SAVINGS TO LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, BUILD COMMUNITY WEALTH, AND SUPPORT LOCAL JOBS.

Income
$8.6 million
Spending
$6.3 million
Spent on programs
43%
Reserves
5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 87%
Employees
35
Volunteers
7
Highest pay
$332,835, chief execut

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: 70 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 27% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 17% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    0 of 15

    43% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    7 of 7 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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)
  1. $2.7 million spent. ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS GROUNDSWELL WORKS IN THE RAPIDLY EMERGING FIELDS OF COMMUNITY SOLAR AND ENERGY EQUITY TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CLEAN ENERGY TO HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXCLUDED FROM PARTICIPATING IN SOLAR SAVINGS BECAUSE OF LOW CREDIT SCORES AND OTHER FINANCIAL BARRIERS. WE WORK WITH MUNICIPALITIES, CONGREGATIONS, LOCAL UTILITIES, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO DEVELOP, BUILD, AND MANAGE SOLAR PROJECTS THAT ALIGN THE VALUE OF SOLAR WITH COMMUNITY VALUES. WE COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL PARTNERS TO DELIVER RELATED JOB TRAINING, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND OTHER ALIGNED COMMUNITY BENEFITS TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF OUR WORK.GROUNDSWELL HAS DEVELOPED A REPLICABLE, SCALABLE MODEL FOR SHARING POWER WITH EQUITABLE COMMUNITY SOLAR THAT WORKS ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES. WE PARTNER WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS TO EXPAND OUR WORK INTO EMERGING STATE COMMUNITY SOLAR MARKETS. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH MULTIPLE LOCAL PARTNERS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GEORGIA, MARYLAND, AND NEW YORK STATE AND ARE EXPANDING OUR PROGRAM IN HAWAII AND ILLINOIS. GROUNDSWELL IS BUILDING EQUITABLE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND IN MARYLAND THAT WILL PROVIDE MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION IN ELECTRICITY COST RELIEF TO LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN THE REGION. WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH WASHINGTON DC AND THE CITY OF BALTIMORE TO IMPLEMENT MUNICIPAL PROGRAMS THAT DELIVER ELECTRICITY COST REDUCTIONS THROUGH SOLAR POWER. WE ARE FURTHER WORKING WITH THE CITY OF BALTIMORE TO DEPLOY SOLAR AND ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH LOCAL NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND MUNICIPAL UTILITIES IN GEORGIA TO DELIVER SOLAR PROJECTS AND RELATED LOW-INCOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS THAT WILL DELIVER ELECTRICITY COST RELIEF AND OTHER COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS TO LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.IN PURSUIT OF OUR MISSION, GROUNDSWELL ALSO PROVIDES SERVICE DIRECTLY TO LOWINCOME HOUSEHOLDS. WE ENROLL, DELIVER CUSTOMER SUPPORT, AND PROVIDE ONGOING BENCHMARKING AND REPORTING ON SAVINGS AND OTHER METRICS TO COMMUNITY SOLAR SUBSCRIBERS. ENERGY AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS GROUNDSWELL WORKS IN THE RAPIDLY EMERGING FIELDS OF COMMUNITY SOLAR AND ENERGY EQUITY TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CLEAN ENERGY TO HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXCLUDED FROM PARTICIPATING IN SOLAR SAVINGS BECAUSE OF LOW CREDIT SCORES AND OTHER FINANCIAL BARRIERS. WE WORK WITH MUNICIPALITIES, CONGREGATIONS, LOCAL UTILITIES, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO DEVELOP, BUILD, AND MANAGE SOLAR PROJECTS THAT ALIGN THE VALUE OF SOLAR WITH COMMUNITY VALUES. WE COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL PARTNERS TO DELIVER RELATED JOB TRAINING, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND OTHER ALIGNED COMMUNITY BENEFITS TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF OUR WORK.GROUNDSWELL HAS DEVELOPED A REPLICABLE, SCALABLE MODEL FOR SHARING POWER WITH EQUITABLE COMMUNITY SOLAR THAT WORKS ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES. WE PARTNER WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS TO EXPAND OUR WORK INTO EMERGING STATE COMMUNITY SOLAR MARKETS. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH MULTIPLE LOCAL PARTNERS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GEORGIA, MARYLAND, AND NEW YORK STATE AND ARE EXPANDING OUR PROGRAM IN HAWAII AND ILLINOIS. GROUNDSWELL IS BUILDING EQUITABLE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND IN MARYLAND THAT WILL PROVIDE MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION IN ELECTRICITY COST RELIEF TO LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN THE REGION. WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH WASHINGTON DC AND THE CITY OF BALTIMORE TO IMPLEMENT MUNICIPAL PROGRAMS THAT DELIVER ELECTRICITY COST REDUCTIONS THROUGH SOLAR POWER. WE ARE FURTHER WORKING WITH THE CITY OF BALTIMORE TO DEPLOY SOLAR AND ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH LOCAL NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND MUNICIPAL UTILITIES IN GEORGIA TO DELIVER SOLAR PROJECTS AND RELATED LOW-INCOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS THAT WILL DELIVER ELECTRICITY COST RELIEF AND OTHER COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS TO LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.IN PURSUIT OF OUR MISSION, GROUNDSWELL ALSO PROVIDES SERVICE DIRECTLY TO LOWINCOME HOUSEHOLDS. WE ENROLL, DELIVER CUSTOMER SUPPORT, AND PROVIDE ONGOING BENCHMARKING AND REPORTING ON SAVINGS AND OTHER METRICS TO COMMUNITY SOLAR SUBSCRIBERS.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since April 2010.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.