San Francisco Public Press
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of the San Francisco Public Press is to enrich civic life by publishing investigative and solutions journalism that engages diverse audiences and promotes public accountability. The San Francisco Public Press (sfpublicpress.org) is a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization that produces independent public-interest journalism about under-covered topics, with a focus on under-served audiences. Online and via community radio station KSFP-LP, broadcasting on 102.5 FM in San Francisco, we offer local investigative and solutions reporting. Coverage areas include environmental protection, housing affordability, public health, transportation safety, homeless services, digital privacy, immigration and elections. For every local election, we produce a comprehensive, multimedia nonpartisan voter guide.
- Income
- $562,012
- Spending
- $535,007
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 10
- Volunteers
- 8
- Highest pay
- $27,946, director & secretary
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: 75 out of 100. Higher than 45% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 31% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 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
Fair: 66 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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)
- $432,641 spent. The San Francisco Public Press is a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization that produces independent public-interest journalism about under-covered topics, with a focus on under-served audiences. Online and on community radio station KSFP-LP, broadcasting on 102.5 FM in San Francisco, we offer local investigative and solutions reporting. Coverage areas include environmental protection, housing affordability, public health, transportation safety, homeless services, digital privacy, immigration and elections. The Public Press experienced a leadership transition in early 2024 as Lila LaHood, who previously served as publisher, stepped into the role of executive director, previously held by Michael Stoll for 15 years. Stoll and LaHood co-founded the Public Press with the support of a volunteer steering committee in 2009. Following the 2024 leadership change, Stoll remained on the board of directors and transitioned into a new newsroom role as senior editor so he could return to his first passion, science and environment reporting. We published our biggest project toward the end of 2024: "Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point," a series of six articles by Chris Roberts and two podcast episodes by Rebecca Bowe. Michael Stoll served as project editor. The following spring, "Exposed" won the 2025 national Izzy Award from the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College. For "Exposed," our team sifted through thousands of pages of obscure records, interviewed experts and tracked down elderly veterans who were subjected to ethically questionable radiation exposure by the U.S. Navy in San Francisco during the Cold War (see: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/exposed/). What we found reveals a troubling history with effects still felt today. The Guardian (U.K.) was a publishing partner. Public Health Watch and The San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper republished articles and reached some of the people most affected. Community organizations repeatedly shared the project and referred to it in a current day court case. For every local election, the Public Press produces a comprehensive, multimedia nonpartisan voter guide. In 2024, we produced guides for the March and November elections. In 2024, the team for "Civic," our local public policy interview podcast and radio show, produced two seasons, with in-depth reporting and highly produced episodes. Early in the year, investigative reporter Sylvie Sturm and producer Liana Wilcox produced an episode about drug policy and addiction specialists' opposition to a San Francisco ballot measure that would compel adult welfare recipients to undergo drug screening before collecting cash benefits and another about the increase in overdose deaths among the city's Maya immigrants, highlighting the need for culturally competent drug treatment services. This reporting built on Sturm's previous coverage of the city's opioid crisis. Wilcox worked with reporter Zhe Wu on an episode about community groups' efforts to address concerns about violence against Asian Americans in San Francisco. Mel Baker, our director of programming for KSFP, produced an episode looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic and public health lessons learned from it. Election-related episodes with Lila LaHood explored increased spending in judges races that used to go uncontested and a primer on the process for electing party representatives to county central committees, which California voters are asked to do every four years, while Baker explored dueling ballot propositions designed to overhaul the city's commissions and how the existing system came to be. Wilcox and Baker also led production of episodes on a wide range of topics built around reporting by other journalists in our newsroom, some of which are described below. (See: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/civic). In addition to his work on "Civic," Baker diligently reached out to a diverse array of local audio producers with offers to broadcast their podcasts on KSFP, which now showcases dozens of voices representing communities from around the Bay Area. For our website, Wu, who joined our newsroom through the California Local News Fellowship program, reported extensively on San Francisco's Chinese American communities. Her stories included reporting on volunteer efforts to save culturally significant records in Chinatown, the new dragon unveiled for the Chinese New Year Parade finale and a cultural history of this annual event that dates back nearly 175 years, conflict over amplified sound at outdoor events, and a public art registry for Chinatown. She also reported more broadly on inadequate translation services at City Hall, and neighbors opposing a cannabis dispensary. Wu was the first local journalist to report on significant opposition to a ballot measure aiming to close a section of San Francisco's Great Highway and turn it into a park. She followed up with an in-depth analysis of what would happen to traffic in the neighborhood if this roadway were closed to cars. She brought all of this reporting together for a "Civic" podcast episode. After voters approved the measure in a citywide election, Wu reported on how a group of community members sought to initiate a recall of their own supervisor, who helped put the proposition on the ballot. Throughout 2024, many of our reporters cover issues related to homelessness and housing insecurity. In April, Madison Alvarado reported on the city's efforts to house some migrant families temporarily in hotels. In May, we published a pair of stories by Madison Alvarado and Yesica Prado - supported in part by a grant from The Carter Center - about San Francisco's complex public health response system for helping people who suffer mental health crises on the streets. Alvarado also reported on how outreach to people experiencing homelessness declined as city departments shifted their priorities, how budget cuts threatened food programs for older adults and people with di
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 October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2012 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on January 15, 2013.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 2012.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.