Colorofchangeorg Education Fund Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
COLOR OF CHANGE.ORG EDUCATION FUND EXISTS TO EMPOWER OUR MEMBERS - BLACK AMERICANS AND OUR ALLIES TO MAKE DECISION MAKERS MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE CONCERNS OF BLACK AMERICANS AND TO BRING ABOUT POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE FOR EVERYONE.
- Income
- $14.8 million
- Spending
- $15.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- -7.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 92%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 6
- Highest pay
- $522,327, president (thru 12/24)
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 29 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 121% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $10m to $100m).
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
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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 June 30, 2025, 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 (5)
- $3.1 million spent. VOTING RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY:COLOR OF CHANGE.ORG EDUCATION FUND CONTINUED TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF OUR MEMBERS' VOICES AND THE MEDIA TO PERMANENTLY RESHAPE THE DEBATE ON VOTING RIGHTS AND VOTER SUPPRESSION EFFORTS THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT BLACK COMMUNITIES. TO THAT END, WE LAUNCHED A PILOT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT BOOSTED BLACK VOTER ENGAGEMENT THROUGH LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL OUTREACH. THROUGH A MIX OF DIGITAL TOOLS AND NEW MEDIA, THIS TOOL ALLOWS VOLUNTEERS TO ENGAGE WITH BLACK VOTERS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS. WE ALSO CREATED AND LED CAMPAIGNS THAT MOBILIZED LARGE NUMBERS OF BLACK PEOPLE AND ALLIES TO ASSERT THEIR POLITICAL POWER TO END VOTER INTIMIDATION AND FIGHT VOTER SUPPRESSION POLICIES, INCLUDING VOTER ID LAWS.
- $2.0 million spent. CULTURE AND MEDIA ENGAGEMENT:COLOR OF CHANGE PLAYED A UNIQUE AND EFFECTIVE ROLE IN TRANSFORMING THE IMPACT OF MEDIA IN AMERICA BY FOCUSING ON SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN THE AREAS WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE MOST INFLUENCE. WE POSITION OURSELVES IN BETWEEN MEDIA PRODUCERS AND THE HARMFUL MEDIA VEHICLES THEY WOULD CREATE BY DISRUPTING THE CHAIN OF PRODUCTION THAT ALLOWS HARMFUL MEDIA CONTENT TO EXIST IN THE FIRST PLACE. AT THE SAME TIME, WE PUSH BACK AND WORK TO TAKE EXISTING HARMFUL CONTENT OFF THE AIR WHILE SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING COMPLEX, HUMANIZING, AND VARIED PORTRAYALS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR.
- $1.7 million spent. TRAINING AND ORGANIZING:WE TRAINED LOCAL LEADERS ON THE BASICS OF EFFECTIVE DIGITAL CAMPAIGNING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AS A WAY TO SHARPEN CAMPAIGNING STRATEGIES, AMPLIFY THEIR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING EFFORTS, AND BOOST INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISING TOTALS. WE INTRODUCED THEM TO ORGANIZEFOR AND DEMONSTRATED HOW THEY COULD USE THE PLATFORM TO LAUNCH REAL WORLD CHANGE WORK AND ACTIVATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TAKE ACTION; THE ORGANIZEFOR" PLATFORM CENTERS WOMEN, MILLENNIALS, AND YOUTH ORGANIZING GROUPS THROUGH OUTREACH AND TRAINING; SIMULTANEOUSLY STRENGTHENING THE DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND EARNED MEDIA CAPACITY OF BLACK-LED NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON VOTING RIGHTS.
- $1.3 million spent. CRIMINAL JUSTICE:COLOR OF CHANGE AIMED TO NEUTRALIZE THE POLITICAL POWER OF THE OPPONENTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND TO REDIRECT THE REVENUES THEY HAVE BEEN PLUNDERING FROM THE SYSTEM BACK INTO BLACK COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST HEAVILY DEVASTATED BY MASS INCARCERATION. ADDITIONALLY, COLOR OF CHANGE WORKED ON RAPID RESPONSE EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS TO SHED LIGHT ON THE HEALTH CRISIS WITHIN OUR PRISON SYSTEM DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. WE WORK TO END UNJUST PRACTICES ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS THAT PROMOTE MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION IN BLACK COMMUNITIES, ENSURE REGULATION OF AI AND NEW TECHNOLOGY, AND PROTECT NET NEUTRALITY. WE ADVOCATE FOR ECONOMIC POLICIES TO STATE AND FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ADVANCE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND PROTECT PROGRAMS THAT IMPACT BLACK COMMUNITIES.
- $3.9 million spent. MEDIA, DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE:COLOR OF CHANGE'S ONGOING ECONOMIC JUSTICE WORK HOLDING CORPORATIONS ACCOUNTABLE, PUSHING TO ENSURE THAT THE WEALTHIEST AMONG US PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE, AND PROTECTING THE SAFETY NET OF CRITICAL GOVERNMENT BENEFITS AND SERVICES NEEDED BY THE MOST VULNERABLE IS AIMED AT ENSURING THAT ALL AMERICANS ARE REPRESENTED, SERVED, AND PROTECTED, REGARDLESS OF RACE OR CLASS. COLOR OF CHANGE HAS LEVERAGED OUR MEMBERS' VOICES TO PUSH BACK AGAINST CORPORATIONS WHO ARE EXPLOITING LOWWAGE WORKERS AND PARTNERED WITH GROUPS ON THE GROUND FIGHTING FOR PAID SICK LEAVE AND RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE. DURING THE PANDEMIC, COLOR OF CHANGE WAS FOCUSED ON PUSHING BACK AGAINST CORPORATE OVERREACH IN ECONOMIC POLICIES AND CONTINUED TO IDENTIFY AND EXPOSE CORPORATIONS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES THAT ARE HARMFUL TO BLACK COMMUNITIES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 June 2025.
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 January 2014.
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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