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Citizen University

EIN 46-4270721 · Seattle, WA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood74 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

CITIZEN UNIVERSITY IS WORKING TO FORTIFY THE HABITS AND SKILLS OF POWERFUL, RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR VISION IS A NATION OF VIBRANT, SELF-GOVERNING COMMUNITIES WHERE EACH PERSON UNDERSTANDS THEIR CIVIC POWER, COMMITS TO TAKING RESPONSIBILITY, AND IS MEANINGFULLY CONTRIBUTING TO A HEALTHY, SHARED CIVIC LIFE. WE DO THIS BY EQUIPPING AND SUPPORTING CIVIC CATALYSTS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO PRACTICE AND SPREAD HABITS OF CITIZENSHIP IN WAYS THAT FEEL RELATIONAL, RELEVANT, AND SUSTAINABLE.

Income
$2.0 million
Spending
$2.2 million
Spent on programs
78%
Reserves
5.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 96%
Employees
13
Volunteers
20
Highest pay
$166,140, chief executive officer

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

Good: 74 out of 100. Higher than 45% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 4% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 157% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    78% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 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 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 (6)
  1. $389,791 spent. THE CIVIC SATURDAY FELLOWSHIP PREPARES MOTIVATED AMERICANS TO INSPIRE A RENEWED SENSE OF SHARED CIVIC PURPOSE AND MORAL COURAGE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. FELLOWS LEARN HOW TO CREATE - AND THEN HOST - CIVIC SATURDAY GATHERINGS, WHICH WE THINK OF AS A CIVIC ANALOGUE TO FAITH GATHERINGS. THEY'RE A RITUAL DESIGNED FOR REFLECTION, RECKONING, AND RECOMMITMENT. THE FELLOWSHIP BEGINS WITH OUR IMMERSIVE FOUR-DAY TRAINING CALLED CIVIC SEMINARY, WHICH WE LEAD IN FOR COHORTS OF ABOUT 10-12. FROM REFLECTING ON THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES FACING THEIR COMMUNITIES TO LEARNING HOW TO WRITE A CIVIC SERMON, FELLOWS GAIN EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO KNOW TO DESIGN THEIR OWN CIVIC SATURDAY GATHERINGS.
  2. $356,444 spent. THE YOUTH COLLABORATORY BRINGS TOGETHER CIVIC-MINDED HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR SIX MONTHS OF LEARNING AND TWO NATIONAL CONVENINGS WHERE THEY ENGAGE AROUND THE IDEA AND IDEALS OF CIVIC POWER, HOW TO HARNESS IT, AND HOW TO SHARE THEIR LEARNINGS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES IN THE FORM OF A PERSONAL PROJECT. IN ADDITION, OUR YOUTH COLLABORATORY STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR NATIONAL CIVIC COLLABORATORY MEETINGS, OFFERING AN UNPARALLELED OPPORTUNITY FOR CROSS GENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, WHICH HAS LED TO SEVERAL NEW PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN OUR YOUTH AND NATIONAL COLLABORATORY MEMBERS. STUDENTS ARE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING ACTIVITIES AND MAKE COMMITMENTS OF HELP AND SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL CIVIC PROJECTS.
  3. $328,251 spent. GRADUATES OF OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS JOIN OUR CU COMMUNITY, AN ONGOING PEER LEARNING NETWORK OF HUNDREDS OF CIVIC CATALYSTS FROM AROUND THE NATION GROUNDED IN SHARED PURPOSE. THROUGH GATHERINGS, WORKSHOPS, STRUCTURES FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL RESOURCES, THIS COMMUNITY SERVE AS A PLATFORM FOR CONTINUED EXCHANGE, COLLABORATION, AND STORYTELLING AROUND SPREADING HABITS AND ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT POWERFUL, RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP.
  4. $295,742 spent. CITIZEN REDEFINED BRINGS TOGETHER GROUPS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, GUIDED BY AN ELDER, FOR AN ARC OF CIVIC AND ETHICAL FORMATION, CULMINATING IN A CIVIC CONFIRMATION RITE OF PASSAGE. CITIZEN UNIVERSITY TRAINS COHORTS OF 12-20 EDUCATORS AND OTHER ADULT MENTORS FROM ACROSS SECTORS AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO FORM AND FACILITATE SMALL GROUPS OF HIGH SCHOOL-AGED PARTICIPANTS AS THEY DEVELOP THEIR IDENTITIES AS CITIZENS. YOUTH PARTICIPANTS THEN ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION, RECKON WITH MORAL TENSIONS IN AMERICAN HISTORY, MAKE SENSE OF THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR DEMOCRACY, AND DEVELOP THE SKILLS, CONFIDENCE, AND CONVICTION TO LIVE AS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS.
  5. $293,543 spent. THE NATIONAL CIVIC COLLABORATORY IS A NATIONAL MUTUAL AID SOCIETY AND PROJECT INCUBATOR FOR HUNDREDS OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST INNOVATIVE CIVIC PRACTITIONERS AND CATALYSTS FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM. AT OUR MEETINGS HELD IN CITIES AROUND THE US, INNOVATORS EXPERIMENT AND TEST NEW IDEAS, SHARE CUTTING-EDGE PROJECTS, AND FORM NORMS OF COLLABORATION AS THEY SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER IN THEIR WORK. MEMBERS ARE FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM AND MANY DOMAINS: IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, VETERANS ADVOCACY, CIVICS EDUCATION, VOTING REFORM, TECH, ARTS AND CULTURE, WORKER ORGANIZING, CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP, AND MORE. EACH QUARTER, ABOUT 75 MEMBERS OF THE NETWORK MEET TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER NOT JUST WITH IDEAS OR FEEDBACK, BUT TO PROVIDE TRUE COMMITMENTS OF HELP AND SUPPORT TO GET A SLATE OF NATIONAL PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES OFF THE GROUND.
  6. $76,664 spent. OUR GLOBAL LEARNING RESEARCH PROJECT IS A MULTI-YEAR INITIATIVE TO EXPLORE CIVIC CULTURE AND STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN IT IN PLACES AROUND THE WORLD, WITH THE INTENTION OF APPLYING AND CIRCULATING LEARNINGS FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR BROADER NETWORK. THIS PROJECT INCLUDES A RESEARCH COMPONENT, STUDYING A VARIETY OF CIVIC CATALYSTS AND THEIR WORK IN THEIR UNIQUE CONTEXTS, AS WELL AS A SERIES OF LEARNING EXCHANGES WITH SELECT INTERNATIONAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. OUR AIM IS TO ENGAGE IN MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL, HANDS-ON LEARNING FOCUSED ON STRATEGIES, EXPERIMENTS, AND POSSIBILITIES OF CIVIC CULTURE BUILDING. THIS INCLUDES VISITS TO 3-4 COUNTRIES, AND INVITING SEVERAL GLOBAL CATALYSTS TO TAKE PART IN CITIZEN UNIVERSITY PROGRAMMING IN THE US.

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

  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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. 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 October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since July 2014.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.