We Are All Criminals
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
We Are All Criminals strives for a more just and equitable world where we are able to transcend our pasts and reach our full potential. We do this through art and personal stories of crimes that people got away with, or crimes for which people were caught, and an examination of how their lives could have been or were altered. WAAC uses visual art and storytelling to change people's perceptions of the criminal legal system and of the false dichotomy between criminal and clean.
- Income
- $135,479
- Spending
- $159,826
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 6.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 60%
- Employees
- 2
- Volunteers
- 40
- Highest pay
- $95,843, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, under $250k).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 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.
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, 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 (1)
- $121,729 spent. One in four people has a criminal record, but all of us have a criminal history. We Are All Criminals collects stories from people who have the luxury of living without an official reminder of a past mistake and encourages those people to consider how different their lives would be had they been caught. We educate them about the disparate impact race, ethnicity, and class have on whether a neighborhood is policed, whether a person is arrested, charged, and prosecuted, how heavily they are punished, and how harshly they are impacted by collateral consequences after they have served their court-assigned punishment. WAAC collects stories from people who were caught and allows those individuals to reclaim their stories, providing personal information that is more pertinent to their character than a past criminal act. WAAC collects stories from family members of incarcerated individuals, and amplifies the voices of currently incarcerated artists. Stories are shared through photographs, poetry, and prose, in art exhibits, presentations and trainings, and the website, to encourage everyone to reassess the relevance of a criminal record when making decisions about housing, employment, licensing, and nearly every other aspect of a person's life. These stories are grouped into categories such as "Luxury to Forget," "More Than My Mugshot," "Ripple Effect," "See Me," "SEEN." SEEN artists participated in an exhibition at the Weisman Art Museum in Spring 2025.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 2025.
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 March 2015.
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 October 21, 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.