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Center for Democracy and Technology

EIN 52-1905358 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC POLICIES THAT ADVANCE DEMOCRATIC VALUES IN THE DIGITAL AGE.

Income
$11.3 million
Spending
$8.8 million
Spent on programs
90%
Reserves
11.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 96%
Employees
45
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$463,225, president & ceo

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: 89 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 11.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 25% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 22% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 44% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    90% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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 39% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 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 (11)
  1. $1.5 million spent. PRIVACY & DATA: AS TECHNOLOGY PERMEATES ALL FACETS OF SOCIETY, THE PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED, USED AND SHARED BY COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTS HAS WIDE-RANGING EFFECTS ON PEOPLE'S LIVES. CDT ADVANCES LAWS, POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S DIGITAL PRIVACY, AND TO ADDRESS UNFAIR AND DISCRIMINATORY USES OF PEOPLE'S DATA. WE CHAMPION CONSUMERS' INTERESTS, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE RIGHTS OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
  2. $1.3 million spent. RESEARCH: THE RESEARCH TEAM CONDUCTS AND SUPPORTS ORIGINAL, OBJECTIVE RESEARCH TO INFORM CURRENT POLICY DEBATES. THE TEAM EXAMINES NOVEL QUESTIONS THAT CAN GIVE CONTEXT TO POLICY CONVERSATIONS - AND BUILDS BRIDGES BETWEEN RESEARCHERS AND POLICYMAKERS, TO SUPPORT EVIDENCE- BASED POLICYMAKING. THE RESEARCH TEAM WORKS CLOSELY WITH CDT POLICY TEAMS TO IDENTIFY RESEARCH QUESTIONS BUT CONDUCTS INDEPENDENT AND OBJECTIVE RESEARCH TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS.
  3. $1.3 million spent. EQUITY IN CIVIC TECHNOLOGY: AS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES INCREASINGLY RELY ON DATA AND TECHNOLOGY TO CARRY OUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, IT IS CRITICAL THAT THEY DO SO IN WAYS THAT AFFIRM INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY, RESPECT CIVIL RIGHTS, PROMOTE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE OVERSIGHT, AND ADVANCE JUST SOCIAL STRUCTURES WITHIN THE BROADER COMMUNITY. CDT FURTHERS THESE GOALS BY CREATING SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED POLICY RESOURCES AND ACTIONABLE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE.
  4. $1.1 million spent. AI GOVERNANCE LAB: THE AI GOVERNANCE LAB DEVELOPS AND PROMOTES ADOPTION OF ROBUST, TECHNICALLY INFORMED SOLUTIONS FOR THE EFFECTIVE REGULATION AND GOVERNANCE OF AI SYSTEMS. THE LAB PROVIDES PUBLIC INTEREST EXPERTISE IN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING POLICY AND TECHNICAL CONVERSATIONS, TO ADVANCE THE INTERESTS OF INDIVIDUALS WHOSE LIVES AND RIGHTS ARE IMPACTED BY AI.
  5. $598,288 spent. SECURITY & SURVEILLANCE: NEW TECHNOLOGIES HAVE GIVEN GOVERNMENTS UNPRECEDENTED MEANS TO ACCESS PERSONAL INFORMATION. IN ORDER TO ENSURE ALL PEOPLE CAN SEEK INFORMATION AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES FREELY, THERE MUST BE REASONABLE CHECKS AND BALANCES ON GOVERNMENTS' ABILITY TO ACCESS, COLLECT, AND STORE INDIVIDUALS' DATA. CDT ADVANCES THOUGHTFUL SOLUTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE, CYBER SECURITY, AND OTHER ISSUES CONCERNING CIVIL LIBERTIES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
  6. $567,949 spent. COMMUNICATIONS
  7. $404,996 spent. ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY: CDT WORKS TO SUPPORT SECURE, ACCESSIBLE, INFORMED, AND TRUSTWORTHY ELECTIONS. OUR TEAM MONITORS TRENDS AND CONDUCTS REAL-TIME RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND HOW AI IS IMPACTING ELECTIONS; HELPS VOTERS ACCESS AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGNS; FIGHTS TECH-ENABLED VOTER SUPPRESSION; AND SUPPORTS ELECTION SECURITY AND ADMINISTRATION THROUGH OUR WORK WITH ELECTION OFFICIALS, AI COMPANIES AND ONLINE PLATFORMS, LEGISLATORS, VOTING RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
  8. $354,862 spent. FREE EXPRESSION: THE INTERNET AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES GIVE PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, ACCESS INFORMATION, AND FIND COMMUNITY. CDT WORKS TO PROTECT THESE ACTIVITIES ONLINE, AND TO ADVANCE PLATFORM GOVERNANCE APPROACHES THAT PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTS INVOLVED. OUR TEAM WORKS TO SUSTAIN A FREE AND OPEN INTERNET ON BOTH A DOMESTIC AND GLOBAL STAGE.
  9. $350,000 spent. GRANTS MADE TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE CDT EUROPE ORGANIZATION.
  10. $238,784 spent. INTERNET ARCHITECTURE/OPEN INTERNET: THE OPEN INTERNET TEAM WORKS TO ENABLE INTERNET USERS TO MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FREE EXPRESSION AND INNOVATION OFFERED BY AN ACCESSIBLE, INTERCONNECTED, AND UNRESTRICTED PLATFORM. TO HELP THE INTERNET RETAIN ITS DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND OPENNESS, THE TEAM WORKS TO PROTECT USERS' RIGHTS TO ACCESS, CREATE, AND SHARE CONTENT AND SERVICES.
  11. $101,003 spent. COMPETITION: POWERFUL COMPANIES WITH STRONG MARKET POSITIONS EXIST THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET ECOSYSTEM, RANGING FROM BROADBAND PROVIDERS TO OPERATING SYSTEMS TO DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND MORE. CDT DEVELOPS PRAGMATIC APPROACHES TO COMPETITION POLICY AND WORKS WITH POLICYMAKERS AND COMPANIES AROUND THE GLOBE TO CULTIVATE A VIBRANT DIGITAL ECONOMY OF THE FUTURE.

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 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 October 13, 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 December 2024.

    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 September 1995.

    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 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.