Power to Decide
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
POWER TO DECIDE ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE - NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY LIVE - HAS CONTROL OVER THEIR BODIES AND CAN DECIDE IF, WHEN, AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES TO GET PREGNANT AND HAVE A CHILD. ITS MISSION IS TO ADVANCE SEXUAL AND (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING FOR ALL. POWER TO DECIDE SUPPORTS POPULATIONS WHO FACE UNIQUE AND OFTEN SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO ACHIEVING REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON ADOLESCENTS, YOUNG ADULTS, AND THOSE IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. POWER TO DECIDE AFFECTS CHANGE BY WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ITS PRIORITY POPULATIONS, AS WELL AS WITH THOSE WHO INFLUENCE AND IMPACT REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING OF THEIR PRIORITY POPULATIONS, INCLUDING PROVIDERS, POLICYMAKERS, RESEARCHERS, AND CHAMPIONS. POWER TO DECIDE ACCOMPLISHES THIS BY PROVIDING TRUSTED INFORMATION, EXPANDING ACCESS TO QUALITY SERVICES, AND CATALYZING CULTURE CHANGE.
- Income
- $14.4 million
- Spending
- $12.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 14.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 82%
- Employees
- 61
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $346,580, chief exec. officer (until 10/2025)
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
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 93% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 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.
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 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 (4)
- $4.8 million spent. DIGITAL PROGRAMS: BEDSIDER.ORG IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT OFFERS MEDICALLY ACCURATE, RELEVANT, AND RESONANT INFORMATION ON SEX, SEXUAL HEALTH, AND BIRTH CONTROL. FOR OVER 14 YEARS, BEDSIDER HAS HELPED NEARLY 90 MILLION USERS TO MAKE AUTONOMOUS, FULLY INFORMED CHOICES ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. BEDSIDER IS THE NATION'S GO-TO RESOURCE ON BIRTH CONTROL.BEDSIDER PROVIDES CONTENT THAT IS INDEPENDENT, HONEST, UNBIASED, AND ACCURATE - IN A VOICE THAT RESONATES WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. BEDSIDER IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND ALL CONTENT IS VETTED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. BEDSIDER IS BASED ON EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF ITS TARGET AUDIENCE (PEOPLE AGED 18-29) AS WELL AS ITS IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE, HEALTH EDUCATION AND HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS.BEDSIDER PROVIDERS AND BEDSIDER PROVIDERS+, OUR SUBSCRIPTION CHANNEL, ARE DIGITAL PLATFORMS THAT SERVE AS A COMPANION SITE TO BEDSIDER AND ALLOWS POWER TO DECIDE THE ABILITY TO REACH AND ENGAGE WITH PROVIDER AUDIENCES. THESE PLATFORMS OFFER HIGH-QUALITY, EVIDENCE-INFORMED SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF PEOPLE'S REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING GOALS. BEDSIDER PROVIDERS+ GIVES PROVIDERS TOOLS AND MESSAGES TO COMBAT PREVALENT MISINFORMATION THAT PATIENTS ENCOUNTER ONLINE AND IN SOCIAL MEDIA. POWER TO DECIDE EVALUATES, DISSEMINATES, AND DEVELOPS BEDSIDER CLINIC MATERIALS AND TOOLS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.ABORTIONFINDER.ORG SIMPLIFIES THE PROCESS OF LEARNING WHERE AND HOW TO GET AN ABORTION IN THE U.S. THIS EASY-TO-USE SEARCH TOOL IS BUILT ON A DATABASE OF MORE THAN 800 IN-PERSON AND TELEHEALTH ABORTION PROVIDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT ALSO CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT ABORTION FUNDS AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS, A BREAKDOWN OF EACH STATE'S ABORTION LAWS, AND OTHER RESOURCES TO SUPPORT ABORTION SEEKERS. THE DATABASE IS REGULARLY VERIFIED AND UPDATED BY STAFF AT POWER TO DECIDE. ABORTIONFINDER.ORG IS AVAILABLE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND VIA TEXT MESSAGE SERVICES. SINCE LAUNCHING IN 2020, ABORTIONFINDER.ORG HAS HELPED MILLIONS OF ABORTION SEEKERS LEARN ABOUT THEIR CARE OPTIONS. UTILIZING THE SAME DATABASE AS ABORTIONFINDER.ORG, THE NAVIGATE PLATFORM IS A CENTRALIZED DIGITAL TOOL FOR PATIENT NAVIGATORS ACROSS ORGANIZATIONS TO USE FOR MAKING REFERRALS AND CONNECTING WITH OTHER PATIENT NAVIGATORS. THE GOALS OF NAVIGATE ARE TO HELP PATIENT NAVIGATORS REMOVE THE BARRIERS ABORTION SEEKERS EXPERIENCE, TO EMPOWER NAVIGATORS TO HELP ABORTION SEEKERS QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY GET THE CARE AND SUPPORT THEY NEED, AND TO PROVIDE A SECURE, SHARED COMMUNITY SPACE THAT CAN FACILITATE IMPROVED CARE COORDINATION ACROSS ORGANIZATIONS.POWERTODECIDE.ORG WELCOMED MORE THAN 500K VISITORS IN 2025. THE WEBSITE SERVES AS A CLEARINGHOUSE OF INFORMATION ON THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS MYRIAD INITIATIVES, OFFERING CLEAR AND ACTIONABLE RESEARCH, THE LATEST RELEVANT INFORMATION ON POLICY, AND WAYS INDIVIDUALS CAN GET INVOLVED IN IMPROVING REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING FOR ALL. THE MISSOURI-BASED THE RIGHT TIME INITIATIVE IS THE ONLY EFFORT OF ITS KIND THAT FOCUSES ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVE SERVICES TO THOSE MOST IN NEED BY REDUCING COST, ACCESS, AND KNOWLEDGE BARRIERS. THROUGH A NETWORK OF AFFILIATED HEALTH CENTERS AND A ROBUST COMMUNICATIONS EFFORT LED BY POWER TO DECIDE, THE RIGHT TIME MAKES ALL METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION AVAILABLE AT LOW- OR NO-COST TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM. SINCE 2019, THE INITIATIVE HAS EMPOWERED INDIVIDUALS IN MISSOURI TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN HEALTH BY IMPROVING INFORMATION ABOUT, AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO, QUALITY CONTRACEPTIVE SERVICES. TO DATE, THE INITIATIVE HAS PROVIDED QUALITY CONTRACEPTIVE SERVICES TO MORE THAN 180,000 PEOPLE. THE RIGHT TIME INITIATIVE USES A STRATEGIC, MULTI-CHANNEL ADVERTISING APPROACH TO REACH MISSOURIANS WITH CLEAR, ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL AND AVAILABLE SERVICES. CAMPAIGNS SPAN DIGITAL, SOCIAL, INFLUENCER PARTNERSHIPS, SMS, AND OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENTS. MESSAGING IS INFORMED BY ONGOING RESEARCH AND PERFORMANCE DATA, ALLOWING FOR CONTINUOUS OPTIMIZATION AND MORE EFFECTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH PRIORITY AUDIENCESULTIMATELY SUPPORTING INCREASED UTILIZATION OF CARE AND MORE INFORMED DECISION-MAKING AROUND CONTRACEPTION.
- $4.0 million spent. SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES: POWER TO DECIDE'S PROGRAMS TEAM LEADS COMMUNITY AND CAMPUS-BASED INITIATIVES THAT EXPAND ACCESS TO TRUSTED SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INFORMATION WHILE STRENGTHENING LOCAL CAPACITY TO SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING. REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING (RWB) EFFORTS FOCUS ON EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES TO MAKE INFORMED CHOICES ABOUT THEIR REPRODUCTIVE FUTURES. BY FOSTERING COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS, POWER TO DECIDE ENGAGES LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH COMMUNITY, ENSURING RESOURCES AND SUPPORT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE FACING THE GREATEST ACCESS BARRIERS.OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, THROUGH ITS CONTRACEPTIVE EQUITY INITIATIVE (CEI), POWER TO DECIDE PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND INITIATIVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE WORKING TO EXPAND CONTRACEPTIVE ACCESS. THESE EFFORTS, KNOWN AS CONTRACEPTIVE ACCESS INITIATIVES (CAIS), BRING TOGETHER PARTNERS ACROSS HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS IN WAYS THAT REFLECT LOCAL NEEDS. WITH COMMUNITY GUIDANCE AND COLLABORATION, POWER TO DECIDE DEVELOPED A CONTRACEPTIVE ACCESS INITIATIVE (CAI) TOOLKIT DESIGNED TO HELP COMMUNITIES CREATE AND IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE CONTRACEPTIVE ACCESS. THIS DIGITAL TOOLKIT ALSO PROVIDES COMMUNITIES WITH THE AUTONOMY TO DESIGN A CAI THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT LOCAL NEEDS, PARTNERSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES.THROUGH ITS CAMPUS SEXUAL HEALTH PROGRAM, POWER TO DECIDE PARTNERS WITH INSTITUTIONS LIKE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS) TO IMPROVE CAMPUS-WIDE ACCESS TO SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION AND SERVICES. SINCE 2023, POWER TO DECIDE HAS SPEARHEADED A STUDENT-LED INITIATIVE CALLED BEYOND THE SHEETS. THE GOAL OF THIS INITIATIVE IS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS ON HBCU CAMPUSES TO PROMOTE A CULTURE OF SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING THROUGH STUDENT-LED ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES AIMED AT RAISING AWARENESS, PROVIDING EDUCATION, REDUCING STIGMA, AND PROMOTING ADVOCACY AND MOVEMENT BUILDING. RESEARCH (AVAILABLE AT HTTPS://WWW.ROUTLEDGE.COM/SEXUAL-HEALTH-AND-BLACK-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-EXPLORING-THE-SEXUAL-MILIEU-OF-HBCUS/HALL/P/BOOK/9781032015705) HAS SHOWN THAT BLACK STUDENTS AT HBCUS BEAR A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF POORER SEXUAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. BY BLENDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, CULTURAL COMPETENCE, AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE, POWER TO DECIDE'S WORK ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES ENSURES STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES HAVE THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO THRIVE.
- $1.9 million spent. MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS: THE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AT POWER TO DECIDE PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN ADVANCING THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION, ENSURING THAT EVERYONE HAS THE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN THEIR REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING. THROUGH STRATEGIC PRESS OUTREACH, ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS, AND THE CREATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RELEVANT, TIMELY CONTENT, THE TEAM AMPLIFIES KEY MESSAGES AND DRIVES MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT. IN NOVEMBER 2025, POWER TO DECIDE CELEBRATED THE 13TH ANNIVERSARY OF THANKS, BIRTH CONTROL DAY, ITS CORNERSTONE MULTI-PLATFORM CAMPAIGN THAT EMPOWERS EVERYONE TO SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT ALL THAT BIRTH CONTROL MAKES POSSIBLE WHILE REINFORCING THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS. THE CAMPAIGN ENGAGED A DIVERSE ARRAY OF PARTICIPANTS - INCLUDING MEDIA OUTLETS, POLICYMAKERS, AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH INFLUENCER PARTNERSHIPS AND NEW CREATIVE ASSETS. IN JUST ONE MONTH, #THXBIRTHCONTROL SPARKED MORE THAN 89.8M ENGAGEMENTS ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, EXPANDING THE CONVERSATION AND DEEPENING ITS IMPACT. BY LEVERAGING RAPID RESPONSE EFFORTS, TARGETED OUTREACH, AND PROMPT PRESS RELEASE DISTRIBUTION, POWER TO DECIDE'S EXPERT INSIGHTS, QUOTES, AND RESOURCES RECEIVED WIDESPREAD COVERAGE IN LEADING NATIONAL AND LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS INCLUDING CBS NEWS, REPROS FIGHT BACK, COSMOPOLITAN, ESSENCE GU, MS. MAGAZINE, HER CAMPUS, CNN, SLATE, REWIRE NEWS GROUP, AND NEWSBREAK. AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS SUCH AS KANSAS PUBLIC RADIO, PITT NEWS, AND THE DAILY CARDINAL. SINCE JANUARY 2025, MEDIA COVERAGE OF SRH ISSUES HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY CONSTRAINED, WITH OUTLETS LIMITING OR SCALING BACK CONTENT AND JOURNALISTS FACING INTERNAL RESTRICTIONSMAKING IT HARDER TO SECURE ACCURATE COVERAGE AS MISINFORMATION CONTINUES TO SPREAD. POWER TO DECIDE CONTINUES TO PURSUE WAYS TO INFORM AND SUPPORT DECISION-MAKERS IN JOURNALISM AND ENTERTAINMENT TO REACH THEIR AUDIENCES IN WHATEVER WAY THEY CAN.FOR 30 YEARS, POWER TO DECIDE HAS PARTNERED WITH POPULAR CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES TO ENCOURAGE AND INFORM STORIES ABOUT SEX, LOVE, RELATIONSHIPS, BIRTH CONTROL AND THE CONTEXT IN WHICH IT ALL HAPPENS. FROM GREY'S ANATOMY AND TELL ME LIES TO UNIVISION AND ABC, WE COLLABORATE WITH STORYTELLERS AND MEDIA DECISION-MAKERS ACROSS THE POP CULTURE LANDSCAPE TO PORTRAY SEXUAL HEALTH, RELATIONSHIPS, AND BIRTH CONTROL IN A RELEVANT, APPROACHABLE WAY. THROUGH COMEDIES, DRAMAS, UNSCRIPTED AND DIGITAL/SOCIAL CONTENT, ITS MEDIA PARTNERS REACH AUDIENCES WHERE THEY ARE WITH HELPFUL MESSAGES AND TRUSTED RESOURCES LIKE BEDSIDER AND ABORTIONFINDER. POWER TO DECIDE ENGAGED WITH MORE THAN 330 MEDIA LEADERS THROUGH EVENTS, TAILORED OUTREACH, BRIEFINGS, CONSULTATIONS, AND REGULAR EMAIL UPDATES. TOGETHER, THESE CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS SPARK CONVERSATIONS AND HELP CATALYZE A CULTURE OF REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING FOR ALL.
- $548,080 spent. PUBLIC POLICY: POWER TO DECIDE'S POLICY WORK FOCUSES ON PROTECTING AND EXPANDING POLICIES THAT EMPOWER PEOPLE TO DECIDE IF, WHEN, AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES TO GET PREGNANT AND HAVE A CHILD WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO FACE THE GREATEST BARRIERS TO INFORMATION AND CARE. THESE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS ENABLE PEOPLE TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN THEIR REPRODUCTIVE WELL-BEING.POWER TO DECIDE'S FEDERAL POLICY WORK FOCUSES ON ADVOCACY TO SUPPORT POLICIES THAT PROTECT AND EXPAND ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION, ABORTION AND SEXUAL HEALTH INFORMATION. SOME KEY EXAMPLES INCLUDE DEVELOPING NEW RESOURCES FOR POLICYMAKERS TO COMBAT CONTRACEPTIVE MIS AND DISINFORMATION, WORKING TO PUSH FOR A COMPLETE BAN ON ABORTION AT THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, AND PUSHING FOR CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THE TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM. LIKE ITS FEDERAL WORK, POWER TO DECIDE'S STATE WORK AIMS TO INFORM AND ADVANCE POLICIES THAT REDUCE INEQUITIES IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE, ACCESS, AND INFORMATION. POWER TO DECIDE MAINTAINS A STATE CONTRACEPTIVE ACCESS TOOLKIT THAT TRACKS STATE POLICIES THAT IMPROVE CONTRACEPTIVE ACCESS. POWER TO DECIDE HAS ALSO PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ADDITIONAL STATES AS THEY THINK THROUGH HOW TO MOVE THESE POLICIES FORWARD. ITS STATE POLICY WORK ALSO ADDRESSES ABORTION ACCESS AT THE STATE LEVEL. POWER TO DECIDE MONITORS STATE LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION IMPACTING ABORTION ACCESS AS WELL AS CONTRACEPTION, AND THAT INFORMATION INFORMS THE STATE-BY-STATE GUIDE ON ABORTIONFINDER.ORG (AVAILABLE AT HTTPS://WWW.ABORTIONFINDER.ORG/ABORTION-GUIDES-BY-STATE).
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 August 1996.
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.