Donors Trust Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Support charities & sponsor programs which alleviate, through education, research & private initiatives, society's most pervasive and radical needs, including those relating to social welfare, health, environment, economics, foreign relations, arts and culture. Encourage private philanthropy and individual giving as opposed to governmental solutions to society's problems.
- Income
- $294.4 million
- Spending
- $291.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 98%
- Reserves
- 56.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 79%
- Employees
- 18
- Volunteers
- 4
- Highest pay
- $507,792, president and 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
Strong: 97 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 56.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 86% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1598% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 17% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 5 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
0 of 10Did not give 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, 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 (3)
- $285.2 million spent. A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) program allowing DAF contributors to advise grants that support charities which alleviate, through education, research and private initiatives, society's most pervasive and radical needs, including those relating to social welfare, health, environment, economics, governance, foreign relations and arts and culture; and which encourage private philanthropy and individual giving and responsibility as an answer to society's needs, as opposed to governmental involvement.
- $630,407 spent. Donors Trust serves as an incubator for organizations with missions that align with that of Donors Trust and that are in the process of applying for tax-exempt status, thereby allowing these start-up organizations a chance to begin operations while waiting for formal recognition of their non-profit status.
- $326,806 spent. Donors Trust initiated a program to make grants to foreign NGOs for which Donors Trust receives an equivalency determination that finds had the foreign organization been (1) a U.S. based organization and (2) applied for tax-exempt status the NGO would have received recognition as a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charity.
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
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 December 2024.
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 September 1999.
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.
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.