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League of Women Voters Education Fund

EIN 53-0239013 · Cedar Rapids, IA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood78 out of 100GovernanceStrong95 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EDUCATION FUND WORKS TO REGISTER VOTERS AND PROVIDE VOTERS WITH ELECTION INFORMATION THROUGH VOTER GUIDES AS WELL AS CANDIDATE FORUMS AND DEBATES.

Income
$10.1 million
Spending
$11.4 million
Spent on programs
74%
Reserves
6.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 93%
Employees
0
Volunteers
63,132
Highest pay
$318,848, chief counsel - until 08/24, ceo

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: 78 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 17% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 13% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 26% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    74% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 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: 95 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 16 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

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • 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 (7)
  1. $4.7 million spent. MISSION IMPACT: THE MISSION IMPACT FUNCTION INCLUDES ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DEVOTED TO INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING AND PROVIDING CANDIDATE INFORMATION.SCHEDULE O PROVIDES ADDITIONAL DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE LEAGUE'S MISSION IMPACT ACHIEVEMENTS. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EDUCATION FUND (LWVEF) AIMS TO EDUCATE VOTERS AND INCREASE VOTER PARTICIPATION IN EVERY ELECTION AND ENSURE ACCESS TO THE BALLOT BOX THROUGH LITIGATION IN FEDERAL AND STATE COURT. LWVEF WORKS YEAR-ROUND TO REGISTER VOTERS, PROVIDE THEM WITH ELECTION INFORMATION, AND HOST CANDIDATE FORUMS AND DEBATES. VOTE411.ORG, LWVEF'S NONPARTISAN ELECTION WEBSITE, PROVIDES VOTERS WITH CUSTOMIZED ELECTION INFORMATION, INCLUDING THEIR POLLING PLACE LOCATION AND HOURS OF OPERATION, EARLY OR ABSENTEE VOTING RULES, REGISTRATION DEADLINES, ID REQUIREMENTS, CANDIDATE GUIDES AND MORE. IN FY25, LWVEF PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION TO VOTERS IN ALL 50 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR, JULY 2024-JUNE 2025, OVER 7.6 MILLION PEOPLE ACCESSED VOTE411 FOR VOTER EDUCATION AND INFORMATION PURPOSES. LWVEF REGISTERED NEARLY 59,000 VOTERS THROUGH THIS ONLINE PLATFORM. VOTE411 ALSO INCLUDES BALLOT INFORMATION FOR EVERY ELECTION CYCLE. IN THE RUN-UP TO THE GENERAL ELECTION, INFORMATION ON NEARLY 56,000 CANDIDATES WAS AVAILABLE IN THE VOTE411 ONLINE VOTER GUIDE. LWVEF ALSO CONTACTED MORE THAN 21 MILLION VOTERS VIA CANVAS, EMAIL, MAIL, PHONE, AND TEXT DURING THIS TIMEFRAME TO PROVIDE THEM WITH CRITICAL ELECTION INFORMATION AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE. ADDITIONALLY, LWVEF RAN MULTIPLE VOTE411 MARKETING CAMPAIGNS DURING FY25 TO INFORM VOTERS AHEAD OF UPCOMING ELECTIONS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO MAKE A VOTING PLAN. THESE ENGLISH AND SPANISH ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS REACHED OVER 3.8 MILLION VOTERS LEADING INTO THE GENERAL ELECTION. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, LWVEF, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE AND LOCAL LEAGUES, REGISTERED MORE THAN 573,000 VOTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. LWVEF ALSO SUPPORTED STATE AND LOCAL LEAGUES AS THEY ENGAGED IN MORE THAN 1,200 MEETINGS WITH ELECTIONS OFFICIALS AND HELD NEARLY 1,800 PUBLIC FORUMS FOCUSED ON THE MECHANICS OF VOTING. WITH THE SUPPORT OF LWVEF, STATE AND LOCAL LEAGUES HOSTED OVER 1,100 CANDIDATE DEBATES AND FORUMS FROM JULY 2024 TO JUNE 2025 TO FURTHER ASSIST VOTERS IN LEARNING ABOUT THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. FROM JULY 1, 2024, TO JUNE 30, 2025, THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND STATE AND LOCAL LEAGUES ENGAGED IN LITIGATION AROUND THE COUNTRY, PRIMARILY IN OUR CAMPAIGN FOR MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE LEAGUE WAS ACTIVE IN 59 FEDERAL AND REDISTRICTING MATTERS AND AT LEAST 34 STATE MATTERS.
  2. $2.0 million spent. COMMUNICATIONS: EXPENDITURES ARE USED TO MAINTAIN THE LEAGUE'S WEBSITE, PREPARE AND DISSEMINATE MATERIALS AND PUBLICATIONS, WHICH PROMOTE CIVIC AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY, AND WHICH ADDRESS SELECTED ISSUES.SCHEDULE O PROVIDES ADDITIONAL DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE LEAGUE'S COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS.
  3. $734,344 spent. ADVOCACY: EXPENDITURES ARE USED TO PROMOTE CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH INFORMED PARTICIPATION OF CITIZENS IN GOVERNMENT AND ACTION ON SELECTED ISSUES.SCHEDULE O PROVIDES ADDITIONAL DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE LEAGUE'S ADVOCACY PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS.
  4. $492,815 spent. EXTERNAL AFFAIRS: THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS FUNCTION INCLUDES FACILITATING PARTNERSHIPS AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THE REACH OF LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND INCREASE ITS RECOGNITION.
  5. $226,852 spent. COUNCIL AND CONVENTION: THE COUNCIL AND CONVENTION FUNCTION INCLUDES ACTIVITIES RELATED TO MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS, SUCH AS THE BIANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING.
  6. $148,048 spent. OUTCOME AND EVALUATION: THE OUTCOME AND EVALUATION FUNCTION IS COLLECTING AND ANALYZING DATA TO MEASURE OUR IMPACT.
  7. $117,862 spent. MEMBER SERVICES: EXPENDITURES ARE USED TO ASSIST STATE AND LOCAL LEAGUES WITH MEMBER RECRUITMENT AND VARIOUS PROGRAMS.

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 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 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 September 1959.

    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.

  7. Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.

    A much larger organization has a similar name: League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (Washington, DC), EIN 52-1379661. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.

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