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Power California

EIN 77-0651682 · Los Angeles, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood78 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

POWER CALIFORNIA HARNESSES THE ENERGY OF YOUNG VOTERS OF COLOR AND THEIR FAMILIES TO CREATE A STATE THAT IS EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE AND JUST FOR EVERYONE WHO CALLS CALIFORNIA HOME.

Income
$5.1 million
Spending
$6.3 million
Spent on programs
74%
Reserves
6.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 92%
Employees
73
Volunteers
20
Highest pay
$208,980, president and executive director

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: 78 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 7% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 22% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 11% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    74% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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 68% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    4 of 5 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 (5)
  1. $2.0 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE ONARRATIVE POWER: IN 2024, WE REACHED OVER 1 MILLION VOTERS THROUGH POWERCA DIGITAL CHANNELS, AND WITH OUR ALLIANCE, ENGAGED 8 MILLION YOUNG VOTERS STATEWIDE. WE TRAINED OVER 25 SPOKESPEOPLE, COLLABORATED WITH MORE THAN 7 YOUTH INFLUENCERS, AND SECURED OVER 20 MEDIA HITS TO AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF YOUNG PEOPLE. OUR 2024 YOUTH POLL SURVEYED 1,754 YOUNG CALIFORNIANS AGED 1830, FOCUSING ON THEIR PERSPECTIVES ON HOUSING, VOTING, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. WE LAUNCHED A STATEWIDE HOUSING JUSTICE CAMPAIGN, BUILT THE CAPACITY OF OVER FIVE PARTNERS AS NARRATIVE HUBS, AND RECRUITED FIVE TRUTH TELLERS TO LEAD YOUTH-DRIVEN NARRATIVE CHANGE.
  2. $1.1 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE OALLIANCE: POWERCA, TOGETHER WITH OUR STATEWIDE ALLIANCE OF 15 YOUTH-ORGANIZING PARTNERS, MOBILIZES OVER 100,000 YOUNG VOTERS ANNUALLY ON AN ONGOING BASIS TO ENCOURAGE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THROUGH OUR GET OUT THE VOTE EFFORTS. POWERCA'S ALLIANCE OF YOUTH-ORGANIZING PARTNERS HAS PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN MOBILIZING YOUNG VOTERS OF COLOR. BY WORKING TOGETHER AND UNITING UNDER ONE ALLIANCE, WE HAVE AMPLIFIED THE STRENGTH OF INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS AND EXPANDED A STATEWIDE BASE OF YOUNG VOTERS. BY REFINING OUR INTEGRATED VOTER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, WE HAVE STRENGTHENED THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS CALIFORNIA, ESPECIALLY IN UNDERSERVED REGIONS LIKE THE CENTRAL VALLEY, INLAND EMPIRE AND THE CENTRAL COAST.
  3. $867,603 spent. SEE SCHEDULE OFIELD CAMPAIGNS: WE TRAINED OVER 300 YOUNG ORGANIZERS THROUGH POWER ACADEMIES AND CONVENINGS, IN COLLABORATION WITH MORE THAN 120 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, TO LEAD VOTER OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGNS. A TOTAL OF 69,334 YOUNG VOTERS WERE MOBILIZED THROUGH CANVASSING, PHONE BANKING, AND THE ACTIVATION OF HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS, WHO COMPLETED OVER 600 VOLUNTEER SHIFTS, WITH MORE THAN 250 YOUTH PARTICIPATING IN GET OUT THE VOTE EVENTS.
  4. $463,301 spent. ORGANIZING PROGRAMS: WE RECRUITED 7,466 NEW MEMBERS, ENGAGED MORE THAN 1,000 IN ACTIONS, AND TRAINED OVER 100 YOUTH LEADERS IN STORYTELLING, MEDIA, AND ORGANIZING. FELLOWS, INTERNS, AND CAMPAIGNS COMMITTEES LED LOCAL EFFORTS IN FRESNO, TULARE, AND MADERA, HOSTING RALLIES, PROMOTING HOUSING JUSTICE, AND ADVOCATING AT THE STATE CAPITOL. IN FRESNO, WE SECURED $1.5 MILLION IN EVICTION PROTECTION FUNDING WHILE CONVENING A 10-MEMBER HOUSING COALITION TO COUNTER ANTI-HOMELESS POLICIES. WE ORGANIZED OVER 300 MEMBERS TO TAKE ACTION AND LED CAMPAIGNS THAT ESTABLISHED POWER CALIFORNIA AS A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN HOUSING JUSTICE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY.
  5. $195,067 spent. POLICY: OUR POWER ADVOCATES COMMITTEE CORE MEMBERS RECEIVED TRAINING IN STORYTELLING AND SERVING AS A SPOKESPERSON AND LEGISLATIVE POLICY PROCESSES, WITH GUIDANCE ON RESEARCH AND STRATEGIC BILL SELECTION ALIGNED WITH POWER CALIFORNIA YOUTH AGENDA. THE 2024 YOUTH AGENDA WAS DEVELOPED WITH 10 YOUNG BIPOC MEMBERS, WHO LED ADVOCACY EFFORTS AT THE STATE CAPITOL, SHARED STORIES WITH 23 LEGISLATIVE OFFICES, AND DEVELOPED LEADERSHIP SKILLS OVER SIX WEEKS. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE RECRUITING THE POWER ADVOCATES, DEVELOPING THE YOUTH AGENDA, AND LEADING ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND YOUTH-DRIVEN HOUSING AND POLICY CHANGE ACROSS THE STATE.

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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since December 2005.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.

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