Muckrock Foundation Incorporated
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
MUCKROCK IS A NON-PROFIT, COLLABORATIVE NEWS SITE THAT BRINGS TOGETHER JOURNALISTS, RESEARCHERS, ACTIVISTS, AND REGULAR CITIZENS TO REQUEST, ANALYZE, AND SHARE GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, MAKING POLITICS MORE TRANSPARENT
- Income
- $6.3 million
- Spending
- $4.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 3.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 90%
- Employees
- 44
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $138,911, chief executive officer
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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 23% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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 (3)
- $2.4 million spent. MUCKROCK HAS BUILT A GUIDE TO EVERY STATES PUBLIC RECORDS LAW THAT HAS BEEN UTILIZED BY MILLIONS OF READERS. WE DIRECTLY ASSISTED OVER 90,000 USERS AND FILED OVER 125,000 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS AND PUBLIC FILES
- $98,560 spent. DOCUMENTCLOUD, THE LEADING HOST OF PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS FOR NEWSROOM, HAS EXPANDED ITS TOOL TO INCLUDE A RANGE OF AUTOMATED WAYS FOR JOURNALISTS TO MONITOR, ANALYZE AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE PUBLIC. DOCUMENTCLOUDS USERS RELIED ON THE SERVICE FOR REPORTING THAT WAS A FINALIST FOR MULTIPLE PULITZER PRIZES, AS WELL AS SERVED COMMUNITIES AROUND THE UNITED STATES IN BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE OPERATIONS OF GOVERNMENT
- $1.9 million spent. IN 2024, MLK50 JUSTICE THROUGH JOURNALISM CONTINUED ITS IMPACTFUL WORK IN MEMPHIS, FOCUSING ON ISSUES OF POVERTY, POWER, AND PUBLIC POLICY. AMONG ITS KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE NEWSROOM HELD POWERFUL ENTITIES ACCOUNTABLE BY HIGHLIGHTING UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AT FEDEX AND EXPOSING ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM IMPACTING SOUTH MEMPHIS RESIDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, MLK50 SHED LIGHT ON HOUSING INJUSTICES, COVERING HOW LANDLORDS AND DEVELOPERS WERE DISPLACING RESIDENTS FOR PROFIT. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO CAPTURED THE COMMUNITIES RESILIENCE, DOCUMENTING JOYFUL EVENTS SUCH AS JUNETEENTH CELEBRETION AND PROTEST AGAINST THE EXPULSION OF LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES. FUTHURMORE, MLK50 EXPANDED ITS REPORTING CAPACITY BY RAISING FUNDS TO HIRE NEW REPORTERS FOCUSED ON GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY
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 November 6, 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 May 2016.
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 November 4, 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.