We the Protesters Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WE THE PROTESTERS, INC DBA CAMPAIGN ZERO IS A 501(C)3 NATIONAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO A WORLD BEYOND POLICING AND THE CARCERAL SYSTEM. THROUGH RESEARCH-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS, WE WORK IN AND ACROSS COMMUNITIES TO TRANSFER THE POWER OF THE POLICE TO THOSE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THE POLICE. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, WE CREATE CAMPAIGNS THAT UPLIFT COMMUNITY-BASED SOLUTIONS BEYOND POLICING TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF SAFE AND THRIVING NEIGHBORHOODS.OUR WORK ACTIVELY CENTERS ON: SHRINKING THE RELIANCE AND POWER OF THE POLICE; ENDING MASS INCARCERATION; SUPPORTING FUNDAMENTAL FAIRNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT; AND DIRECTLY SUPPORTING AND PARTNERING WITH MISSION-ALIGNED ORGANIZATIONS.
- Income
- $2.5 million
- Spending
- $8.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 60%
- Reserves
- 33.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 51%
- Employees
- 24
- Volunteers
- 5
- Highest pay
- $236,372, 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 48% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 33.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 243% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1560% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 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 60% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 6 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, 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 (1)
- $5.1 million spent. THE FOLLOWING CAMPAIGNS WERE OUR 25% FOCUS FOR 2024:PAY-TO-STAY: THE PRACTICE OF PAY-TO-STAY FEES INVOLVE CHARGING INDIVIDUALS-BOTH ADULTS AND YOUTHS-IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES FOR COSTS RELATING TO THEIR INCARCERATION. PAY-TO-STAY FEES NOT ONLY AFFECT INDIVIDUALS DURING THEIR TIME IN INCARCERATION BUT CAN ALSO RESULT IN POST-RELEASE DEBT. THE CAMPAIGN FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON THE IMPOSITION OF ROOM AND BOARD AND MEDICAL FEES AT THE STATE LEVEL FOR ADULTS AND YOUTH SERVING A SENTENCE.CRIMINAL ACTIVITY & NUISANCE ORDINANCES: CRIMINAL ACTIVITY & NUISANCE ORDINANCES (CANOS) ARE LAWS THAT PENALIZE INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE 911 CALLS OR CALLS FOR SERVICE TO THEIR HOUSEHOLD, WHICH CAN LEAD TO EVICTION OF THE ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD. THE AIM OF THE CAMPAIGN IS TO ELIMINATE THESE POLICIES, AS WELL AS SERVE AS A TOOL FOR PUBLICLY RECOGNIZING WHERE THESE POLICIES ARE, AND WHICH JURISDICTIONS ARE THE MOST PROBLEMATIC. MODEL JURORS - SUMMONSING PROCESS: THE CURRENT PRACTICES OF THE JURY SUMMONSING PROCESS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE INEQUITABLE AND DISCRIMINATORY. MANY COMMUNITIES AND DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS ARE EXCLUDED IN THIS PROCESS DUE TO NONINCLUSIVE QUALIFICATIONS AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS, WHICH ALL ULTIMATELY INTERFERE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A JURY OF THEIR PEERS. BY COLLECTING DATA & IMPLEMENTING POLICIES IDENTIFIED IN OUR RUBRIC, THIS CAMPAIGN AIMS TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO CREATE FAIRER, AND MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE JURY SUMMONS PROCESSES ACROSS EVERY STATE. THIS IS THE FIRST OF TWO PHASES AIMED AT PROVIDING A LONG-TERM SOLUTION FOR TRANSFORMING JURY SERVICE ALONG THE PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY AND FUNDAMENTAL FAIRNESS.END GANG ENHANCEMENTS: GANG ENHANCEMENTS ARE CRIMINAL STATUTES THAT SANCTION ENHANCED PUNISHMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS DEEMED GANG-AFFILIATED BY POLICE. IN PRACTICE, THESE ENHANCEMENTS CREATE LONGER PRISON SENTENCES FOR ALLEGED GANG MEMBERS, FOR THE SAME CRIMES COMMITTED BY PRIVATE CITIZENS. THE CRITERIA THAT STATES WITH GANG ENHANCEMENTS USE TO DETERMINE IF SOMEONE IS GANG-AFFILIATED IS RIFE WITH PATHOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDINGS OF RACE AND CRIMINALIZATION. CAMPAIGN ZERO DOES NOT BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY RATIONAL PROSCRIPTIVE INDICATORS THAT WOULD JUSTIFY LABELING A CIVILIAN AS GANG-AFFILIATED. THE PHENOMENON OF GANG-CRIME IS A PRODUCT OF SOCIOECONOMIC DISINVESTMENT, HISTORICAL DISCRIMINATION, AND STATE-SPONSORED VIOLENCE. CAMPAIGN ZERO AIMS TO LEGISLATIVELY ELIMINATE THESE ENHANCEMENTS.SAFE CITIES - R&D DATA PRODUCT: "SAFE CITIES" BY CZ CHALLENGES TRADITIONAL PUNITIVE PUBLIC SAFETY APPROACHES BY EMPHASIZING THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL NATURE OF SAFETY. THE PROJECT BUILDS DATA PIPELINES TO LOCAL OPEN DATA PORTALS, EMPLOYS ADVANCED DATA ENGINEERING, AND CO-DEVELOPS AN ACTION FRAMEWORK FOR RESTORATIVE AND EFFECTIVE SAFETY SOLUTIONS.DRUG-FREE ZONE LAWS: DRUG-FREE ZONES WERE INITIALLY MEANT TO NAIL DRUG DEALERS WHO TARGET SCHOOLCHILDREN. BUT THEY'VE GONE TOO FAR, TAKING OVER ENTIRE CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. DRUG-FREE ZONES, OFTEN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES AND THOSE WITH HIGHER PROPORTIONS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR. IN THESE ZONES, LEGISLATIVE SENTENCE ENHANCEMENTS MAKE INCARCERATION LENGTHIER. CAMPAIGN ZERO AIMS TO ADDRESS THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF THESE ZONE LAWS THROUGH A NATIONAL AWARENESS & POLICY CAMPAIGN.END SOLITARY CONFINEMENT: ACROSS THE U.S., THERE IS A GROWING UNDERSTANDING THAT SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IS HUMAN TORTURE. A SIGNIFICANT BODY OF RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT SOLITARY CONFINEMENT CREATES LONG-TERM PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM. MEANWHILE, SOLITARY CONFINEMENT HAS NOT BEEN SHOWN TO DETER FUTURE RULE VIOLATIONS OR VIOLENCE, AND HAS IN FACT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RECIDIVISM. CAMPAIGN ZERO AIMS TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE SOLITARY CONFINEMENT THROUGH OUR DATA COLLECTION CAMPAIGN OF CONFINEMENT POLICIES ACROSS ALL STATES + D.C.PAROLE - EVALUATING THE PAROLE PROCESS: PAROLE HELPS REDUCE THE HARM OF THE CARCERAL STATE WHILE CREATING SPACE FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE AND TRUE PUBLIC SAFETY. CAMPAIGN ZERO ADVOCATES FOR THE RESTORATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF PAROLE, BOTH THE QUALITY OF LEGISLATION GUIDING DECISIONS AND THE APPOINTMENT OF DECISION-MAKERS THEMSELVES. WE SEE PAROLE'S POTENTIAL FOR INCENTIVIZING READINESS AND RETURNING PEOPLE TO THEIR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND JOBS. PEOPLE DO BEST WHEN IN COMMUNITY, SURROUNDED BY THOSE WHO THEY LOVE AND WHO LOVE THEM. CAMPAIGN ZERO HAS CREATED A CAMPAIGN TO RESEARCH AND ASSESS PAROLE THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. OUR CAMPAIGN MAPS OUT THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF PAROLE, COLLECTING STATUTES AND STATE CODES ACROSS KEY LEVERS THAT GUIDE PAROLE RELEASE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ULTIMATELY, OUR WORK ANALYZES THE MOST IMPACTFUL CHANGES TO POLICY TO ENSURE RELEASE TO THOSE READY TO TRANSITION BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
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 December 2016.
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.
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