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Black Lives Matter Foundation Inc

EIN 82-4862489 · Oakland, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood74 out of 100GovernanceGood75 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

BLACK LIVES MATTER GLOBAL NETWORK FOUNDATION ("BLMGNF") IS WORKING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE SYSTEM TO HEAL THE PAST, RE-IMAGINE THE PRESENT, AND INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF BLACK LIVES THROUGH POLICY CHANGE, INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND A COMMITMENT TO ARTS AND CULTURE.BLACK LIVES MATTER GLOBAL NETWORK FOUNDATION IMAGINES A WORLD WHERE BLACK PEOPLE ACROSS THE DIASPORA THRIVE, EXPERIENCE JOY, AND ARE NOT DEFINED BY THEIR STRUGGLES. BY ACHIEVING LIBERATION, WE ENVISION A FUTURE THAT IS FULLY DIVESTED FROM POLICE, PRISONS, AND ALL PUNISHMENT PARADIGMS TO BE REPLACED WITH INVESTMENT INTO JUSTICE, JOY, AND CULTURE.

Income
$6.8 million
Spending
$9.1 million
Spent on programs
57%
Reserves
23.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 49%
Employees
3
Volunteers
35,000
Highest pay
$226,785, head of security

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 74 out of 100. Higher than 42% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 23.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 17% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 34% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 46% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    57% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    5 of 25

    1 of 3 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, 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 (6)
  1. $1.8 million spent. CULTURE - WE ARE UPLIFTING AND INVESTING IN BLACK CULTURE THAT PROPELS US TO DREAM BIG AND CREATE THE COMMUNITY WE WANT AND NEED TO FLOURISH, GROW, AND THRIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, "THE BLACK LIVES MATTER JOY EXPERIENCE" IS A CULTURAL INTERVENTION THAT FORCES PEOPLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE POWER OF JOY. WITHOUT JOY, WE WON'T ACHIEVE LIBERATION. WITHOUT JOY, WE WON'T SURVIVE. WITHOUT JOY, WE WILL NEVER HEAL. AND WITHOUT JOY, WE CAN'T LOVE RADICALLY. BUT THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF BLACK JOY, WE WILL CONJURE UP DREAMS OF FREEDOM THAT OUR ANCESTORS WILL BE PROUD OF AND THAT PROPEL US CLOSER TO OUR DESIRED GLOBAL SOCIETY.
  2. $1.1 million spent. ARTS PROGRAM - WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON THE NEXUS OF ART AND ACTIVISM IN PURSUIT OF BLACK LIBERATION AND THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF BLACK CREATIVITY. WE SUPPORT EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED INDIVIDUAL BLACK ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE IN SOLIDARITY WITH MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION TO UPLIFTING THE VOICES OF THE BLACK ARTS COMMUNITY, THIS PROGRAM SERVES AS A CONNECTION POINT TO PROVIDE ART EXPOSURE AND EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OFTEN LEFT OUT, PARTICULARLY FOR YOUTH. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE HAVE PURCHASED A PROPERTY THAT HAS A PRODUCTION STUDIO AND OFFICE/COMMUNAL SPACES THAT SERVES AS OUR ARTISTIC HEADQUARTERS AND ALLOWS US TO EFFECTIVELY MEET OUR PROGRAMMATIC OBJECTIVES, INCLUDING: CREATING CUTTING EDGE CONTENT ABOUT ABOLITION AND OUR WELL-BEING, CONVENE ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING LEADERS IN THE GLOBAL ARTS COMMUNITY; RUN ART ACTIVATIONS, CREATE AND CURATE ARTISTIC PERFORMANCES (FILM, TELEVISION, THEATER, ETC.); AND RUN AN AMBASSADOR AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES.
  3. $1.0 million spent. FRONTLINE ORGANIZING - WE ARE PARTNERING WITH ON-THE-GROUND LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL THAT CENTER ABOLITIONIST PRINCIPLES AND ARE BUILDING RADICAL BLACK ORGANIZING MODELS ROOTED IN BLACK POWER, SELF-DETERMINATION AND SUPPORT OF SYSTEM IMPACTED FAMILIES. WE ARE HELPING TO KEEP ABOLITIONIST FRONTLINE ORGANIZERS AND ACTIVISTS SAFE BY PROVIDING SECURITY SERVICES (BOTH DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL) FOR THEM. WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND ALIGNED ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENT A THREAT TO ORGANIZERS AND ACTIVISTS AND OUR MISSION WILL NOT BE ACCOMPLISHED IF THESE FREEDOM FIGHTERS ARE NOT KEPT SAFE.
  4. $968,009 spent. HEALING JUSTICE - WE ARE BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF HEALING AND NURTURING ECOSYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT BLACK COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY OPPRESSIVE STRUCTURES AND INJUSTICE. TO THAT END, WE ARE CREATING GLOBAL INITIATIVES THAT BUILD COALITIONS AMONGST COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, LEADERS, AND ORGANIZERS; AND SUPPORTING THE WORK OF ORGANIZATIONS AS THEY SUPPORT BLACK-LED AND INTERSECTIONAL MOVEMENT WORK LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, BY BUILDING CAPACITY, INFRASTRUCTURE, MEMBERSHIP, AND PRESENCE; PROVIDING SEED FUNDING; DEVELOPING PROGRAMMING; PROVIDING TRAININGS; AND PROVIDING PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND COMMUNICATIONS.
  5. $118,241 spent. RESEARCH & EDUCATION - WE ARE INVESTING IN MODERN-DAY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOCUSING ON ABOLITIONIST FRAMEWORKS AND CURRICULUM AROUND BLACK HISTORY, IDENTITY, AND BLACK FUTURES. WE ARE LEADING PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS TO IMPROVE AND CHANGE THE MATERIAL CONDITIONS FOR BLACK PEOPLE (WHICH WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE POSITIVE IMPACTS FOR ALL PEOPLE), THROUGH INVESTING IN OTHER PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS CONDUCTING RESEARCH, IN PERSON ACTIVATIONS, TRADITIONAL AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS, AND OTHER MULTIMEDIA CAMPAIGNS FOCUSING ON RACIAL INJUSTICE, POLICE BRUTALITY, CRIMINAL LEGAL TRANSFORMATIONS, BLACK IMMIGRATION, ECONOMIC INJUSTICE, LGBTQIA+ AND HUMAN RIGHTS, ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE, ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION, AND VOTING RIGHTS AND SUPPRESSION. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES PARTNERING WITH BLACK STUDENTS AND THEIR CAMPUS COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
  6. $197,519 spent. POLICY - WE ARE INTERVENING ON EXISTING AND NEW POLICIES THAT REIMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT PUNITIVE MEASURES AND CREATE A WORLD WHERE BLACK PEOPLE HAVE ALL THAT WE NEED: FOOD, EDUCATION, HOUSING, HEALTH CARE, CLEAN WATER, BREATHABLE AIR, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS FOUNDATIONAL TO PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY SAFETY. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES NON-PARTISAN VOTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 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 November 6, 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 2024.

    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 December 2020.

    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 November 4, 2026.

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