Passes our checks

Democracy and Media Education Foundation

EIN 84-1604861 · Boulder, CO

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

What it says it does

Civic education and the creation & dissemination of fact-based informational programming.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, under $250k).

Reserves
4 of 35
Spendable reserves would cover 0.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20
It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15
Spending exceeded income by 307% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15
Income rose 752% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15
100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, under $250k).

Independent board
18 of 25
3 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15
Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8
Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7
Reports no 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.
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

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)

$195,006 spent. Updated and maintained databases as well as the related Website for the DMEF, which were created originally with the objective of maintaining and increasing public awareness of and access to all information and services related to and provided by the DMEF and its free public informational and educational programs (and related entities). The programming effort to serve the Core Mission of the DMEF included management of all offerings to the public so as to increase their availability on a 24/7 basis, all at no charge, by cataloging all records, and all productions, along with indexing them. General measurement shows a 94% rate of availability was achieved with further improvements as goals in future years. Programming advancement projects on behalf of the DMEF were oriented towards increasing the distribution of productions and materials created as a result of DMEF initiatives and/or DMEF support. This included research and analysis for planning the wider distribution of DMEF-sponsored educational materials on multiple platforms. However, due to the Pandemic, achievement of DMEF's objectives was limited in Calendar Year 2021.
N/A
N/A

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

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 2024.
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 August 2002.
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.