Open Transit Software Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Coordinate open source software projects to provide information about public transportation.
- Income
- $79,945
- Spending
- $97,788
- Reserves
- 7.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 85%
- Highest pay
- $72,000, executive dir.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ 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)
- $92,549 spent. Develop and maintain the OneBusAway suite of open-source software for providing schedule and real-time information about public transportation. The software includes apps for mobile devices, the server, and transit agency back-end support. The development and maintenance work is performed by contractors paid by OTSF, by software developers working at agencies or companies that use or support OneBusAway, and by volunteers. We have also recently developed OneBusAway Cloud and added it to our software suite. This is a cloud-based software service that allows transit agencies, particularly smaller ones with fewer resources, to run OneBusAway inexpensively, without needing dedicated IT staff or a custom support contract with a private consultancy (which have proven to be major barriers to the wider adoption of the system). Number of persons benefited (users of the apps and software): 300,000.
- $2,858 spent. Education - Increase awareness and encouragement of public transit. Number of persons benefited: 330.
- $2,381 spent. Support other organizations with aligned goals. Number of persons benefited: 13.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 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 2025.
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 September 2019.
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.
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.