Fix the Court
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
FIX THE COURT IS A NONPARTISAN, 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION THAT EDUCATES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ABOUT, AND ADVOCATES FOR, NON-IDEOLOGICAL "FIXES" THAT WOULD MAKE THE FEDERAL COURTS, AND PRIMARILY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, MORE MODERN, MORE OPEN, AND MORE ACCOUNTABLE. IT DOES THIS BY RESEARCHING THE ETHICAL LAPSES OF JUDGES AND JUSTICES AND BY EDUCATING THE PRESS AND PUBLIC ABOUT WHY REFORM IS NEEDED.
- Income
- $201,039
- Spending
- $263,319
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 1.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 3
- Highest pay
- $175,441, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending February 28, 2026, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, under $250k).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 31% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 29% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending February 28, 2026, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 74 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, under $250k).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 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.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending February 28, 2026, 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 (2)
- $126,514 spent. EDUCATION: FIX THE COURT EDUCATED THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC ON THE WAYS IN WHICH THE U.S. SUPREME COURT AND THE REST OF THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY HAS CHOSEN TO EXEMPT ITSELF FROM BEST PRACTICES IN MODERN JUDICIAL ETHICS AND UNCOVERED NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF TIMES WHEN SUPREME COURT JUSTICES AND LOWER COURT JUDGES HAVE FAILED TO LIVE UP TO THEIR RESPECTIVE ETHICS CODES, FROM MISSED RECUSALS TO UNTOWARD GIFTS. THE ORGANIZATION PUBLICIZED THE INS AND OUTS OF THE BROADCAST POLICIES IN FEDERAL COURTROOMS AROUND THE COUNTRY, WITH OUR REQUESTS FOR LIVESTREAMING OFTEN PUSHING THE COURTS TO EXPAND ACCESS. FIX THE COURT LOCATED AND PUBLISHED THE AUDIO FILES OF THE SUPREME COURT'S OPINION ANNOUNCEMENT SUMMARIES FROM THE OT24 TERM, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE BEFORE WE FOUND AND RELEASED THEM, AND ADVOCATED FOR MORE LEEWAY WITHIN JUDICIAL ETHICS RULES FOR JUDGES TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE RISING THREATS LEVELED AGAINST THEM. THE COURT'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WAS QUOTED OR CITED IN MORE THAN 300 NEWS STORIES LAST YEAR, ON TOPICS RANGING FROM THE JUSTICES' OUT-OF-COURT EVENTS TO THEIR FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE PRACTICES TO THE NEED TO INCREASE SECURITY SPENDING BRANCHWIDE.
- $84,480 spent. RESEARCH: FIX THE COURT CONDUCTED RESEARCH INTO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES AND LOWER COURT FEDERAL JUDGES' TRAVEL, FINANCES, FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, AND OUT-OF-COURT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE ACTIVITIES COULD AFFECT THEIR COMPLIANCE OR NONCOMPLIANCE WITH JUDICIAL ETHICS CODES. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON THE PHENOMENON WHERE FEDERAL JUDGES ARE NOT RECUSING IN SOME CASES INVOLVING THEIR OUTSIDE EMPLOYER, TYPICALLY A LOCAL LAW SCHOOL WHERE THEY SERVE AS AN ADJUNCT. THE ORGANIZATION LOCATED AND REVIEWED THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES OF THE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, LOWER FEDERAL JUDGES, AND STATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES AND REVIEWED THEM ACROSS VARIOUS ACCOUNTABILITY METRICS, WHILE ENSURING THAT NO PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION, WHICH COULD LEAD TO THREATS OR WORSE, WAS INCLUDED. WE RESEARCHED THE JUSTICES' FINANCIAL HOLDINGS IN LIGHT OF A NEW RULE AT THE SUPREME COURT REQUIRING PARTIES THAT ARE PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES OR THEIR SUBSIDIARIES TO LIST THEIR TICKER SYMBOL IN THEIR FILINGS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending February 28, 2026, 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 February 2026.
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 April 2021.
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.