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Ownership Works Inc

EIN 86-2054001 · New York, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

PLEASE REFER TO PART I LINE 1

Income
$7.6 million
Spending
$8.6 million
Spent on programs
77%
Reserves
45.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 92%
Employees
38
Volunteers
14
Highest pay
$456,557, vice pres &

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: 89 out of 100. Higher than 76% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 45.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 7% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 13% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 5% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    77% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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 67% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 15 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

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • 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 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)
  1. $6.6 million spent. OWNERSHIP WORKS' CORE PROGRAMS: SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN FEBRUARY 2021, OWNERSHIP WORKS ("O.W.") HAS GENERATED STRONG MOMENTUM AROUND SHARED OWNERSHIP AND SUCCESSFULLY HARNESSED IT TO DRIVE PROGRAM ADOPTION. O.W.'S CORE PROGRAMS ARE: (1) HANDS-ON GUIDANCE TO HELP INVESTORS AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMPANIES THROUGH EACH STEP IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING A SHARED OWNERSHIP PROGRAM; AND (2) MOVEMENT BUILDING TO GENERATE A GROUNDSWELL OF INTEREST IN SHARED OWNERSHIP AMONG WORLD-CLASS BUSINESSES AND CORPORATE LEADERS. PLEASE FIND MORE DETAILS ON THESE PILLARS' KEY ACTIVITIES AND HOW THESE PILLARS INTERACT BELOW. HANDS-ON GUIDANCE: WE HELP INVESTORS AND COMPANIES IMPLEMENT HOLISTIC SHARED OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS. O.W.'S SUPPORT INCLUDES RESOURCES AND TAILORED GUIDANCE COVERING STRUCTURING AND SIZING A BROAD-BASED EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP PLAN; FOSTERING A COMPANY CULTURE OF OWNERSHIP THAT EMPOWERS EMPLOYEES TO FEEL, THINK, AND ACT LIKE OWNERS; AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING EMPLOYEES' FINANCIAL WELLBEING TO SUPPORT WEALTH BUILDING THROUGH AND BEYOND THE OWNERSHIP PROGRAM. MOVEMENT BUILDING: THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, EVENTS AND NETWORK-BUILDING, DATA AND INSIGHTS, STORYTELLING, AND STANDARD SETTING, WE ARE CATALYZING A GROUNDSWELL OF INTEREST IN EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP ACROSS CORPORATE AMERICA. OWNERSHIP WORKS IS RAISING AWARENESS AND INCREASING ENGAGEMENT AMONG OUR PARTNERS AND KEY CONSTITUENCY GROUPS SPANNING FINANCIAL SERVICE FIRMS; FOUNDATIONS AND NONPROFITS; INVESTORS; LABOR ADVOCATES; PENSION FUNDS; PROFESSIONAL SERVICE PROVIDERS; AND PUBLIC COMPANIES WITH BROAD-BASED EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP. OUR IMPACT TO DATE: 1. 38 TOTAL INVESTOR PARTNERS; OVER 100 PARTNERS TOTAL. (AS OF OCTOBER 2025) 2. 167 COMPANIES WITH BOARD-APPROVED SHARED OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS, REACHING OVER 250,000 EMPLOYEES. (AS OF OCTOBER 2025) 3. OVER 10 BILLION IN PROJECTED WEALTH GENERATED AND ALLOCATED TO WORKERS OUTSIDE OF THE C-SUITE VIA SHARED OWNERSHIP; 1.3 BILLION TOTAL WEALTH SHARED WITH WORKERS OUTSIDE OF THE C-SUITE. (AS OF OCTOBER 2025). 4. IN 2023, O.W. HOSTED TWO SUCCESSFUL IN-PERSON CONVENINGS THAT REACHED APPROXIMATELY 250 CEOS, COMPANY EXECUTIVES, INVESTORS, AND SHARED OWNERSHIP ADVOCATES. IN 2024, O.W. HOSTED ITS THIRD IN-PERSON CONVENING, A TWO-DAY EVENT WITH OVER 250 GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE, REPRESENTING 86 COMPANIES AND 33 INVESTMENT FIRMS. 5. O.W. REACHED OVER 12,700 FOLLOWERS ON LINKEDIN AND REACHED OVER 2,500 NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS. (AS OF OCTOBER 2025). OWNERSHIP WORKS' CORE PROGRAMS: SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN FEBRUARY 2021, OWNERSHIP WORKS ("O.W.") HAS GENERATED STRONG MOMENTUM AROUND SHARED OWNERSHIP AND SUCCESSFULLY HARNESSED IT TO DRIVE PROGRAM ADOPTION. O.W.'S CORE PROGRAMS ARE: (1) HANDS-ON GUIDANCE TO HELP INVESTORS AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMPANIES THROUGH EACH STEP IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING A SHARED OWNERSHIP PROGRAM; AND (2) MOVEMENT BUILDING TO GENERATE A GROUNDSWELL OF INTEREST IN SHARED OWNERSHIP AMONG WORLD-CLASS BUSINESSES AND CORPORATE LEADERS. PLEASE FIND MORE DETAILS ON THESE PILLARS' KEY ACTIVITIES AND HOW THESE PILLARS INTERACT BELOW. HANDS-ON GUIDANCE: WE HELP INVESTORS AND COMPANIES IMPLEMENT HOLISTIC SHARED OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS. O.W.'S SUPPORT INCLUDES RESOURCES AND TAILORED GUIDANCE COVERING STRUCTURING AND SIZING A BROAD-BASED EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP PLAN; FOSTERING A COMPANY CULTURE OF OWNERSHIP THAT EMPOWERS EMPLOYEES TO FEEL, THINK, AND ACT LIKE OWNERS; AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING EMPLOYEES' FINANCIAL WELLBEING TO SUPPORT WEALTH BUILDING THROUGH AND BEYOND THE OWNERSHIP PROGRAM. MOVEMENT BUILDING: THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, EVENTS AND NETWORK-BUILDING, DATA AND INSIGHTS, STORYTELLING, AND STANDARD SETTING, WE ARE CATALYZING A GROUNDSWELL OF INTEREST IN EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP ACROSS CORPORATE AMERICA. OWNERSHIP WORKS IS RAISING AWARENESS AND INCREASING ENGAGEMENT AMONG OUR PARTNERS AND KEY CONSTITUENCY GROUPS SPANNING FINANCIAL SERVICE FIRMS; FOUNDATIONS AND NONPROFITS; INVESTORS; LABOR ADVOCATES; PENSION FUNDS; PROFESSIONAL SERVICE PROVIDERS; AND PUBLIC COMPANIES WITH BROAD-BASED EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP. OUR IMPACT TO DATE: 1. 38 TOTAL INVESTOR PARTNERS; OVER 100 PARTNERS TOTAL. (AS OF OCTOBER 2025) 2. 167 COMPANIES WITH BOARD-APPROVED SHARED OWNERSHIP PROGRAMS, REACHING OVER 250,000 EMPLOYEES. (AS OF OCTOBER 2025) 3. OVER 10 BILLION IN PROJECTED WEALTH GENERATED AND ALLOCATED TO WORKERS OUTSIDE OF THE C-SUITE VIA SHARED OWNERSHIP; 1.3 BILLION TOTAL WEALTH SHARED WITH WORKERS OUTSIDE OF THE C-SUITE. (AS OF OCTOBER 2025). 4. IN 2023, O.W. HOSTED TWO SUCCESSFUL IN-PERSON CONVENINGS THAT REACHED APPROXIMATELY 250 CEOS, COMPANY EXECUTIVES, INVESTORS, AND SHARED OWNERSHIP ADVOCATES. IN 2024, O.W. HOSTED ITS THIRD IN-PERSON CONVENING, A TWO-DAY EVENT WITH OVER 250 GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE, REPRESENTING 86 COMPANIES AND 33 INVESTMENT FIRMS. 5. O.W. REACHED OVER 12,700 FOLLOWERS ON LINKEDIN AND REACHED OVER 2,500 NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS. (AS OF OCTOBER 2025).

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

  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 December 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 July 2021.

    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.

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.