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Labor Community Strategy Center

EIN 95-4201669 · Los Angeles, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak25 out of 100GovernanceGood76 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE STRATEGY CENTER IS A THINK TANK/ACT TANK FOR REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT BUILDING, FOUNDED IN 1988 AND BASED IN THE 10 MILLION-PERSON WORLD CITY OF LOS ANGELES. OUR CAMPAIGNS, PROJECTS, AND PUBLICATIONS ARE ROOTED IN WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND ADDRESS THE TOTALITY OF URBAN LIFE WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON CIVIL RIGHTS, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, PUBLIC HEALTH, GLOBAL WARMING, AND THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM. WE BUILD CONSCIOUSNESS, LEADERSHIP, AND ORGANIZATION AMONG THOSE WHO FACE DISCRIMINATION AND PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN, IMMIGRANTS, WORKERS, LGBT PEOPLE, YOUTH, ALL OF WHOM COMPRISE OUR MEMBERSHIP. LINKING MASS STRUGGLES TO THE NEED FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE, WE DEVELOP CAMPAIGNS AND DEMANDS THAT HELP BUILD A REVITALIZED SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT.

Income
$494,146
Spending
$967,089
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
-1.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 90%
Employees
3
Volunteers
20
Highest pay
$140,970, executive director

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

Weak: 25 out of 100. Higher than 3% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 41% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 96% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 40% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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

Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    3 of 4 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no 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

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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. $779,598 spent. THE STRATEGY CENTER CURRENTLY HAS THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM PROJECTS:1. VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINES RADIO- FEATURING FRONTLINE MOVEMENT ORGANIZERS, AUTHORS, ACTIVISTS AND REVOLUTIONARIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. BROADCAST LIVE ON MONDAYS AT 4PM (PST) ON PACIFICA RADIO KPFK 90.7 FM, ONLINE AT WWW.KPFK.ORG (STREAMING LIVE), AND TO ARCHIVES AT THE ABOVE LINK. 2. BUS RIDERS UNION (BRU) - FEATURES CREATIVE TACTICS, FROM A GROUNDBREAKING CIVIL RIGHTS CONSENT DECREE TO DIRECT ACTION AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, DRIVE A MULTIRACIAL DYNAMO OF 200 ACTIVE MEMBERS, 3,000 DUES-PAYING MEMBERS, AND 50,000 SUPPORTERS ON THE BUS. THE BRU HAS LITERALLY SAVED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN LOS ANGELES AND BECOME THE LARGEST MULTIRACIAL, MASS TRANSPORTATION GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION IN THE U.S.3. TRANSIT RIDERS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION (TRPT) - THE STRATEGY CENTER IS INITIATING A NEW NATIONAL CAMPAIGN, TRPT, THAT WILL BE FOCUSING ON MOBILIZING LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES AND THE MOST TRANSIT DEPENDENT TO IMPACT THE FORTHCOMING FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION BILL, T4, WHERE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE AT STAKE AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES MUST BE SEIZED.4. CLEAN AIR CLEAN LUNGS CLEAN BUSES / PUBLIC HEALTH AND GLOBAL WARMING CAMPAIGN - WE ARE LEADING A GROWING COALITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH GROUPS AND DIRECTLY IMPACTED LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AND BUS RIDERS IN AN INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO GO FAR BEYOND KYOTO IN THE WORLD'S CAR CAPITAL. WE ARE SHOOTING TO CUT L.A.'S 7 MILLION AUTOS IN HALF AND REDUCE L.A.'S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 50% OVER THE NEXT DECADE.5. COMMUNITY RIGHTS CAMPAIGN - WE ARE CONFRONTING AN EPIDEMIC OF CRIMINALIZING LOW-INCOME YOUTH, ESPECIALLY BLACK AND LATINO YOUTH, IN THE URBAN CORE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE ORGANIZE. INSTEAD OF TEACHING PRE-MED AND PRE-LAW, SCHOOLS HAVE BECOME PRE-PRISONS WHERE HUGE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS ARE WAREHOUSED, "ENROLLED AND "DATA-BASED" INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FROM EARLY ON. WE HAVE OPPOSED EXPANDED FUNDING FOR POLICE THROUGH THE 1,000 MORE BUSES, 1,000 LESS POLICE CAMPAIGN, AND ARE WORKING IN FIVE L.A. HIGH SCHOOLS.6. NATIONAL SCHOOL FOR STRATEGIC ORGANIZING - ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN "GRADUATE SCHOOLS" IN MOVEMENT BUILDING IN THE U.S. MORE THAN 80 ORGANIZERS HAVE GRADUATED SINCE 1991, COMPLETING 6-12 MONTHS OF RIGOROUS 60-HOUR WEEKS IN THE CLASSROOM AND ORGANIZING ON THE BUSES. THEY NOW COMPRISE A NATIONAL NETWORK OF "LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS" WHO WILL COMMIT YEARS AND HOPEFULLY A LIFETIME TO HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL AND EFFECTIVE ORGANIZING WORK, WITH THE STRATEGY CENTER AND MANY OTHER GROUPS.

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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 1989.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 2026.

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