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Nonprofiteer
← SPOTLIGHT PA

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by SPOTLIGHT PA.

Totals

Total revenue
$7,681,904
Total expenses
$3,180,709
Contributions and grants received
$7,657,904
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$7,000
Investment income
$17,000
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$4,746,499
Total liabilities, end of year
$69,154
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$4,677,345
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,234,779
Management and general expenses
$430,228
Fundraising expenses
$515,702
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,234,779

Program services were 70.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $7,657,904

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $1,401

  • 2a · Program service revenue: COACHING & CONSULTING

    total $7,000 · related or exempt $7,000

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $17,013 · excluded $17,013

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $1,388

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $1,401

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities -$13

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total -$13 · excluded -$13

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $225,534 · program services $45,106 · management and general $112,767 · fundraising $67,661

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,849,820 · program services $1,527,737 · management and general $81,846 · fundraising $240,237

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $28,564 · program services $23,131 · management and general $1,530 · fundraising $3,903

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $205,758 · program services $168,323 · management and general $10,761 · fundraising $26,674

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $193,359 · program services $148,546 · management and general $16,783 · fundraising $28,030

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $102,073 · program services $14,049 · management and general $88,024

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $41,585 · management and general $41,585

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $254,010 · program services $181,599 · management and general $16,464 · fundraising $55,947

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $36,830 · program services $19,050 · management and general $374 · fundraising $17,406

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $64,802 · program services $26,880 · management and general $4,145 · fundraising $33,777

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $30,980 · management and general $30,980

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $1,900 · program services $1,900

  • 17 · Travel

    total $61,572 · program services $46,684 · management and general $6,413 · fundraising $8,475

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $5,383 · program services $3,801 · management and general $198 · fundraising $1,384

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,567 · management and general $1,567

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $12,572 · management and general $12,572

  • 24a · Other expenses: MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES

    total $18,896 · program services $2,309 · management and general $601 · fundraising $15,986

  • 24b · Other expenses: COMMUNICATIONS

    total $16,604 · program services $14,027 · management and general $1,619 · fundraising $958

  • 24c · Other expenses: BANK AND CREDIT CARD FE

    total $15,190 · program services $0 · management and general $536 · fundraising $14,654

  • 24d · Other expenses: DUES AND MEMBERSHIPS

    total $13,710 · program services $11,637 · management and general $1,463 · fundraising $610

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $48,600 · end of year $249,668

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    end of year $2,110,043

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $135,000 · end of year $1,164,118

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    end of year $5,710

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $11,285

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $1,567

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $9,718

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    end of year $1,207,242

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $6,459 · end of year $69,154

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $42,141 · end of year $3,131,572

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $135,000 · end of year $1,545,773

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

THE MISSION OF SPOTLIGHT PA IS TO HOLD POWERFUL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FORCES, ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENTS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUSINESSES, AND SPECIAL INTERESTS, TO ACCOUNT THROUGH URGENT AND COMPELLING INVESTIGATIVE AND PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM THAT DRIVES CHANGE AND STRENGTHENS OUR DEMOCRACY, THE STATE, AND ALL WHO LIVE HERE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE MISSION OF SPOTLIGHT PA IS TO HOLD POWERFUL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FORCES (CONTINUED ON SCH O) ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENTS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUSINESSES, AND SPECIAL INTERESTS TO ACCOUNT THROUGH URGENT AND COMPELLING INVESTIGATIVE AND PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM THAT DRIVES CHANGE AND STRENGTHENS OUR DEMOCRACY, THE STATE, AND ALL WHO LIVE HERE.

  • SPOTLIGHT PA IS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPARTISAN NEWSROOM DEDICATED TO HIGH-QUALITY INVESTIGATIVE AND PUBLIC-SERVICE JOURNALISM ABOUT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE GOVERNMENT AND URGENT STATEWIDE ISSUES, INCLUDING ELECTIONS, VOTING, THE GOVERNOR, THE LEGISLATURE, RURAL COMMUNITIES, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES, AND MORE. SPOTLIGHT PA WAS FOUNDED TO ADDRESS A CRISIS IN JOURNALISM IN PENNSYLVANIA: THE ONGOING AND RAPID DECLINE OF CORPORATE-OWNED LEGACY NEWS OUTLETS, WHICH IS GREATLY DIMINISHING ACCESS TO TRUSTED, CONTEXTUAL, AND FACTUAL REPORTING ACROSS THE STATE. SPOTLIGHT PA IS UNCOVERING STORIES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNTOLD AND CUTTING THROUGH PARTISANSHIP AND MISINFORMATION TO DELIVER TRUSTED, RELIABLE JOURNALISM AT NO COST TO ALL IN PENNSYLVANIA. (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)WE MAKE OUR JOURNALISM AVAILABLE AT NO COST VIA SPOTLIGHTPA.ORG, SEVERAL EMAIL NEWSLETTERS, VIRTUAL EVENTS, AND VIA MORE THAN 100 COMMUNITY NEWS PARTNERS, INCLUDING NEWSPAPERS, PUBLIC RADIO, AND DIGITAL OUTLETS IN PENNSYLVANIA.

    Expenses $2,234,779 · Revenue $7,000

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • David Boardman

    CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • Annie McCain Madonia

    VICE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • Christopher Baxter

    PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $225,534
    From this org
    $189,825
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $35,709
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $189,825
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $2,539
    Nontaxable benefits
    $33,170
    Filer's total
    $225,534

  • George Fernandez

    DIRECTOR (EFF 4/23)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • Kathleen A Pavelko

    DIRECTOR (EFF 1/23)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • Olivia Benson

    DIRECTOR (EFF 7/23)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein

    DEPUTY DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $111,799
    From this org
    $107,689
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $4,110
    Hours/week
    40

  • Matthew Dempsey

    SENIOR EDITOR, INVESTIGATIONS

    Total calculated
    $120,446
    From this org
    $119,028
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $1,418
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
29 October 2024
IRS schema version
2023v5.1
Source object
202443069349301839

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