Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$984,244

Total expenses

$1,169,297

Contributions and grants received

$984,244

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$0

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$665,730

Total liabilities, end of year

$0

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$665,730

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$955,428

Management and general expenses

$97,564

Fundraising expenses

$116,305

Program service expenses (Part III)

$955,428

Program services were 81.7% 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.

Mission and programs · 2023

• Advocacy and Outreach: SBE Council's advocacy work focused on a variety of issues that were voiced as pain points by small business owners such as tax complexity and uncertainty, inflation and higher borrowing costs, supply chain challenges, labor market shortages, access to capital, health care costs, intellectual property (IP) protections, regulatory uncertainty and higher regulatory costs. The explosive growth and wider use of innovative technologies and platforms have been helping small businesses and startups better navigate many of their challenges - including the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies, therefore advocacy efforts focused on the need for government initiatives and policies to encourage adoption, protecting access to the low-costs digital tools small firms were using, and sound policies that promote the investment and innovation that brings new tools to market at low costs. SBE Council regularly monitored and commented on significant regulatory initiatives within the federal agencies commenting on 16 proposed regulations and proceedings including proposals at the Department of Labor (DOL), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Department of Treasury, Department of Commerce, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for example - to ensure the regulatory process was being properly followed by federal agencies and small business impacts were properly considered. SBE Council distributed 27 letters to Congress, which addressed legislation relating to strengthening regulatory protections and providing relief, access to capital, taxes and tax certainty with regard to the small business relief included in the 2017 tax bill, government spending and its inflationary effects, strengthening IP protections and digital trade policies, increasing health insurance choices, workforce issues, quality broadband access, and promoting U.S. competitiveness and innovation. On tax and budget issues, SBE Council also advocated against proposed tax increases and excessive spending that would fuel inflationary pressures. SBE Council supported measures to maintain key tax incentives such as restoring immediate R&D expensing, maintaining and making permanent bonus depreciation and the 20% small business deduction (Sec. 199), and the lower personal income tax rates included in the 2017 tax relief package. Our team communicated with Administration officials and advisors and provided testimony and feedback before Congress on a range of issues. Regulatory comments and engagement focused on rulemakings that would negatively impact the startup ecosystem, privacy policy, competition and innovation, workplace regulation, and government contracting. SBE Council engaged small business owners and the policy community by authoring and distributing 78 policy briefs on the aforementioned issues, keeping our list of over 240,000 entrepreneurs and partners informed via our Small Business Insider e-news (62 published and distributed), and 42 in-person briefings and roundtables on Capitol Hill. SBE Council also implemented 37 "calls to action," encouraging small business supporters to weigh in on various legislative and regulatory initiatives that were being considered.

  Expenses $477,714

• Research & Analysis: SBE Council produces research reports, small business surveys, issue briefs and analysis on issues that help elected officials, policy leaders in government, entrepreneurs, the media and general public better understand how entrepreneurship and small businesses are vital to the economy and how small firms and business creation are impacted by specific policies that are being proposed or advanced. In addition to the regular daily content authored by SBE Council's economic team (105 briefs were produced for the year), various special reports and research included a quarterly "Small Business Check Up Survey" to help our team and government officials better understand how small businesses were navigating key issues and market events such as inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, workforce shortages, capital access challenges, and rapid digitization. The "Checkup Survey" produced important and timely data, which played a role in helping lawmakers, policy leaders and the media better understand small business priorities, how they were responding to challenges and market conditions, new tech tools they were using, and where they stand on key issues. SBE Council also produced regular updates on the historic growth in new business applications and small business tech adoption. One key survey and report - "Small Business AI Adoption Survey 2023" reported on their broad use of artificial intelligence (AI), and other new digital tools and social media platforms demonstrating their embrace of omni-channel strategies and AI to compete with larger players, operate more efficiently, reach more consumers and drive sales, and to innovate. The AI Adoption report helped to push back against possible overregulation of AI at a time when these solutions were helping small business owners save significant money and better compete in the marketplace. SBE Council's daily and weekly economic briefs and blog posts helped both small business owners and members of Congress better understand the data and trends produced in regular government economic reports - such as the monthly jobs report, and monthly trade, manufacturing, consumer credit, productivity, consumer confidence, the Federal Reserve Beige Book and durable goods reports. SBE Council also produced a report on business partnerships, "Economic Contributions of Partnerships in the Core Living Expenditures Sector" to point out the significant economic value of business partnerships.

  Expenses $175,750

• Education: SBE Council creates and distributes educational content and hosts events to provide startups and small business owners with the tools and knowledge they need to launch, compete, and succeed. SBE Council's weekly "Business Intelligence" tips and trends for entrepreneurs was produced 22 times, along with 60 Small Business Insider blog posts featuring "how to" information, advice and guidance for business owners on topics ranging from market trends, new digital tools and social media developments, tax rule changes and compliance, new regulatory developments and how to prepare, protecting intellectual property, how small businesses are using artificial intelligence tools, how to attract and retain workers, how successful businesses were navigating through inflation, access to capital developments and more. SBE Council continued to provide content focused on misinformation small business owners were receiving about the Employee Retention Tax Credit, the rules of eligibility, and the importance of paying attention to Internal Revenue Service warnings. SBE Council's president participated in 22 online webinars and forums on various topics and issues including digital tools, where the economy was headed, intellectual property developments and more. SBE Council joined forces in a global entrepreneurship exchange initiative where our president spoke on topics such as the adoption of digital tools, the future of entrepreneurship, and the outlook for our global trading system. SBE Council continued its strong support of campaigns such as Small Business Saturday (we are a founding member), spearheading World IP Day, National Small Business Week, and Global Entrepreneurship Week. SBE Council social media platforms are important sources for sharing the range of educational content noted above, which reaches a significant audience. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are used extensively in sharing content and for engaging with business owners and the public. SBE Council's various reports and surveys - for example, its quarterly "Small Business Check Up Survey" - contains important information that helps the small business community better understand how entrepreneurs and startups are responding to marketforce and policy changes.

  Expenses $163,500

• Other - Media and Communications: Media and earned media serve as an important channel for SBE Council to educate on key issues facing entrepreneurs, the policies and resources that entrepreneurs and small businesses need to compete and succeed, and how small businesses are faring from an economic and financial standpoint. SBE Council successfully utilizes a range of media channels and tools to help educate entrepreneurs and the public about issues and challenges facing small businesses, which helps to build awareness and support for the policies and resources that small businesses need. SBE Council regularly communicates with and through the media - via interviews, radio and television appearances, and through in-person and online events - and publishes Op-Eds and blog posts to convey top issues and to share "how to" information and trends. The team published 12 Op-Eds, released 39 press releases or statements, participated in 22 podcasts, distributed 62 Small Business Insider e-news reports (which are distributed to the media) and avidly uses social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) to communicate the results of research, or in support of advocacy efforts.

  Expenses $138,464

As filed on the 2023 return.

Listed in Part VII

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

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

31 October 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202513109349301001

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