Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by RUNNING START.

Totals

Total revenue: $1,334,083
Total expenses: $1,224,652
Contributions and grants received: $1,324,551
Grants paid: $20,900
Program service revenue: $76,250
Investment income: $0
Other revenue: -$66,718
Total assets, end of year: $268,132
Total liabilities, end of year: $131,515
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $136,617
Program services expenses (Part IX): $955,991
Management and general expenses: $98,144
Fundraising expenses: $170,517
Program service expenses (Part III): $955,991

Program services were 78.1% 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.

1a · Federated campaigns

$0
1b · Membership dues

$0
1c · Fundraising events

$159,248
1d · Related organizations

$0
1e · Government grants (contributions)

$0
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

$1,165,303
1g · Noncash contributions included above

$0
2a · Program service revenue: Other activity

total $56,250 · related or exempt $56,250 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
2b · Program service revenue: Other activity

total $20,000 · related or exempt $20,000 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
3 · Investment income

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
5 · Royalties

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
6d · Net rental income or loss

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
8a · Fundraising events: gross income

$0
8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c

$159,248
8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

$66,718
8c · Net income from fundraising events

total -$66,718 · unrelated business $0 · excluded -$66,718
9a · Gaming: gross income

$0
9b · Gaming: direct expenses

$0
9c · Net income from gaming

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
11e · Other revenue, total

$0

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

total $0 · program services $0
2 · Grants to domestic individuals

total $20,900 · program services $20,900
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

total $0 · program services $0
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

total $133,889 · program services $107,111 · management and general $13,389 · fundraising $13,389
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
7 · Other salaries and wages

total $560,957 · program services $448,767 · management and general $56,095 · fundraising $56,095
8 · Pension plan contributions

total $30,394 · program services $24,316 · management and general $3,039 · fundraising $3,039
9 · Other employee benefits

total $63,521 · program services $50,817 · management and general $6,352 · fundraising $6,352
10 · Payroll taxes

total $87,339 · program services $69,871 · management and general $8,734 · fundraising $8,734
11a · Fees: management

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
11b · Fees: legal

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
11c · Fees: accounting

total $6,963 · program services $5,571 · management and general $696 · fundraising $696
11d · Fees: lobbying

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

total $9,000 · fundraising $9,000
11f · Fees: investment management

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
11g · Fees: other

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
12 · Advertising and promotion

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
13 · Office expenses

total $33,136 · program services $26,508 · management and general $3,314 · fundraising $3,314
14 · Information technology

total $22,598 · program services $18,078 · management and general $2,260 · fundraising $2,260
15 · Royalties

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
16 · Occupancy

total $67,449 · program services $54,075 · management and general $0 · fundraising $13,374
17 · Travel

total $63,321 · program services $59,128 · management and general $0 · fundraising $4,193
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

total $94,413 · program services $48,686 · management and general $3,345 · fundraising $42,382
20 · Interest

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
21 · Payments to affiliates

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
23 · Insurance

total $9,199 · program services $7,359 · management and general $920 · fundraising $920
24a · Other expenses: Other Program Expenses

total $21,573 · program services $14,804 · management and general $0 · fundraising $6,769

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

beginning of year $32,458 · end of year $268,132
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
3 · Pledges and grants receivable

beginning of year $7,520 · end of year $0
4 · Accounts receivable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
7 · Other notes and loans receivable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
8 · Inventories for sale or use

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

$0
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

$0
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
12 · Investments: other securities

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
13 · Investments: program-related

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
14 · Intangible assets

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
15 · Other assets

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

beginning of year $12,792 · end of year $31,515
18 · Grants payable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
19 · Deferred revenue

beginning of year $0 · end of year $100,000
20 · Tax-exempt bond liabilities

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
21 · Escrow or custodial account liability

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
25 · Other liabilities

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

beginning of year $27,186 · end of year $136,617
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

Running Start is a nonpartisan nonprofit that trains young women to run for political office. Running Starts programs empower participants with the confidence capabilities connections and civic discourse skills they need to run win and lead!

Running Starts High School Program trains young women to run for office through a months-long team-based campaign simulation. Each year 50-75 high school young women learn from 100+ speakers trainers and mentors. Participants convene in Washington DC and meet their Member of Congress. Since 2007 750+ young women have graduated from Running Starts High School Program.

Expenses $279,589 · Revenue $56,250
The Congressional Fellowship includes a semester-long internship with a Member of Congress and a week of intense training and networking in Washington DC. Congressional Fellows practice real-world campaign skills through a campaign simulation and get weekly training on how to run for office from mentors and alums. Since 2009 185+ Congressional Fellows have interned in the offices of 95+ Members of Congress. Walmart is the founding partner of the Congressional Fellowship and has provided $2,500,000+ of funding.

Expenses $264,564 · Grants $19,500
Elect Her is a daylong training for college women on how to run for student government and beyond. Each year 50 Elect Her trainings are held around the country. Since 2009 500+ Elect Her trainings have been held in 43 states and 10 countries with 180+ partners for 20,000+ participants.

Expenses $151,573 · Grants $1,400 · Revenue $20,000
The HBCU Women Leaders Summit brings together politically ambitious women for a two day training each fall. Each year 50-75 emerging leaders from 25+ different HBCUs attend the training in Washington DC. The HBCU Women Leaders Summit has been hosted since 2020 in partnership with Xceleader an organization cofounded by Running Start alum Jade Agudosi.

Expenses $131,731
Next Step was a Running Start program for young professional women in 2010. This year Running Start has revamped Next Step as a pilot program for 20 Running Start alums to give them additional training and leadership opportunities. Next Step pilot participants received monthly training on how to run for office served as leaders and mentors in other programs and attended international conferences.

Expenses $128,534

As filed on the 2024 return.

Listed in Part VII

Susannah Wellford

CEO Founder

Total calculated

$151,294

From this org

$141,933

From related orgs

$0

Other

$9,361

Hours/week

35

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$141,933

Bonus

$0

Other

$0

Deferred

$0

Nontaxable benefits

$9,361

Filer's total

$151,294
Tasha Cole

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen

Board Chair

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Isaac Fordjour

Board Vice Chair

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Charlotte Clymer

Board Secretary

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Karen Goldmeier Green

Board Treasurer

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
LaKeitha Anderson

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Harmony Barbera

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Rosemary Becchi

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Allyson Carpenter

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Jessica Grounds

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Sohini Gupta

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Alethia Jackson

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Erica Johnson Creamer

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Jim Loi

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Ashley McNeil

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Pepper Natonski

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Lucinda Robb

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Leigh Tenewitz Calvo

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Zoe Glas

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Angela Baker

Board Member

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1

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 · 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: 2024
Filed: 18 November 2025
IRS schema version: 2024v5.1
Source object: 202503229349301490

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.