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Nonprofiteer
← AMERICAN OVERSIGHT INC

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by AMERICAN OVERSIGHT INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$6,584,630
Total expenses
$5,867,553
Contributions and grants received
$6,266,384
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$161,568
Investment income
$156,678
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$6,959,472
Total liabilities, end of year
$1,210,399
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$5,749,073
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$4,907,904
Management and general expenses
$764,844
Fundraising expenses
$194,805
Program service expenses (Part III)
$4,907,904

Program services were 83.6% 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

    $6,266,384

  • 2a · Program service revenue: LEGAL ACT./SETTLEMENTS

    total $161,568 · related or exempt $161,568

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $156,678 · excluded $156,678

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $434,886 · program services $222,789 · management and general $205,633 · fundraising $6,464

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $3,217,608 · program services $2,920,135 · management and general $236,891 · fundraising $60,582

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $84,454 · program services $76,978 · management and general $5,737 · fundraising $1,739

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $269,654 · program services $243,120 · management and general $21,316 · fundraising $5,218

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $275,100 · program services $239,580 · management and general $30,400 · fundraising $5,120

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $257,878 · program services $257,878

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $124,142 · program services $19,547 · management and general $104,177 · fundraising $418

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $9,430 · management and general $9,430

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $418,307 · program services $307,317 · management and general $7,500 · fundraising $103,490

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $87,184 · program services $71,734 · management and general $13,956 · fundraising $1,494

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $158,559 · program services $138,298 · management and general $17,340 · fundraising $2,921

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $283,269 · program services $246,694 · management and general $31,303 · fundraising $5,272

  • 17 · Travel

    total $22,003 · program services $8,218 · management and general $13,512 · fundraising $273

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $6,329 · program services $775 · management and general $5,315 · fundraising $239

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,720 · management and general $1,720

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $52,412 · program services $37,026 · management and general $15,342 · fundraising $44

  • 24a · Other expenses: SUBSCRIPTIONS

    total $57,671 · program services $54,832 · management and general $1,308 · fundraising $1,531

  • 24b · Other expenses: COURT/OPEN RECORD FEES

    total $49,470 · program services $49,470

  • 24c · Other expenses: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP.

    total $27,590 · program services $3,406 · management and general $24,184 · fundraising $0

  • 24d · Other expenses: MEDIA

    total $19,782 · program services $319 · management and general $19,463

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $10,105 · program services $9,788 · management and general $317

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $279,523 · end of year $434,843

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $3,263,282 · end of year $1,773,022

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $560,000 · end of year $250,000

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $30,248 · end of year $24,950

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

    $29,079

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

    $23,919

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $6,880 · end of year $5,160

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $1,252,945 · end of year $3,637,336

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $1,094,712 · end of year $834,161

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $247,457 · end of year $246,540

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $1,255,018 · end of year $963,859

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $4,385,115 · end of year $5,499,073

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $600,000 · end of year $250,000

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

AMERICAN OVERSIGHT ADVANCES TRUTH, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND DEMOCRACY BY ENFORCING THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO GOVERNMENT RECORDS.

Activities or mission (Part I)

SEE FORM 990, PART III, LINE 1.

  • LEGAL & RESEARCH: AMERICAN OVERSIGHT CONDUCTS RESEARCH INTO GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, FILES OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS TO OBTAIN INFORMATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT, AND LITIGATES TO ENFORCE THOSE OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS. THE ORGANIZATION HAS FILED MORE THAN 10,500 OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS SINCE 2017 AND OBTAINED MORE THAN 2,500,000 PAGES OF PUBLIC RECORDS.

    Expenses $3,768,733 · Revenue $161,568

  • EDUCATION & OUTREACH: AMERICAN OVERSIGHT EDUCATES THE PUBLIC ABOUT OUR INVESTIGATIONS AND FINDINGS BY ENGAGING WITH THE NEWS MEDIA, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND DIRECTLY VIA OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. THE ORGANIZATION MAINTAINS AN EXTENSIVE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONLINE LIBRARY OF DOCUMENTS OBTAINED VIA OUR OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS AND LITIGATION.

    Expenses $1,139,171

As filed on the 2023 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Heather Sawyer

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $327,160
    From this org
    $299,223
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $27,937
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $299,223
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $9,000
    Nontaxable benefits
    $18,937
    Filer's total
    $327,160
  • Dan Schwager

    CHIEF COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $304,722
    From this org
    $259,716
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $45,006
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $259,716
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $10,436
    Nontaxable benefits
    $34,570
    Filer's total
    $304,722
  • Katherine Anthony

    MANAGING COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $152,412
    From this org
    $145,153
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $7,259
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $145,153
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $5,830
    Nontaxable benefits
    $1,429
    Filer's total
    $152,412
  • Amanda Teuscher

    DEP COMMS DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $151,866
    From this org
    $138,153
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,713
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $134,073
    Bonus
    $4,080
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $5,561
    Nontaxable benefits
    $8,152
    Filer's total
    $151,866
  • Chukwu Chioma

    DEPUTY EXEC. DIR. (FROM 7/2023)

    Total calculated
    $107,725
    From this org
    $104,050
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $3,675
    Hours/week
    40
  • Dominque Bravo

    BOARD PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Caroline Frederickson

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Oso Esosa

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kyle Herrig

    MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kathleen Clark

    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 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments

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
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART I, LINE 7
THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL RECEIVED A MERIT BONUS IN 2023: AMANDA TEUSCHER $4,080

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
15 May 2024
IRS schema version
2023v5.0
Source object
202411369349302116

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