CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY

As filed

Subsection

03

NTEE code

R20

Classification

2100

Street

1401 K ST NW STE 200

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

• PRIVACY & DATA: AS TECHNOLOGY PERMEATES ALL FACETS OF SOCIETY, THE PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED, USED AND SHARED BY COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTS HAS WIDE-RANGING EFFECTS ON PEOPLE'S LIVES. CDT ADVANCES LAWS, POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S DIGITAL PRIVACY, AND TO ADDRESS UNFAIR AND DISCRIMINATORY USES OF PEOPLE'S DATA. WE CHAMPION CONSUMERS' INTERESTS, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE RIGHTS OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.

  Expenses $1,507,742 · Grants $60,000 · Revenue $150,000

• RESEARCH: THE RESEARCH TEAM CONDUCTS AND SUPPORTS ORIGINAL, OBJECTIVE RESEARCH TO INFORM CURRENT POLICY DEBATES. THE TEAM EXAMINES NOVEL QUESTIONS THAT CAN GIVE CONTEXT TO POLICY CONVERSATIONS - AND BUILDS BRIDGES BETWEEN RESEARCHERS AND POLICYMAKERS, TO SUPPORT EVIDENCE- BASED POLICYMAKING. THE RESEARCH TEAM WORKS CLOSELY WITH CDT POLICY TEAMS TO IDENTIFY RESEARCH QUESTIONS BUT CONDUCTS INDEPENDENT AND OBJECTIVE RESEARCH TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS.

  Expenses $1,318,322

• EQUITY IN CIVIC TECHNOLOGY: AS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES INCREASINGLY RELY ON DATA AND TECHNOLOGY TO CARRY OUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, IT IS CRITICAL THAT THEY DO SO IN WAYS THAT AFFIRM INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY, RESPECT CIVIL RIGHTS, PROMOTE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE OVERSIGHT, AND ADVANCE JUST SOCIAL STRUCTURES WITHIN THE BROADER COMMUNITY. CDT FURTHERS THESE GOALS BY CREATING SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED POLICY RESOURCES AND ACTIONABLE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE.

  Expenses $1,303,801

• AI GOVERNANCE LAB: THE AI GOVERNANCE LAB DEVELOPS AND PROMOTES ADOPTION OF ROBUST, TECHNICALLY INFORMED SOLUTIONS FOR THE EFFECTIVE REGULATION AND GOVERNANCE OF AI SYSTEMS. THE LAB PROVIDES PUBLIC INTEREST EXPERTISE IN RAPIDLY DEVELOPING POLICY AND TECHNICAL CONVERSATIONS, TO ADVANCE THE INTERESTS OF INDIVIDUALS WHOSE LIVES AND RIGHTS ARE IMPACTED BY AI.

  Expenses $1,121,094 · Revenue $85,000

• SECURITY & SURVEILLANCE: NEW TECHNOLOGIES HAVE GIVEN GOVERNMENTS UNPRECEDENTED MEANS TO ACCESS PERSONAL INFORMATION. IN ORDER TO ENSURE ALL PEOPLE CAN SEEK INFORMATION AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES FREELY, THERE MUST BE REASONABLE CHECKS AND BALANCES ON GOVERNMENTS' ABILITY TO ACCESS, COLLECT, AND STORE INDIVIDUALS' DATA. CDT ADVANCES THOUGHTFUL SOLUTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE, CYBER SECURITY, AND OTHER ISSUES CONCERNING CIVIL LIBERTIES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

  Expenses $598,288 · Grants $105,000

• COMMUNICATIONS

  Expenses $567,949

• ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY: CDT WORKS TO SUPPORT SECURE, ACCESSIBLE, INFORMED, AND TRUSTWORTHY ELECTIONS. OUR TEAM MONITORS TRENDS AND CONDUCTS REAL-TIME RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND HOW AI IS IMPACTING ELECTIONS; HELPS VOTERS ACCESS AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGNS; FIGHTS TECH-ENABLED VOTER SUPPRESSION; AND SUPPORTS ELECTION SECURITY AND ADMINISTRATION THROUGH OUR WORK WITH ELECTION OFFICIALS, AI COMPANIES AND ONLINE PLATFORMS, LEGISLATORS, VOTING RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.

  Expenses $404,996

• FREE EXPRESSION: THE INTERNET AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES GIVE PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, ACCESS INFORMATION, AND FIND COMMUNITY. CDT WORKS TO PROTECT THESE ACTIVITIES ONLINE, AND TO ADVANCE PLATFORM GOVERNANCE APPROACHES THAT PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTS INVOLVED. OUR TEAM WORKS TO SUSTAIN A FREE AND OPEN INTERNET ON BOTH A DOMESTIC AND GLOBAL STAGE.

  Expenses $354,862

• GRANTS MADE TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE CDT EUROPE ORGANIZATION.

  Expenses $350,000 · Grants $350,000

• INTERNET ARCHITECTURE/OPEN INTERNET: THE OPEN INTERNET TEAM WORKS TO ENABLE INTERNET USERS TO MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FREE EXPRESSION AND INNOVATION OFFERED BY AN ACCESSIBLE, INTERCONNECTED, AND UNRESTRICTED PLATFORM. TO HELP THE INTERNET RETAIN ITS DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND OPENNESS, THE TEAM WORKS TO PROTECT USERS' RIGHTS TO ACCESS, CREATE, AND SHARE CONTENT AND SERVICES.

  Expenses $238,784

As filed on the 2024 return. The first 10 program lines listed; the rest are in the source return and the API. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

• 2024

  Revenue

  $11,272,645

  Expenses

  $8,766,703

  Contributions

  $10,865,398

  Grants paid

  $515,000

• 2023

  Revenue

  $7,827,023

  Expenses

  $7,346,326

  Contributions

  $7,973,936

  Grants paid

  $429,792

• 2022

  Revenue

  $11,278,722

  Expenses

  $6,900,364

  Contributions

  $11,624,236

  Grants paid

  $264,775

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

• 2021 · 990

  Revenue

  $10,233,461

  Expenses

  $6,047,125

  Assets (EOY)

  $9,312,037

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $5,907,621

  Expenses

  $5,724,640

  Assets (EOY)

  $5,729,491

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $9,330,166

  Expenses

  $7,161,858

  Assets (EOY)

  $5,353,347

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $4,724,514

  Expenses

  $5,555,272

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,052,036

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $6,211,292

  Expenses

  $4,784,418

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,757,941

• 2016 · 990

  Revenue

  $4,878,909

  Expenses

  $5,251,059

  Assets (EOY)

  $2,191,011

• 2015 · 990

  Revenue

  $3,974,040

  Expenses

  $5,102,387

  Assets (EOY)

  $2,154,822

• 2014 · 990

  Revenue

  $4,591,525

  Expenses

  $5,052,889

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,265,890

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

• SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

  $3,000,000

  2022 · Civil Participation

• INTERNET SOCIETY FOUNDATION

  $302,500

  2024 · Research

• INTERNET SOCIETY FOUNDATION

  $200,000

  2023 · RESEARCH

• THE MIAMI FOUNDATION INC

  $125,000

  2025 · PROGRAM SUPPORT

• HORIZON INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE

  $115,516

  2024 · FELLOWSHIP GRANT

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $81,500

  2024 · RELIGION

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $70,000

  2023 · HUMAN SERVICES

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $60,000

  2022 · PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT

• CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION

  $40,000

  2023 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• ALLIANCE FOR AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION

  $30,000

  2024 · TECH PROM SPONSORSHIP

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Other IRS files