STRATEGY STUDIO / PUBLIC DATA EXPLORER

DEMOCRACYFIRST

Cite this

Plain text DEMOCRACYFIRST. Strategy Studio, nonprofit organization profile, tax years 2021–2024. https://strategystudio.org/org/881027253. Retrieved 2026-10-19.

APA Strategy Studio. (n.d.). DEMOCRACYFIRST [Nonprofit organization profile; tax years 2021–2024]. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://strategystudio.org/org/881027253

MLA “DEMOCRACYFIRST.” Strategy Studio, tax years 2021–2024, https://strategystudio.org/org/881027253. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Retrieved 2026-10-19; covers tax years 2021–2024. Data: Strategy Studio, CC BY 4.0.

2024 · Form 990 · revenue $9.0M · expenses $10.1M · assets $0

Also known as
C/O VERDOLINO & LOWEY PC
EIN
88-1027253
Address
611 PENNSYLVANIA AVE SE 143, WASHINGTON, DC 20003
Website
HTTPS://WWW.DEMOCRACYFIRST.ORG
NTEE code
-
Subsection
-
Ruling year
-
Cross-check
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer

Mission

DEMOCRACYFIRST IS A 501(C)4 DEDICATED TO RESTORING PUBLIC TRUST IN THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM, PROTECTING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS, AND RENEWING THE PRO-DEMOCRACY CONSENSUS IN AMERICAN POLITICS.

Each tax year counts once: when a return was amended, only the latest return for that period is used below (superseded returns stay listed, greyed, under Finances).

People paid by the organization

1 person paid across every filing: current people first, then by total pay from this organization. Organizations counts every nonprofit each person appears on.

NameLatest titleYearsLatest year payTotal pay from hereOrganizations
Jordan Wood PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR2022-2024 $0$30,000 1

Officers and directors, no compensation reported

5 people listed on the returns with $0 (or no amount) in every compensation column: current people first. Hours are as filed on the latest return each person appears on.

NameLatest titleYearsHrs/wk (latest)CompensationOrganizations
Mark Bailey TREASURER/DIRECTOR2021-2024 2 $0 reported 1
Christine Holt DIRECTOR2022-2024 2 $0 reported 1
Todd Rubin DIRECTOR2024 2 $0 reported 1
Heather Smith (former) President2021 2 $0 reported 2
Mike Yang (former) Director2021 2 $0 reported 1

People by year

2024 · 4 people listed · none paid · 4 employees · 0 volunteers
NameTitleHrs/wkFrom orgFrom relatedOtherTotalOrgs
JORDAN WOOD PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR35 $0$0$0 $01
MARK BAILEY TREASURER/DIRECTOR2 $0$0$0 $01
CHRISTINE HOLT DIRECTOR2 $0$0$0 $01
TODD RUBIN DIRECTOR2 $0$0$0 $01
2023 · 3 people listed · 1 paid, $30K · 1 employee · 0 volunteers
NameTitleHrs/wkFrom orgFrom relatedOtherTotalOrgs
JORDAN WOOD PRESIDENT2 $30,000$0$0 $30,0001
MARK BAILEY TREASURER2 $0$0$0 $01
CHRISTINE HOLT DIRECTOR2 $0$0$0 $01
2022 · 3 people listed · none paid · 0 employees · 0 volunteers
NameTitleHrs/wkFrom orgFrom relatedOtherTotalOrgs
JORDAN WOOD PRESIDENT2 $0$0$0 $01
MARK BAILEY TREASURER2 $0$0$0 $01
CHRISTINE HOLT DIRECTOR2 $0$0$0 $01
2021 · 3 people listed · none paid · 0 employees
NameTitleHrs/wkFrom orgFrom relatedOtherTotalOrgs
Heather Smith President2 $0$0$0 $02
Mark Bailey Treasurer2 $0$0$0 $01
Mike Yang Director2 $0$0$0 $01

Highest-paid independent contractors

2024 · 5 contractors · $3.2M
NameLocationServicePaid
ANDREW AMSLERWASHINGTON, DCMEDIA CONSULTANT$1,786,741
PUBLIC ACCESS GROUP LLCWASHINGTON, DCCOMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT$684,969
INTRVL LLCBROOKLYN, NYMEDIA CONSULTANT$370,000
MISSION STRATEGIES LLCWASHINGTON, DCMANAGEMENT CONSULTANT$198,579
SILVERSMITH STRATEGIES LLCCHICAGO, ILMANAGEMENT CONSULTANT$189,752
2023 · 2 contractors · $265K
NameLocationServicePaid
MISSION STRATEGIES LLCWASHINGTON, DCMANAGEMENT CONSULTANT$157,500
UPSWING RESEARCH & STRATEGYWASHINGTON, DCPOLLING AND FOCUS GROUPS$107,800

Who the money went to

Grants this organization reported paying: Schedule I Part II of the Form 990, or the grants-paid list on the 990-PF. Open a year for every recipient. Recipients link to their own page when the grant names an EIN we have (990-PF grants list no EIN, so those link only on an exact, unique name and state). Grants to individuals are counted; their names are not shown.

2024 · 5 grants to organizations · $1.6M
2023 · 5 grants to organizations · $910K
2022 · 24 grants to organizations · $5.8M
2021 · 20 grants to organizations · $3.4M

Negative amounts are returned or refunded grants; they are listed last and left out of the totals of grants paid.

Who gave

Contributor names are not public for this form type.

Public charities filing Form 990 or 990-EZ report large donors on Schedule B, but the IRS withholds their names and addresses from public copies. Private foundations (990-PF) are different: their contributors are public.

Finances

Newest first. Each filing: its name on one row, its figures on the row beneath. Greyed filings are superseded by a later return for the same period and are left out everywhere else on this page.

RevenueExpensesAssetsNet assetsContributionsProgram revenueOfficer payEmployeesVolunteers
2024 · Form 990 period ending 2025-06-30 · view filing · original 990 ↗
$9,040,572$10,111,758 $0$0 $9,040,572$0 $040
2023 · Form 990 period ending 2024-06-30 · view filing · original 990 ↗
$3,775,287$3,061,434 $1,482,253$1,071,186 $3,775,287$0 $30,00010
2022 · Form 990 period ending 2023-06-30 · view filing · original 990 ↗
$4,410,000$6,186,749 $357,333$357,333 $4,410,000$0 $000
2021 · Form 990 period ending 2022-06-30 · view filing · original 990 ↗
$5,575,000$3,440,918 $2,134,082$2,134,082 $5,575,000$0 $00-

Funders of this organization

9 grantors reported grants to this organization, $9,065,000 in all, tax years 2022 to 2025. Exact: the grantor wrote this organization's EIN. Fuzzy: the grantor wrote only a name (foundations' 990-PF has no EIN field), matched to the same or a near-identical name in the same state; the name as filed is shown. From the latest return for each grantor and year, so amended returns aren't counted twice. CSV

GrantorTypeMatchYears givenGrantsTotalLatest yearLatest year's amountGrants
BRIGHT FUTURE FUND Public charity Fuzzy filed as “DEMOCRACYFIRST” 2024 1$2,940,000 2024$2,940,000
show
Our American Future Action Public charity Exact 2023-2024 2$2,500,000 2024$2,000,000
show
BUSINESS FORWARD FOUNDATION Public charity Exact 2024 1$1,550,000 2024$1,550,000
show
WORKING FAMILIES ORGANIZATION INC Public charity Exact 2024 1$575,000 2024$575,000
show
BEYOND IMPACT Public charity Exact 2024 1$500,000 2024$500,000
show
OAKW FUND Public charity Exact 2023 1$500,000 2023$500,000
show
TURNOUT ACTION FUND Public charity Exact 2025 1$250,000 2025$250,000
show
ALL HANDS ON DECK NETWORK INC Public charity Exact 2022 1$200,000 2022$200,000
show
UNITE AMERICA INC Public charity Exact 2024 1$50,000 2024$50,000
show

Similar organizations

Ranked without any AI: same NTEE code first, then the same NTEE group; then revenue within 2x, 5x or 10x; then the same state; then similar name and mission text. Same state only

OrganizationStateNTEELatest revenueLatest expensesTop-paid titleTop payWhy similar
FIX DEMOCRACY FIRSTWAW20 $43,510$44,125 Executive Director$20,500 Similar name, revenue differs more than 10x

Who funds organizations like this

Not reported: none of these organizations has foundation or DAF-sponsor grants in the filings we have.

The full list · all similar organizations

Where the money went

Every expense line on each return, biggest first: Form 990 Part IX (with its program, management and fundraising columns), 990-EZ Part I, or 990-PF Part I. Event marks lines the organization itself describes as events. “Events” in each summary adds those lines, conferences and meetings, and the direct costs of fundraising events. Unusual is not the same as improper. Many of these patterns have ordinary explanations. Check the filing.

2024 · Form 990 · $10,111,758 spent · pay $177,344 · grants $1,625,000 · events $0
LineAs describedTotalProgramManagementFundraisingShare
Advertising and promotion $7,329,653$3,727,980$3,601,673- 72.5%
Grants to US organizations and governments $1,625,000$1,625,000-- 16.1%
Fees: management $380,083-$380,083- 3.8%
Fees: other services $348,235$300,550$47,685- 3.4%
Other salaries and wages $113,800-$113,800- 1.1%
Fees: accounting $80,924-$80,924- 0.8%
Travel $75,521-$75,521- 0.7%
Payroll taxes $53,501-$53,501- 0.5%
Insurance $44,893-$44,893- 0.4%
Fees: legal $25,964-$25,964- 0.3%
Information technology $20,202-$20,202- 0.2%
Other employee benefits $10,043-$10,043- 0.1%
Other (as described)BANK FEES $1,887-$1,887- 0.0%
Other (as described)FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT $1,713-$1,713- 0.0%
Other (as described)BOOKS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS $339-$339- 0.0%
Total$10,111,758100%

View the filing

2023 · Form 990 · $3,061,434 spent · pay $143,576 · grants $910,000 · events $0
LineAs describedTotalProgramManagementFundraisingShare
Fees: other services $1,011,765-$1,011,765- 33.0%
Grants to US organizations and governments $910,000$910,000-- 29.7%
Advertising and promotion $494,788-$494,788- 16.2%
Fees: management $403,421-$403,421- 13.2%
Other salaries and wages $63,628-$63,628- 2.1%
Payroll taxes $44,687-$44,687- 1.5%
Fees: legal $35,692-$35,692- 1.2%
Travel $30,673-$30,673- 1.0%
Pay: officers, directors, trustees, key employees $30,000-$30,000- 1.0%
Fees: accounting $16,707-$16,707- 0.5%
Insurance $8,218-$8,218- 0.3%
Other employee benefits $5,261-$5,261- 0.2%
Other (as described)BOOKS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS $4,030-$4,030- 0.1%
Information technology $1,476-$1,476- 0.0%
Other (as described)TAX REGISTRATION FEES $626-$626- 0.0%
Other (as described)BANK FEES $462-$462- 0.0%
Total$3,061,434100%

View the filing

2022 · Form 990 · $6,186,749 spent · pay $0 · grants $5,820,000 · events $0
LineAs describedTotalProgramManagementFundraisingShare
Grants to US organizations and governments $5,820,000$5,820,000-- 94.1%
Fees: other services $182,905-$182,905- 3.0%
Fees: management $107,000-$107,000- 1.7%
Advertising and promotion $37,500-$37,500- 0.6%
Fees: accounting $21,250-$21,250- 0.3%
Fees: legal $10,571-$10,571- 0.2%
Insurance $6,833-$6,833- 0.1%
Other (as described)BANK FEES $390-$390- 0.0%
Other (as described)TAX REGISTRATION FEES $300-$300- 0.0%
Total$6,186,749100%

View the filing

2021 · Form 990 · $3,440,918 spent · pay $0 · grants $3,425,000 · events $0
LineAs describedTotalProgramManagementFundraisingShare
Grants to US organizations and governments $3,425,000$3,425,000-- 99.5%
Insurance $6,803-$6,803- 0.2%
Fees: accounting $4,500-$4,500- 0.1%
Fees: legal $4,324-$4,324- 0.1%
Other (as described)Tax Registration Fees $230-$230- 0.0%
Other (as described)Bank Fees $61-$61- 0.0%
Total$3,440,918100%

View the filing