Public & Societal Benefit (W20Z) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

THE PROJECT ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT INC

EIN: 52-1739443 · WASHINGTON, DC 20005-4281 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 57 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 81/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 88/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2023 · Scored 9/13/2026

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$7.9M

Total Revenue

$8.0M

Total Expenses

$11.3M

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 82.4%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 17.01x

Liability-to-Asset 3.5%

Revenue Diversification 94.8%

Executive Compensation $447K

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 697 similar organizations (United States, Public & Societal Benefit, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2023.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	82.4%	83.3%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	8.7%	12.0%	P10P90	Above median
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	8.8%	1.0%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	17.0 mo	9.3 mo	P10P90	Above median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	3.5%	13.4%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	94.8%	95.5%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-7.1%	7.9%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	10.9%	12.3%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-0.3%	2.0%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2023	$7.9M	$8.0M	$11.3M	82.4%	62
2022	$8.5M	$7.2M	$10.4M	83.6%	60
2021	$8.7M	$7.2M	N/A	—	60

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Organization Details

EIN: 52-1739443
State: DC
City: WASHINGTON
ZIP: 20005-4281
Classification: W20Z
Category: Public & Societal Benefit
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1981
Foundation Code: 15
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

A pillar with no data counts as zero. Without impact metrics the score is capped at 59 (three stars): only the charity can supply that data.
The coverage grade (A to D) says how much filing data the score rests on; NONE means there is not enough to rate.
An organization that is not in good standing with its registry (for example a revoked tax exemption) is shown as Not rated.
"Compared with peers" places the charity's key ratios against organizations of the same country, sector and size.

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