Donors Trust Inc
98% goes to programs $1 to raise $100 Strong reserves Declining revenue
Donors Trust Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, registered in 1999, with $294,438,756 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 98% of spending to programs.
1800 Diagonal Rd Ste 280, Alexandria, VA, 22314 EIN 52-2166327 Since 1999
Revenue (FY2024)
$294.4M
▲ 86.1% vs prior year
Philanthropy median: $168K
Expenses (FY2024)
$291.5M
Net assets
$1.4B
Employees
18
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A+
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating98% to programs · $1 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Donors Trust Inc: 98% to programs · $1 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating56 mo reserves · +1% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Donors Trust Inc: 56 mo reserves · +1% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Donors Trust Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Donors Trust Inc: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Show this grade on your website
A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Mission
Support charities & sponsor programs that promote liberty- see part iii
What they do
Donors trust serves as an incubator for organizations with missions that align with that of donors trust and that are in the process of applying for tax-exempt status, thereby allowing these start-up organizations a chance to begin operations while waiting for formal recognition of their non-profit status.
Donors trust initiated a program to make grants to foreign ngos for which donors trust receives an equivalency determination that finds had the foreign organization been (1) a u.s. based organization and (2) applied for tax-exempt status the ngo would have received recognition as a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charity.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1800 Diagonal Rd Ste 280, Alexandria, VA, 22314
- City
- Alexandria
- State
- Virginia
- Subcategory
- Philanthropy Programs
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $360.2M (FY2020) to $294.4M (FY2024) across 5 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $1.8MNet assets $1.4B
Operating margin
1.0%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$1.4B
Total liabilities
$1.8M
Net assets
$1.4B
Salaries & benefits
$3.2M
1% of expenses
Board members
5
4 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $294,438,756▲86.1% | $291,549,081▼18.5% | $1,362,762,870▲5.7% | $1,364,601,090▲5.7% | 990 |
| 2023 | $158,252,948▼51.0% | $357,941,924▲44.3% | $1,289,047,383▼7.0% | $1,291,166,098▼6.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $323,050,038▼70.5% | $248,109,953▲29.3% | $1,385,541,202▼7.9% | $1,387,471,760▼7.8% | 990 |
| 2021 | $1,094,663,581▲204% | $191,858,622▲3.3% | $1,504,877,746▲148% | $1,504,903,651▲148% | 990 |
| 2020 | $360,225,715 | $185,809,701 | $607,296,664 | $607,685,575 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Lawson R Bader — $399,997 (0.14% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawson R Bader | President and Ceo | 42 | $399,997 |
| Jeffrey C Zysik | Cfo, Coo and Treasurer | 42 | $312,413 |
| Peter A Lipsett | Vice President | 45 | $240,536 |
| Gregory P Conko | Vice President of Programs | 40 | $236,087 |
| Stephen M Johnson | Cto | 45 | $188,141 |
| Lukas C Dwelly | Philanthropic Advisor | 40 | $186,290 |
| Stephanie L Giovanetti | Philanthropic Advisor | 40 | $170,558 |
| Christopher D Renner | Controller | 40 | $163,134 |
| George Gh Coates Jr | Director | 1 | — |
| James Piereson | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| Kimberly O Dennis | Chair | 1 | — |
| Thomas E Beach | Director | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Health Policy Matters LLC | Project Management | $720,000 |
Grants received · $567.0M total
93 grants to Donors Trust Inc totaling $567.0M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 85 Fund | General support | 2024 | $67,900,000 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Giving and generosity | 2024 | $750,000 |
| Greater Houston Community Foundation | Public benefit | 2024 | $400,000 |
| Jewish Community Fdn of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater La | General support | 2024 | $400,000 |
| Denver Foundation | Philanthropy, charity & voluntarism promotion | 2024 | $110,000 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $19,980 |
| The 85 Fund | General support | 2023 | $92,050,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $21,584,251 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $5,165,000 |
| Jewish Community Fdn of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater La | General support | 2023 | $550,000 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Growth | 2023 | $500,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $300,100 |
| Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego | General | 2023 | $250,000 |
| Greater Houston Community Foundation | Public benefit | 2023 | $100,000 |
| The Pittsburgh Foundation | Philanthropy, charity and voluntarism promotion | 2023 | $96,189 |
Grants made · $282.1M in FY2024
919 grants totaling $282.1M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Donors Trust Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Medstar-georgetown Medical Center Inc | For the medstar orthopaedic institute | $35,000,000 |
| America First Legal Foundation | For general operations | $20,734,450 |
| State Policy Network | For general operations | $7,000,128 |
| Institute For Justice | For general operations | $6,999,880 |
| Consumers Research Inc | For general operations | $5,053,100 |
| Texas A&m Foundation | For the center on the structural constitution | $5,000,000 |
| The Reason Foundation | For general operations | $4,987,225 |
| Teneo Network Inc | For general operations | $4,433,000 |
| Real Clear Foundation | For general operations | $4,150,000 |
| George Mason University Foundation Inc | For the law & economics center | $3,750,000 |
| Lucy Burns Institute Inc | For general operations | $3,129,038 |
| Foundation For Constitutional Freedom | For general operations | $2,975,000 |
| Mackinac Center | For general operations | $2,885,200 |
| Informing America Inc | For general operations | $2,800,000 |
| Acani | For general operations | $2,770,000 |
Similar organizations in Philanthropy
Philanthropy
Marine Toys For Tots Foundation
Triangle, VA
$432.3M
Aannual revenue
Philanthropy
The Community Foundation Inc
Richmond, VA
$101.7M
Aannual revenue
Philanthropy
United Way Worldwide
Alexandria, VA
$72.4M
C+annual revenue
- Philanthropy
College Foundation of the University of Virginia
Charlottesvle, VA
$46.9M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
Charlottesville Area Community Foundation
Charlottesvle, VA
$39.0M
Aannual revenue
Philanthropy
Jefferson Scholars Foundation
Charlottesvle, VA
$36.6M
Aannual revenue
Philanthropy
Virginia Institute of Autism Incorporated
Charlottesvle, VA
$30.6M
Bannual revenue
The Pauley Family Foundation
Richmond, VA
$29.0M
Aannual revenue
Philanthropy
Eo Companies
Abingdon, VA
$28.9M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
The Rosser Foundation A Pure Charitable Trust and Public Charit
Newport News, VA
$28.8M
Bannual revenue
Compare Donors Trust Inc
Frequently asked questions
- Is Donors Trust Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Donors Trust Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 52-2166327, based in Alexandria, Virginia. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Donors Trust Inc's EIN?
- Donors Trust Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 52-2166327.
- How much revenue does Donors Trust Inc report?
- Donors Trust Inc reported $294,438,756 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Donors Trust Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Donors Trust Inc spends about 98% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Donors Trust Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Donors Trust Inc A+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Donors Trust Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Donors Trust Inc's latest Form 990 is $399,997, paid to Lawson R Bader (President and Ceo).
More nonprofits in Alexandria
Explore more
Data for Donors Trust Inc (EIN 52-2166327) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.