Skip to main content

Nonprofit · EIN 52-1299631

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC

Tax-exempt · WASHINGTON, DC 20009

Financials

$954K$1M2023$899K$911K2024
Revenue Expenses · by fiscal year end
Financials of ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC by year, from its e-filed returns
Year endedFormRevenueExpensesNet incomeTotal assetsLiabilitiesNet assets
December 31, 2024990$899,391$910,669-$11,278$253,625$41,303$212,322
December 31, 2023990$953,559$1,047,945-$94,386$260,992$37,388$223,604
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024

Revenue

Contributions, gifts and grants
$767,534
Program service revenue
$118,302
Investment income
$9,374
Net gain from sales of assets
-$8
Net income from sales of inventory
$4,181
Other revenue
$4,181

Expenses

Grants and similar amounts paid
$35,727
Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
$0
Other salaries and wages
$347,048
Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
$373,841
Professional fundraising fees
$0
Legal fees
$3,817
Accounting fees
$8,467
Occupancy
$400
Travel
$3,516
Depreciation
$1,032
Program services (functional)
$862,242
Management and general (functional)
$31,026
Fundraising (functional)
$17,401

Balance sheet and other

Total assets, start of year
$260,992
Total assets, end of year
$253,625
Total liabilities, end of year
$41,303
Net assets, end of year
$212,322
Land, buildings and equipment
$1,631
Publicly traded securities
$59
Net assets without donor restrictions
$98,228
Net assets with donor restrictions
$114,094
Gross receipts
$899,417
Employees
4
Volunteers
4
Year formed
1982
State of legal domicile
DC

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024, highest compensation first.

NameTitleHours / weekCompensation
Allison KoleStaff Attorney
Highest-paid employee
40$107,026
Zehava RobbinsStaff Attorney
Highest-paid employee
40$100,872
John RichardPresident
Trustee or director, Officer
5$0
Amy AllinaDirector
Trustee or director
1$0
Cynthia RenfroDirector
Trustee or director
1$0
Robert WeissmanSecretary/Treasurer
Trustee or director, Officer
1$0
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 6 people
NameTitleHours / weekCompensation
Allison KoleStaff Attorney
Highest-paid employee
40$127,965
Zehava RobbinsStaff Attorney
Highest-paid employee
40$115,333
John RichardPresident
Trustee or director, Officer
5$0
Amy AllinaDirector
Trustee or director
1$0
Cynthia RenfroDirector
Trustee or director
1$0
Robert WeissmanSecretary/Treasurer
Trustee or director, Officer
1$0

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)
1718 CONNECTICUT AVE NW STE 6, WASHINGTON, DC 20009-1148
Principal officer (990 for 2024)
John Richard, P O Box 19405, Washington, DC 20036
Signed the 990
John Richard, President
Phone
(202) 387-8030
Return prepared by
Beverly Orr

Mission

Essential Information educates the public on topics neglected by the media and policy-makers.

990 for the year ended December 31, 2024

Program accomplishments

  • HUMAN RIGHTS: The project has involved work overseas in areas of severe repression involving the collection and distribution of human rights information, encouraging peaceful political solutions to violent conflicts, and facilitating local community work on issues of poverty, security and justice. The Human Rights and Justice Project posts information on a free,web-based clearinghouse, updated throughout the day, on political, social and economic developments overseas that may be of interest to academics, journalists, activists and the general public. Materials circulated include scholarly official and NGO studies, foreign press reports and translations of pertinent foreign-language materials. Major topics include political change, health, the environment, popular movements, and economic trends.
    Expenses $60,610
  • INVENTIVE INITIATIVES: Essential Information has started more than a dozen projects in recent years. The Organization's primary criteria is: Does it promote innovation in the public interest? With quiet determination and sophistication, project leaders identify the fulcrums of power that invariably lie in the shadows, envision new pathways of change that entrenched organizations, overlook and develops new strategies that, over time, profoundly alter the terms of the debate for a given issue. Essential Information projects are designed to be flexible and evolutionary as circumstances warrant. The ascent is on experimentation to develop effective new models of citizen action. In addition, this project has funded dozens of articles on critical issues -- ranging from worker exposure to deadly toxics to illegal U.S. efforts to supply the repressive Guatemalan military -- that have been overlooked or neglected by the mass media.
    Expenses $729,572 · grants $35,727 · revenue $118,302
  • UnKoch My Campus (UKMC), a nonprofit project dedicated to fighting the undue donor influence that seeks to manipulate higher education to serve corporate interests. UKMC investigates improper relationships between wealthy donors, corporations, and educational institutions. Believing that transparency is the key to accountability, UKMC obtains and publicizes donor agreements in order to expose ways in which gifts from the Koch Foundation undermine academic freedom and faculty governance at academic institutions across the country.
    Expenses $72,060

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

Tax yearYear endedDueIRS public records
2025December 31, 2025May 15, 2026Not on file
2024December 31, 2024May 15, 2025990 on file
2023December 31, 2023May 15, 2024990 on file

IRS record

EIN
52-1299631
Tax-exempt status
501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
Foundation status
Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Donations deductible (Pub 78)
Public charity, 50% deduction limit
Exempt since
1983
Accounting year ends
December
Files
Form 990 or 990-EZ
Assets (IRS master file)
$253,625
Income (IRS master file)
$899,417

Filing history

FormYear endedRevenueExpensesAssetsReturn
990December 2024$899,391$910,669$253,625XML
990December 2023$953,559$1,047,945$260,992XML
990December 2022$583,313$992,068$332,235IRS
990December 2021–––IRS
990December 2020–––IRS
990December 2018–––IRS

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 52-1299631).

Questions about ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC

What is the EIN of ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC?
The employer identification number (EIN) of ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC is 52-1299631.
Is ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC tax-exempt?
Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1983.
Are donations to ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC tax-deductible?
Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
Which annual return does ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC file?
Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
When is the next return of ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC due?
The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending December 31, 2025) is due May 15, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
When did ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC last file with the IRS?
The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2024.
Who is the principal officer of ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC?
The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 names John Richard.
Who are the officers and directors of ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC?
The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 lists 6 people; 2 received compensation from the organization, the highest $107,026 (Allison Kole, Staff Attorney).
How much revenue does ESSENTIAL INFORMATION INC have?
On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 it reported revenue of $899,391, expenses of $910,669 and total assets of $253,625 at year end.

Other nonprofits in WASHINGTON

All nonprofits in WASHINGTON · District of Columbia