Council of State Governments
Also known as The Council of State Governments Ltd
Council of State Governments reported $66.9 million in revenue and $66.2 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $88.42 went to program services, $10.69 to management and general costs and $0.89 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 74.1% of the total. Government grants made up 47.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $585,729 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO). 137 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 72% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $66MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $67MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 88.4% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 10.7% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.01 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 74.1% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 47.5% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 22.3% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $585,729 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.89% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 137 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 6.5 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 56 of 56 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseGrants and contracts - csg manages a range of federally and privately funded grants, contracts, and special projects focused on issues that matter to states and U.S. Territories. These initiatives include supporting state-led innovation in key policy areas such as improving state justice systems and strengthening workforce readiness. Federal grants include the U.S. Departments of justice, labor, defense, and energy, among others. Each grant-funded initiative is designed to be nonpartisan and data-driven, providing states with opportunities for collaborating and developing actionable tools and…
Csg national office - the csg national office houses projects, publications and special initiatives that foster collaboration and community between elected and appointed officials from across the country and the six U.S. Territories. The csg national office is home to the csg national center for interstate compacts and the csg henry toll fellowship national leadership development program
The csg regional offices - csg east, csg midwest, csg south and csg west - allow state officials to connect on shared issues that are geographically based including federal lands, water rights, agriculture, border relations and more. Csg regional offices also host conferences, in-state visits and leadership development programs that allow officials to regionally network
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $372,393 | $0 | $213,336 | $585,729 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $223,246 | $0 | $130,381 | $353,627 |
| DIRECTOR OF JUSTICE CENTER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $275,775 | $0 | $50,029 | $325,804 |
| CHIEF FISCAL STRATEGIST Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $224,151 | $0 | $45,087 | $269,238 |
| SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $212,127 | $0 | $50,535 | $262,662 |
| DIRECTOR OF WEST Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $212,032 | $0 | $45,154 | $257,186 |
| DIRECTOR, CORRECTIONS AND REENTRY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $223,038 | $0 | $23,697 | $246,735 |
| DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT AND GRANTS MANAGEMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $216,820 | $0 | $16,284 | $233,104 |
137 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Council of State Governments (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.6M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b56 · 56 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13No
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5416
- Volunteers Part I, line 656
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| MATHEMATICA INC Consulting, policy initiatives | $420,842 |
| THE TURNOUT LLC Consulting, policy initiatives | $414,211 |
| INSOMNIAC DESIGN INC Consulting, policy initiatives | $396,936 |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Consulting | $355,050 |
| INSPIRING APPS Consulting, information technology | $288,556 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 7 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
10 private foundations reported grants to Council of State Governments totaling $4.9M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Council of State Governments's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Council of State Governments, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Council of State Governments spent in FY2025, $88.42 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Penny Lane CentersNorth Hollywood, CA · revenue $67M · programs 96.2% · FY2025
- Children's Service Society of WisconsinMilwaukee, WI · revenue $67M · programs 77.8% · 2024
- The Nobel FoundationSweden, · revenue $67M · programs 82.6% · 2025
- Cardinal Glennon Children's FoundationSt Louis, MO · revenue $67M · programs 56.7% · 2024
- Medlink GeorgiaColbert, GA · revenue $66M · programs 87.2% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of Council of State Governments's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Council of State Governments reported that 88.4% of its $66.2 million in expenses went to program services, 10.7% to management and general and 0.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Council of State Governments pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Council of State Governments reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $585,729, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Council of State Governments get its money?
Of $66.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 74.1% came from contributions and grants (including 47.5% from government grants) and 22.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Council of State Governments a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 36-6000818 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202641319349300849 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521349349302777 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401319349300405 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202341299349303304 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202231329349300523 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202111379349307931 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 36-6000818: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.