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The Marshall Project
The Marshall Project reported $13.8 million in revenue and $18.8 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $79.47 went to program services, $12.79 to management and general costs and $7.74 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 93.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $373,350 (EDITOR-IN-CHIEF). 22 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 12% 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 $19MFor context, the median across 479 covered community improvement & capacity building charities: $90.45 programs, $9.31 management, $0.24 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 $14MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 79.5% | 89.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 12.8% | 9.2% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 7.7% | 0.2% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.11 | $0.00 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 93.0% | 80.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 14.9% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.5% | 11.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $373,350 | $291,103 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.98% | 1.49% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 22 | 5 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 13.7 | 9.2 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 13 of 13 | 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 expenseMarshallproject.org websitethe Marshall Project website serves as a non-partisan news source, reporting on and analyzing america's criminal justice system. Its purpose is to educate the public and launch a national discussion on criminal justice, with the ultimate goal of improving the US criminal justice system
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $325,870 | $0 | $47,480 | $373,350 |
| PRESIDENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $328,193 | $0 | $39,307 | $367,500 |
| MANAGING EDITOR Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $225,496 | $0 | $62,896 | $288,392 |
| SECRETARY/TREASURER, CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $184,902 | $0 | $75,261 | $260,163 |
| CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $226,064 | $0 | $27,260 | $253,324 |
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $196,205 | $0 | $53,438 | $249,643 |
| CHIEF ADMIN OFFICER/HR DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $195,726 | $0 | $52,728 | $248,454 |
| PUBLISHER OF THE MARSHALL PROJECT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $195,000 | $0 | $53,134 | $248,134 |
22 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Marshall Project (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.0M (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–1b13 · 13 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14No
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 592
- Volunteers Part I, line 615
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| SULLIVAN & CROMWELL LLP Legal services | $693,640 |
| PROSKAUER ROSE Legal services | $614,251 |
| DG INC Fundraising strategy consulting | $120,000 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 3 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
62 private foundations reported grants to The Marshall Project totaling $4.8M 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 The Marshall Project's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Marshall Project, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Marshall Project spent in FY2025, $79.47 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All community improvement & capacity building charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of The Marshall Project's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Marshall Project reported that 79.5% of its $18.8 million in expenses went to program services, 12.8% to management and general and 7.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Marshall Project pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Marshall Project reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $373,350, for the role of EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Marshall Project get its money?
Of $13.8 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 93.0% came from contributions and grants and 0.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Marshall Project a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 46-4353634 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 202601129349300320 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202530659349300548 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202420729349301117 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202300809349300835 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202200759349301100 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202111099349301111 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 46-4353634: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.