Open Technology Fund

Washington, DC · EIN 84-3126447 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Open Technology Fund reported $52.3 million in revenue and $52.4 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $92.34 went to program services, $7.66 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 100.0% of the total. Government grants made up 100.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $283,645 (PRESIDENT). 22 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 822% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $52M

Program services$92.34 $48M
Management & general$7.66 $4.0M
Fundraising$0.00 $0

For context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $52M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$0.00 $25
Government grants$100.00 $52M
Investment income$0.00 $500

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 876 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	92.3%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	7.7%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	0.0%	6.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.00	$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	100.0%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	100.0%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	0.0%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$283,645	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	0.54%	2.03%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	22	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	-0.0	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	7 of 7	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 expense

$25M expenses · 51.9% of program spending

The surge and sustain fund supports large-scale circumvention technology solutions that help provide uncensored access to the internet to audiences in information restricted environments. The fund ensures that technologies used at scale by tens of millions remain secure and effective

$12M expenses · 24.7% of program spending

The internet freedom fund is the primary mechanism through which otf provides funding for innovative global internet freedom projects. Iff projects are primarily focused on technology development and implementation but can also include applied research and digital security projects

$3.1M expenses · 6.5% of program spending

Otf resource labs provide critical services to internet freedom projects that are not covered by our other funding mechanisms. From security and usability audits to accessibility and communications strategy, the labs ensure internet freedom projects are as effective, secure, and accessible as possible

$8.1M all other programs (line 4d)

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
PRESIDENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$267,772	$0	$15,873	$283,645
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$219,887	$0	$36,396	$256,283
TREASURER (FROM 9/25) & COO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$218,752	$0	$34,898	$253,650
VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$172,493	$0	$63,438	$235,931
TREASURER (UNTIL 5/25) & DIR OF FIN. Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$179,320	$0	$27,809	$207,129
SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$173,311	$0	$22,163	$195,474
VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$166,687	$0	$24,101	$190,788
DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$155,999	$0	$31,346	$187,345

22 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Open Technology Fund (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.3M (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
FY2025 ⓘ	$52M	$52M	92.3%	−$124K	$283,645
FY2024 ⓘ	$51M	$51M	92.7%	−$103K	$246,480
FY2023 ⓘ	$38M	$38M	92.0%	$211K	$249,155
FY2022 ⓘ	$19M	$19M	78.3%	$5,380	$218,578
FY2021 ⓘ	$6.5M	$6.6M	53.8%	−$103K	$248,359
FY2020 ⓘ	$5.7M	$5.7M	74.3%	$0	$11,115

Governance 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–1b7 · 7 independent
Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
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 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
Employees Part I, line 525
Volunteers Part I, line 643

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

PSIPHON INC Technology services	$15,250,468
ADVANCED CIRCUITING INC Technology services	$9,115,960
SHIRIN EBADI FOUNDATION Technology services	$1,987,200
BRAVE NEW SOFTWARE PROJECT Technology services	$1,691,606
OLIVERCOADY INC Technology services	$1,013,436

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 61 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

1 private foundation reported grants to Open Technology Fund totaling $125K 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 Open Technology Fund's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Open Technology Fund, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Open Technology Fund How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Boston Ballet
Boston, MA · revenue $52M · programs 85.1% · FY2025
The Atlanta Opera
Atlanta, GA · revenue $52M · programs 82.3% · FY2025
Public Media Group of Southern California
Burbank, CA · revenue $52M · programs 63.9% · FY2025
Whyy
Philadelphia, PA · revenue $53M · programs 75.0% · FY2025
Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Charlottesville, VA · revenue $52M · programs 73.9% · 2024

All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia

Questions people ask

How much of Open Technology Fund's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Open Technology Fund reported that 92.3% of its $52.4 million in expenses went to program services, 7.7% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Open Technology Fund pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Open Technology Fund reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $283,645, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Open Technology Fund get its money?

Of $52.3 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 100.0% came from contributions and grants (including 100.0% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Open Technology Fund a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 84-3126447 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 September 30, 2025, object 202632239349300028 · read the filing
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202502249349302770 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202402279349300445 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202322239349301037 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202242279349303119 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202102259349300925 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 84-3126447: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.