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INFORMED CALIFORNIA FOUNDATION: Form 990EZ, tax year 2022

View the entire original 990 at ProPublica ↗

Organization
INFORMED CALIFORNIA FOUNDATION (EIN 84-4618329)
Tax period
2022-01-01 to 2022-12-31
Filed
2023-03-18
IRS object ID
202340779349200719
Schema version
2022v4.1
Source
Download XML · Original 990 at ProPublica

Every field in the e-filed return. Faint text is the IRS element name, for citing.

Return header ReturnHeader

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Return2023-03-18T13:02:30-07:00ReturnTs
Tax Period End2022-12-31TaxPeriodEndDt

Preparer Firm PreparerFirmGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Preparer Firm EIN680228024PreparerFirmEIN

Preparer Firm Name PreparerFirmName

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Business Name Line1HARMON BURSTYN CPABusinessNameLine1Txt

Preparer US Address PreparerUSAddress

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Address Line11012 HACIENDA DRAddressLine1Txt
CityWALNUT CREEKCityNm
State AbbreviationCAStateAbbreviationCd
ZIP94598ZIPCd
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Return Type990EZReturnTypeCd
Tax Period Begin2022-01-01TaxPeriodBeginDt

Filer Filer

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
EIN844618329EIN

Business Name BusinessName

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Business Name Line1Informed California FoundationBusinessNameLine1Txt
Business Name Line2DBA - Open VallejoBusinessNameLine2Txt
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Business Name ControlINFOBusinessNameControlTxt
Phone7078478398PhoneNum

US Address USAddress

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Address Line1490 43rd Street 12AddressLine1Txt
CityOaklandCityNm
State AbbreviationCAStateAbbreviationCd
ZIP94609ZIPCd

Business Officer BusinessOfficerGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
PersonGeoffrey W KingPersonNm
Person TitlePresident & CEOPersonTitleTxt
Signature2023-03-18SignatureDt
Discuss With Paid PreparerYes (true)DiscussWithPaidPreparerInd

Signing Officer SigningOfficerGrp

Person Full Name PersonFullName

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Person FirstGeoffrey WPersonFirstNm
Person LastKingPersonLastNm
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
SSN999009999SSN
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
IRS Responsible Prty Info CurrYes (true)IRSResponsiblePrtyInfoCurrInd

Preparer Person PreparerPersonGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Preparer PersonHarmon BurstynPreparerPersonNm
PTINP00855188PTIN
Phone9252863522PhoneNum
Self EmployedYes (X)SelfEmployedInd

Additional Filer Information AdditionalFilerInformation

Trusted Customer TrustedCustomerGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Trusted Customer2TrustedCustomerCd
Authentication Assurance LevelAAL1AuthenticationAssuranceLevelCd
Identity Assurance LevelIAL1IdentityAssuranceLevelCd
Federated Assurance LevelFAL1FederatedAssuranceLevelCd
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Tax2022TaxYr
Build TS2023-04-26 12:10:37ZBuildTS

Form 990-EZ IRS990EZ

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Method Of Accounting AccrualYes (X)MethodOfAccountingAccrualInd
Website Addresshttps://openvallejo.orgWebsiteAddressTxt
Organization501c3Yes (X)Organization501c3Ind
Type Of Organization CorpYes (X)TypeOfOrganizationCorpInd
Gross Receipts$173,431GrossReceiptsAmt
Info In Schedule O Part IYes (X)InfoInScheduleOPartIInd
Contributions Gifts Grants Etc$173,110ContributionsGiftsGrantsEtcAmt
Cost Or Other Basis Expense Sale$0CostOrOtherBasisExpenseSaleAmt
Fundraising Gross Income$0FundraisingGrossIncomeAmt
Special Events Direct Expenses$0SpecialEventsDirectExpensesAmt
Cost Of Goods Sold$0CostOfGoodsSoldAmt
Other Revenue Total$321OtherRevenueTotalAmt
Total Revenue$173,431TotalRevenueAmt
Salaries Other Comp Empl Bnft$154,977SalariesOtherCompEmplBnftAmt
Fees And Other Pymt To Ind Cntrct$12,048FeesAndOtherPymtToIndCntrctAmt
Occupancy Rent Utlts And Maint$4,080OccupancyRentUtltsAndMaintAmt
Printing Publications Postage$15PrintingPublicationsPostageAmt
Other Expenses Total$53,247OtherExpensesTotalAmt
Total Expenses$224,367TotalExpensesAmt
Excess Or Deficit For Year-$50,936ExcessOrDeficitForYearAmt
Net Assets Or Fund Balances BOY$43,521NetAssetsOrFundBalancesBOYAmt
Other Changes In Net Assets$3,367OtherChangesInNetAssetsAmt
Net Assets Or Fund Balances EOY-$4,048NetAssetsOrFundBalancesEOYAmt
Info In Schedule O Part IIYes (X)InfoInScheduleOPartIIInd

Cash Savings And Investments CashSavingsAndInvestmentsGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
BOY$52,045BOYAmt
EOY$17,962EOYAmt

Other Assets Total Detail OtherAssetsTotalDetail

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
EOY$63EOYAmt

Form990 Total Assets Form990TotalAssetsGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
BOY$52,045BOYAmt
EOY$18,025EOYAmt

Sum Of Total Liabilities SumOfTotalLiabilitiesGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
BOY$8,524BOYAmt
EOY$22,073EOYAmt

Net Assets Or Fund Balances NetAssetsOrFundBalancesGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
BOY$43,521BOYAmt
EOY-$4,048EOYAmt
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Primary Exempt PurposeInformed California Foundation's (Informed California or the Organization) (d/b/a Open Vallejo) primary activity is original public service news reporting, initially in Vallejo and then in other locations in California. This explanatory and investigative reporting illuminates local and state institutions, public and private individuals holding disproportionate power and underreported themes, such as civil rights and municipal corruption. The organization features deeply-researched reporting and expert analysis to ensure the public, policymakers, enforcement bodies and other stakeholders have access to comprehensive and contextualized information on topics of relevance to the community. Informed Californias news content and method of producing the content is educational in nature. Consistent with tax requirements, the purpose of the reporting is to provide readers with sufficient information and development to aid a reader in forming an independent opinion about issues of relevance andPrimaryExemptPurposeTxt

Program Srvc Accomplishment ProgramSrvcAccomplishmentGrp (3 entries)

Description Program Srvc AccomDescriptionProgramSrvcAccomTxtProgram Service ExpensesProgramServiceExpensesAmt
Investigative Reporting in the public interest Open Vallejo published groundbreaking, original stories in 2022 that have generated major impact in Vallejo, in Solano County, and at the state level, and which have earned our website approximately 13,339 page views per month. Our investigative reporting, some of it in partnership with the national nonprofit newsroom ProPublica, was followed by the resignation of the police chief and the formation of a task force dedicated to complying with an ongoing review of the Vallejo Police Department by the California Department of Justice. For the first time in the known history of the Vallejo Police Department, an officer was fired as a direct result of a fatal use of force. Our work is now a basis on which civil rights attorneys are seeking federal receivership of the department, and information we uncovered is playing a major role in local criminal cases. Vallejo police officers have quit or retired. And our work is referenced by the public in numerous city council meetings, public rallies, and other forums.For their work in 2022, Open Vallejo and its employees won the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter Excellence in Journalism Award for Community Media, as well as the 2022 James Madison Freedom of Information Award for Professional Journalism; the 2023 First Amendment Coalition Open Government and Free Speech Award, which is a national award; and the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice Journalistic Integrity Award, which is only presented when truly merited, according to the group. The news organizations reporting also made the semifinal round of the prestigious Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, which is administered by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University.Here are some of the stories we published in 2022:Deputy police chief arrived impaired to Vallejo homicide, memo alleges: Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams was notified in March that his second-in-command had been drinking before he showed up to a homicide scene in a department SUV, according to an internal memo obtained by Open Vallejo. Now, sources say the city has opened an outside investigation which the chief says he knows nothing about.Termination overturned for Vallejo police lieutenant who threatened journalist: The combative head of Vallejos police union was cleared of wrongdoing by an arbitrator 18 months after he was fired for sending a threatening email to a reporter and other alleged misconduct.Vallejo patrol staffing drops below 1975 levels: As Vallejo's police union publicly suggests that Police Chief Shawny Williams is responsible for a staffing "crisis" within the agency, Williams has downplayed the issue, pointing to a recruitment push that some sources say is hampered by the department's violent reputation.One thing is clear: the real story is more complicated, and more serious, than either side would like to admit.Vallejo police reforms stall despite scrutiny over killings: Two California attorneys general have tried to reform the Vallejo Police Department, one of the most violent law enforcement agencies in the state. More than two years into a three-year reform agreement, however, the department has little to show for its promises. In this new investigation, Open Vallejo and ProPublica asked: what went wrong and who is causing the reforms to stall?Vallejo tolerated officers mistakes. Then they killed again.: For years, Vallejo residents have called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate their police department's high rate of fatal shootings. In this first-of-its-kind investigation, Open Vallejo and ProPublica examined what happens after those killings occur and how Vallejo compares to cities that have fallen under federal scrutiny.This article is Open Vallejo's most comprehensive investigation to date. It is based on more than 15,000 pages of police, forensic, and court files related to the citys 17 fatal police shootings since 2011. Most of these records were disclosed in response to dozens of public records requests and two lawsuits filed by this newsroom. When we reviewed those records we found a pattern of delayed and incomplete investigations, with dire consequences. This is a portrait of a city where impunity became policy.Shake-up looms as Vallejo police chief takes time off: The Vallejo Police Department is hiring a new deputy chief, promoting multiple officers to the upper echelons of its command staff, and disbanding two key programs all while the police chief is expected to be out of the office for weeks, Open Vallejo has confirmed.Vallejo police chief resigns, former Sacramento chief to consult: Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams has reached an agreement to resign from the City of Vallejo, which last week signed a $100,000 contract with former Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn to provide strategic planning advice, as well as "leadership coaching and mentoring" to department staff.$183,592
Public records requests and litigation Open Vallejo filed numerous public records requests in 2022, which has contributed to the public understanding of local government. A lawsuit filed in September of 2021 has uncovered thousands of pages of records. This generated news reporting on the killing from this newsroom as well as others, and has informed the public both in Vallejo and across the country. During a May deposition of Vallejos then-public records coordinator, Open Vallejo discovered that senior Vallejo officials deliberately destroyed records, which were due to be disclosed to this newsroom, amid an investigation by the California Department of Justice. This led to an early 2023 news article that has forced the city to launch a third-party investigation into the destruction of evidence after months of inaction.
Press freedom Open Vallejo has been an early and active partner in the Protecting Journalists Pro Bono Program, a collaborative effort of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and Microsoft. The program has provided tens of thousands of dollars worth of pro bono support to this newsroom through pre-publication review of news articles and representation in the public records litigation mentioned above.In addition to participating in this program, Open Vallejo signed on to several RCFP amicus briefs and letters supporting press freedom and other First Amendment rights.
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Total Program Service Expenses$183,592TotalProgramServiceExpensesAmt

Officer Director Trustee Empl OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp (6 entries)

TitleTitleTxtAverage Hrs Per Wk Devoted To PosAverageHrsPerWkDevotedToPosRtCompensationCompensationAmt
Geoffrey W King
President40.00$150
Victoria Baranetsky
Secretary1.00$0
Sophia Cope
Director1.00$0
John Hamasaki
Director1.00$0
Harlo Holmes
Director1.00$0
Dan Rubins
Treasurer1.00$0
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Activities Not Previously RptfalseActivitiesNotPreviouslyRptInd
Chg Made To Orgnzng Doc Not RptfalseChgMadeToOrgnzngDocNotRptInd
Organization Had UBIfalseOrganizationHadUBIInd
Subject To Proxy TaxfalseSubjectToProxyTaxInd
Organization Dissolved EtcfalseOrganizationDissolvedEtcInd
Form1120 Pol FiledfalseForm1120PolFiledInd
Made Loans To From OfficersfalseMadeLoansToFromOfficersInd
Tax Imposed Under IRC4911$0TaxImposedUnderIRC4911Amt
Tax Imposed Under IRC4912$0TaxImposedUnderIRC4912Amt
Tax Imposed Under IRC4955$0TaxImposedUnderIRC4955Amt
Engaged In Excess Benefit TransfalseEngagedInExcessBenefitTransInd
Tax Imposed On Organization Mgr$0TaxImposedOnOrganizationMgrAmt
Tax Reimbursed By Organization$0TaxReimbursedByOrganizationAmt
Prohibited Tax Shelter TransfalseProhibitedTaxShelterTransInd
States Where Copy Of Return Is FldCAStatesWhereCopyOfReturnIsFldCd

Books In Care Of Detail BooksInCareOfDetail

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
PersonRebecca KylesPersonNm

US Address USAddress

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Address Line1490 43rd St 12AddressLine1Txt
CityOaklandCityNm
State AbbreviationCAStateAbbreviationCd
ZIP94609ZIPCd
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Phone9168339194PhoneNum
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Foreign Financial AccountfalseForeignFinancialAccountInd
Foreign OfficefalseForeignOfficeInd
Donor Advised FndsfalseDonorAdvisedFndsInd
Operate HospitalfalseOperateHospitalInd
Tanning Services ProvidedfalseTanningServicesProvidedInd
Related Organization Ctrl EntfalseRelatedOrganizationCtrlEntInd
Transaction With Control EntfalseTransactionWithControlEntInd
Political Campaign ActyfalsePoliticalCampaignActyInd
Lobbying ActivitiesfalseLobbyingActivitiesInd
School OperatingfalseSchoolOperatingInd
Trnsfr Exmpt Non Chrtbl Rltd OrgfalseTrnsfrExmptNonChrtblRltdOrgInd
Part VI Of Comp Of Hghst Pd EmplNONEPartVIOfCompOfHghstPdEmplTxt
Part VI Hghst Pd Cntrct Prof SrvcNONEPartVIHghstPdCntrctProfSrvcTxt
Filed Schedule AYes (true)FiledScheduleAInd

Schedule A IRS990ScheduleA

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Public Organization170Yes (X)PublicOrganization170Ind

Gifts Grants Contri Rcvd170 GiftsGrantsContriRcvd170Grp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Current Tax Year Minus2 Years$12,847CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus1 Year$149,074CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt
Current Tax Year$173,110CurrentTaxYearAmt
Total$335,031TotalAmt

Tax Rev Levied Orgnztnl Bnft170 TaxRevLeviedOrgnztnlBnft170Grp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Total$0TotalAmt

Govt Furn Srvc Fclts Vl170 GovtFurnSrvcFcltsVl170Grp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Total$0TotalAmt

Total Calendar Year170 TotalCalendarYear170Grp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Current Tax Year Minus2 Years$12,847CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt
Current Tax Year Minus1 Year$149,074CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt
Current Tax Year$173,110CurrentTaxYearAmt
Total$335,031TotalAmt
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Substantial Contributors Tot$0SubstantialContributorsTotAmt
Public Support Total170$335,031PublicSupportTotal170Amt

Gross Investment Income170 GrossInvestmentIncome170Grp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Total$0TotalAmt

Unrelated Business Net Incm170 UnrelatedBusinessNetIncm170Grp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Total$0TotalAmt

Other Income170 OtherIncome170Grp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Total$0TotalAmt
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Total Support$335,031TotalSupportAmt
First5 Years170Yes (X)First5Years170Ind
Public Support CY1700.00000PublicSupportCY170Pct

Schedule B IRS990ScheduleB

Contributor Information ContributorInformationGrp

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
ContributorRESTRICTEDContributorNum

Contributor Business Name ContributorBusinessName

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Business Name Line1RESTRICTEDBusinessNameLine1

Contributor US Address ContributorUSAddress

FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Address Line1RESTRICTEDAddressLine1
Address Line2RESTRICTEDAddressLine2
CityRESTRICTEDCity
StateRESTRICTEDState
ZIP CodeRESTRICTEDZIPCode
FieldValueIRS element (for citing)
Total ContributionsRESTRICTEDTotalContributionsAmt

Schedule O IRS990ScheduleO

Supplemental Information Detail SupplementalInformationDetail (16 entries)

Form And Line ReferenceFormAndLineReferenceDescExplanationExplanationTxt
Other Revenue.1Miscellaneous $321
Other Expenses.1001Advertising and Promotion $638
Other Expenses.1002Office Expenses $27125
Other Expenses.1005Travel $13
Other Expenses.1012Insurance $11049
Other Expenses.1Dues & Subscriptions $8111
Other Expenses.2Program Expenses $2823
Other Expenses.3Reimbursable Expenses $1937
Other Expenses.4Other Business Expenses $753
Other Expenses.5Purchases $369
Other Expenses.6Licenses and Permits $283
Other Expenses.7Bank Charge $66
Other Expenses.8Meals & Entertainment $60
Other Expenses.9Misc Expenses $20
Other Assets.1Other Assets - Beginning $0 Other Assets - Ending $63
Total Liabilities.1001Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses - Beginning $8524 Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses - Ending $22073

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