Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
CREW is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit government ethics watchdog founded in 2003 that uses litigation, FOIA requests, investigations, and policy advocacy to hold federal officials accountable, funded entirely by charitable donations and serving the American public interest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) does
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 2003 and headquartered in Washington, DC, that functions as a US government ethics and accountability watchdog. Its core activities consist of four interlocking practice areas: aggressive litigation (28+ active lawsuits targeting executive-branch conduct, including challenges to the Emoluments Clauses, the $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, and the SAVE voter purge database), Freedom of Information Act litigation and records requests (1,090+ filed), in-depth investigations (tracking 4,500+ conflicts of interest, including 3,900+ linked to Donald Trump), and policy/testimony work before Congress and federal agencies. The organization does not sell products or technology services; its "outputs" are public-interest legal actions, investigative reports, and policy advocacy distributed through its website, email newsletter, and social channels. CREW does not develop proprietary software, APIs, or AI systems—its infrastructure is human-led legal research, investigation, and communications.
CREW serves the American public interest as its primary constituency, framing its work as protecting democratic institutions and taxpayers from corruption and abuse of power. A secondary beneficiary set includes partner organizations and coalitions (50+) with which CREW coordinates on shared accountability reforms. Its business model is purely donation-based: charitable contributions accepted online through ActBlue and PayPal, plus wire transfers, stock gifts, donor-advised funds, and legacy/planned giving. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization is led by President and CEO Donald K. Sherman (joined 2018), a former House Oversight counsel and White House Domestic Policy Council staffer; co-founders Melanie Sloan and Norm Eisen remain associated with the organization, with Anne Weismann serving as Chief Counsel. Headcount is in the 11–50 range, consistent with a small, professionally staffed legal-advocacy shop.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
- Legal name
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
- Website
- https://citizensforethics.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CREW is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit government ethics watchdog founded in 2003 that uses litigation, FOIA requests, investigations, and policy advocacy to hold federal officials accountable, funded entirely by charitable donations and serving the American public interest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations: CREW operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Donations are accepted through online platforms (ActBlue, PayPal), wire transfers, gift stocks, donor-advised funds, and legacy/planned giving.
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CREW is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) government watchdog organization that uses aggressive legal actions, in-depth investigations, and policy/reform advocacy to hold government officials accountable and promote transparency. Its work centers on filing lawsuits, FOIA requests, and legal complaints targeting government misconduct, conflicts of interest, and corruption, while also providing policy testimony and public education on ethics issues.
Product overview
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonpartisan nonprofit government watchdog organization that does not offer commercial software products or technology services. CREW's work consists of aggressive legal actions, in-depth investigations, policy and reform advocacy, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to promote government accountability, transparency, and ethics. Their activities are advocacy-based rather than product-based.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Legal Actions Program Litigation and legal advocacy services targeting government misconduct, including enforcement of the Emoluments Clauses, Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, campaign finance law, and other ethics statutes. Filings are made on behalf of the public interest in federal courts and before oversight bodies.
- FOIA Request Program Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filing and records analysis services used to obtain government documents and expose transparency failures. CREW files requests with federal agencies and pursues litigation when requests are denied or ignored.
- Investigations and Reports In-depth investigative research and analytical reports on government ethics violations, conflicts of interest, and corruption, published on the CREW website for public and media consumption. CREW maintains a tracked database of 4,500+ conflicts of interest.
- Policy Advocacy and Testimony Policy letters, congressional testimony, and reform advocacy aimed at influencing legislation and government practices on ethics, transparency, and democratic accountability issues.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully blocked Trump administration's SAVE voter purge database through legal action
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
Direct peers
- Common Cause: Nonpartisan democracy reform nonprofit that litigates voting rights, ethics, and money-in-politics cases — overlapping mission, donor base, and federal accountability focus.
- Public Citizen: Nonprofit consumer and democracy advocacy organization that litigates, lobbies, and conducts investigations on government ethics and corporate accountability — overlapping in legal advocacy and watchdog function.
- Project on Government Oversight (POGO): Independent nonprofit investigative watchdog that exposes government corruption, waste, and misconduct through investigations and FOIA work — directly comparable in mission, method, and advocacy posture to CREW.
- American Oversight: Nonpartisan government accountability nonprofit that uses FOIA litigation and investigations to expose misconduct — directly comparable in legal tools, target set, and advocacy focus.
- Brennan Center for Justice: Nonpartisan law and policy institute at NYU that litigates democracy, voting rights, and government reform cases — directly comparable legal advocacy function with a broader issue portfolio.
- Government Accountability Project: Nonpartisan whistleblower protection and accountability nonprofit that litigates on government misconduct — overlapping in legal advocacy and government accountability focus.
- Protect Democracy: Nonpartisan nonprofit that litigates and advocates to prevent democratic backsliding — closely comparable mission, legal tools, and current political-issue focus.
- National Security Archive: Nonprofit research institute at George Washington University that uses FOIA to declassify government records — directly comparable FOIA-driven transparency function.
- Center for Responsive Politics / OpenSecrets: Nonpartisan research group tracking money in U.S. politics — overlapping mission on transparency, conflicts of interest, and government accountability, though more data/research-focused than litigation-focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) social profiles
Digital presenceCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
What does Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) do?
CREW is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) government watchdog organization that uses aggressive legal actions, in-depth investigations, and policy/reform advocacy to hold government officials accountable and promote transparency. Its work centers on filing lawsuits, FOIA requests, and legal complaints targeting government misconduct, conflicts of interest, and corruption, while also providing policy testimony and public education on ethics issues.
Is Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) a public or private company?
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) founded?
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) based?
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Donations.
Who are Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)'s main competitors?
Campaign Legal Center is listed as an others. Direct peers are Common Cause, Public Citizen, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), American Oversight, Brennan Center for Justice, Government Accountability Project, Protect Democracy, National Security Archive and Center for Responsive Politics / OpenSecrets.
Does Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).