About USGOV.WTF

What is this?

USGOV.WTF is a public transparency tool that makes federal government spending data searchable and accessible. We aggregate data from official government sources and present it in a way that makes it easy to explore where taxpayer money goes.

This is a transparency tool, not an investigation platform. We provide data and highlight patterns, but we do not make accusations or claims about fraud or wrongdoing.

Data Source

All data on this site comes from USAspending.gov, the official source for federal spending data. USAspending is managed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and provides comprehensive data on federal awards including:

  • Contracts
  • Grants
  • Loans
  • Direct Payments
  • Insurance

Key Definitions

Recipient Location vs. Place of Performance

Recipient Location: Where the organization receiving the funds is located (their registered address).

Place of Performance: Where the work is actually being done or where the services are being provided.

For example, a contractor headquartered in Virginia might perform work on a military base in Texas. The recipient location would be Virginia, but the place of performance would be Texas.

Obligated Amount

The amount of money the government has committed to pay. This is different from outlays (money actually spent) because obligations can be made before payment occurs.

Award vs. Transaction

Award: A single contract, grant, or other agreement between the government and a recipient.

Transaction: An individual action on an award, such as the initial obligation, a modification, or an amendment. One award can have many transactions over its lifetime.

Fiscal Year

The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. For example, FY 2024 runs from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.

Signals

We automatically detect certain patterns in the data that may be worth reviewing. These are labeled as "signals" and include:

  • Funding Spike: A significant increase in funding over a short period
  • New Recipient: An organization that recently started receiving federal funds
  • Single Agency Dependence: An organization that receives most of its funding from a single agency

Important: These signals are automatically detected patterns and do not imply wrongdoing. They are provided for informational purposes only.

Data Update Frequency

We sync data from USAspending.gov daily. There may be a delay of 24-48 hours between when data appears on USAspending and when it appears here.

Limitations

  • This site only includes federal spending data. State and local government spending is not included.
  • Some federal spending is classified and not included in public data.
  • Data quality depends on the accuracy of information reported to USAspending.gov.
  • Historical data availability varies; the most complete data is from 2008 onwards.

Disclaimer

This site is not affiliated with the U.S. government. Data is sourced from official government systems (USAspending.gov) and is provided for informational purposes only. We make no warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the data.