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Foundation to Defend the First Amendment FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

La Plata, MD501(c)(3)Since 1982Civil Rights & AdvocacyEIN 22-2442295Revenue $3K in FY2020

On file with the IRS117 La Grange Ave, 20646-9592 · La Plata, MDTax-exempt since May 1983Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Production and mailing of pamphlets to educate public about 1st Amendment rights.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
0 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $37K a year · 399% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 0 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
76 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 75.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $5K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$230
0.03% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$3K
Spent
$26K
To programs
100%
Net assets
$758K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$3K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$3K
FY2021$30K
FY2022$75
FY2023$8K
FY2024$10K
FY2025$4K
Expenses
$26K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$26K
FY2021$186K
FY2022$11K
FY2023$15K
FY2024$23K
FY2025$18K
Net assets
$758K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$758K
FY2021$67K
FY2022$56K
FY2023$49K
FY2024$36K
FY2025$23K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · see the original

Form 990 (PDF) Claim
You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 1983.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $26K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

3 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Christopher J Petherick
Secretarytreasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Paul Angel
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Raymond Goodwin
Vice Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Foundation to Defend the First Amendment executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Distributes pamphlets to educate the public about First Amendment rights.

Questions for Foundation to Defend the First Amendment

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $26K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Production, mailing and support of materials to disseminate information about first amendment rights.

$26Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2019
Lincoln Community Foundation INCFY2019$5K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $145K · 2021–2021
Helping Expose Bunk INCFY2021$145,000

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$3K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$3K
Money outPt IX
$26K
Ln 25
Programscol B$26K
Owns and owesPt X
$758K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$167K
Total assetsLn 16$759K
LiabilitiesLn 26$230
PeoplePt VI, VII
3
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$3K
Total revenueLn 12$3K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$167K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$167K
Other assetsLn 15$1K
Total assetsLn 16$759K
LiabilitiesLn 26$230
Net assetsLn 32$758K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$221K$167K
Total assetsLn 16$783K$759K
LiabilitiesLn 26$1K$230
Net assetsLn 32$782K$758K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Accounting feesLn 11c$1K$1K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$17K$17K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$7K$7K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$26K$26K$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $4K$18K−$13K$23K 990 PDF
FY2024 $10K$23K−$12K$36K 990 PDF
FY2023 $8K$15K−$7K$49K 990 PDF
FY2022 $75$11K−$11K$56K 990 PDF
FY2021 $30K$186K−$156K$67K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $3K$26K−$23K$758K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $3,226 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $8,168$3,226
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $8,168$3,226
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$0
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $40,603$26,409
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $40,603$26,409
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$32,435−$23,183
Part VI · Governance 5 of 5 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members5
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $3,226 across 3 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$3,226
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$3,226
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$3,226
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $26,409 across 4 lines filed
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $1,125$1,125
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $16,784$16,784
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $7,000$7,000
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,500$1,500
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $26,409 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$26,409
Part X · Balance sheet $758,575 assets, 7 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $590,734; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $221,024$166,841
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,000$1,000
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $782,758$758,575
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $1,230$230
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $781,528$758,345
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $781,528$758,345
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $782,758$758,575
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $758,345 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$3,226
XI-2 Total expenses$26,409
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$23,183
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$781,528
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$758,345

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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