M-1 Rail

Detroit, MIUnknown exempt organizationEIN 26-2310566

To plan, design, construct, equip, furnish, and operate a public transportation system.

93¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 20 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
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
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $13.9M a year · 169% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
93%
of spending
Looks good: 93% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Named funders
1
named funder · $1.6M
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
total owed
No data yet: the filing does not give total assets.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$16K
-100% vs prior year
Spent
$6.7M
To programs
93%
Net assets
$0
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$16K
FY2025▼ -100%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$12.2M
FY2021$11.7M
FY2022$7.4M
FY2023$6.9M
FY2024$11.2M
FY2025$16K
Expenses
$6.7M
FY2025▼ -89%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$8.3M
FY2021$7.6M
FY2022$39.7M
FY2023$10.9M
FY2024$59.4M
FY2025$6.7M
Net assets
$0
FY2025▼ -100%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$87.2M
FY2021$91.2M
FY2022$59.0M
FY2023$54.9M
FY2024$6.7M
FY2025$0

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending August 2025) · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025.

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

Where the money goes

93 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 93% · $6.3M Management & general 7% · $440K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Who runs it and what they're paid

17 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Chair and Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice-Chair and Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer and Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary and Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Executive Officer and Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See M-1 Rail 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

Builds, equips, and runs a public transportation system for the community.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until M-1 Rail claims this page.

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1 program service account for $6.3M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

To acquire, own, operate, construct, and maintain a street railway, as enabled by legislation advanced by the state of michigan

$6.3Mprogram expense

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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 · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$1.6M
Grants paid · 2 grants · $53.7M · 2023–2024
Regional Transit Authority of Southeast MichiganFY2024$6,285,046
M-2 RailMI · FY2023$47,424,045

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$16K
Ln 12
Other incomeLn 4–11$10K
Investment incomeLn 3$6K
Money outPt IX
$6.7M
Ln 25
Programscol B$6.3M
Managementcol C$440K
Owns and owesPt X
$0
net assets · Ln 32
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
17
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Investment incomeLn 3$6K
Other incomeLn 4–11$10K
Total revenueLn 12$16K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$0
SavingsLn 2$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$0
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 620
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.8M$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$6.9M$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$151K$0
Net assetsLn 32$6.7M$0
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$6.3M$6.3M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$195K$195K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$11K$11K
Payroll taxesLn 10$13K$13K
Legal feesLn 11b$42K$42K
Accounting feesLn 11c$53K$53K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$5K$5K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$747$753
InsuranceLn 23$113K$113K
All other expensesLn 24e$8K$1K$7K
Total functional expensesLn 25$6.7M$6.3M$440K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $16K$6.7M−$6.7M$0 990 PDF
FY2024 $11.2M$59.4M−$48.2M$6.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $6.9M$10.9M−$4.1M$54.9M 990 PDF
FY2022 $7.4M$39.7M−$32.2M$59.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $11.7M$7.6M$4.1M$91.2M 990 PDF
FY2020 $12.2M$8.3M$3.9M$87.2M 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 FY2025 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $16,383 across 2 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $10,000 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $6,383$6,383
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $16,383$16,383
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $6,727,113 across 10 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $6,285,046$6,285,046
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $195,310$195,310
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $11,447$11,447
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $13,045$13,045
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $42,352$42,352
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $52,708$52,708
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $5,451$5,451
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $747 · Management $753$1,500
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $112,512$112,512
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,055 · Management $6,687$7,742
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $6,286,848 · Management $440,265 · Fundraising $0$6,727,113
Part X · Balance sheet $0 assets, 18 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,800,479$0
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $18,562$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $5,000,000$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $43,162$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$0
X-11 Publicly traded securities$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assets$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $6,862,203$0
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $151,473$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $151,473$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $6,710,730$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $6,710,730$0
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $6,862,203$0
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $0 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$16,383
XI-2 Total expenses$6,727,113
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$6,710,730
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$6,710,730
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$0

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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