M-1 Rail FY2021 filing

Detroit, MIUnknown exempt organizationEIN 26-2310566Revenue $11.7M in FY2021

On file with the IRSqlinedetroit.com7520 Woodward Avenue · Detroit, MI

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

87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
12 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 12.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $1.6M
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$6.1M
6% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 6% of assets; 50% or less.
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
$11.7M
-4% vs prior year
Spent
$7.6M
To programs
87%
Net assets
$91.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$11.7M
FY2021▼ -4%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$12.2M
FY2021$11.7M
FY2022$7.4M
FY2023$6.9M
FY2024$11.2M
FY2025$16K
Expenses
$7.6M
FY2021▼ -8%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$8.3M
FY2021$7.6M
FY2022$39.7M
FY2023$10.9M
FY2024$59.4M
FY2025$6.7M
Net assets
$91.2M
FY2021▲ +5%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$87.2M
FY2021$91.2M
FY2022$59.0M
FY2023$54.9M
FY2024$6.7M
FY2025$0

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending September 2021) · see the original

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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

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $6.7M Management & general 10% · $796K Fundraising 2% · $167K

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

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Who runs it and what they're paid

18 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 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 2Yes
  • 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.

Questions for M-1 Rail

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $6.7M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

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

$6.7Mprogram 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 · 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 FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$11.7M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$11.4M
Investment incomeLn 3$292K
Money outPt IX
$7.6M
Ln 25
Programscol B$6.7M
Managementcol C$796K
Fundraisingcol D$167K
Owns and owesPt X
$91.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$7.8M
Total assetsLn 16$97.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$6.1M
PeoplePt VI, VII
18
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$11.4M
Government grantsLn 1e$10.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$292K
Total revenueLn 12$11.7M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$7.6M
SavingsLn 2$169K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$7.8M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$456K
Other assetsLn 15$49.5M
Total assetsLn 16$97.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$6.1M
Net assetsLn 32$91.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 620
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.3M$7.8M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0$456K
Total assetsLn 16$94.9M$97.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$7.7M$6.1M
Net assetsLn 32$87.2M$91.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$9K$450$8K$451
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$1.1M$1.0M$93K$781
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$504$25$454$25
Other employee benefitsLn 9$98K$87K$11K$305
Payroll taxesLn 10$101K$92K$9K$94
Legal feesLn 11b$212K$180K$21K$11K
Accounting feesLn 11c$422K$359K$42K$21K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$36K$36K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$566K$178K$361K$27K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$208K$177K$21K$10K
Office expensesLn 13$66K$62K$2K$1K
Information technologyLn 14$485K$483K$1K$675
OccupancyLn 16$140K$119K$14K$7K
TravelLn 17$10K$9K$1K$502
InterestLn 20$135K$115K$13K$7K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$20K$20K
InsuranceLn 23$780K$663K$78K$39K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$2.7M$2.6M$70K$35K
All other expensesLn 24e$478K$458K$14K$6K
Total functional expensesLn 25$7.6M$6.7M$796K$167K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $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 Viewing $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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $11,689,811 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $11,679,753$11,397,675
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $194,213$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $292,886$292,136
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $6,736$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $12,173,588$11,689,811
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $360,718$1,345,482
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $7,940,570$6,290,608
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $8,301,288$7,636,090
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $3,872,300$4,053,721
Part VI · Governance 12 of 14 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14
VI-1b Independent voting members12
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $11,689,811 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$10,292,568
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,105,107
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$11,397,675
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $292,136$292,136
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $292,136$11,689,811
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $7,636,090 across 19 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $450 · Management $8,109 · Fundraising $451$9,010
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $1,043,263 · Management $92,539 · Fundraising $781$1,136,583
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $25 · Management $454 · Fundraising $25$504
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $87,318 · Management $10,755 · Fundraising $305$98,378
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $92,275 · Management $8,638 · Fundraising $94$101,007
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $180,075 · Management $21,185 · Fundraising $10,593$211,853
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $359,058 · Management $42,242 · Fundraising $21,121$422,421
IX-11d Lobbying feesManagement $36,000$36,000
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $177,540 · Management $360,829 · Fundraising $27,149$565,518
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $176,843 · Management $20,805 · Fundraising $10,403$208,051
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $62,200 · Management $2,372 · Fundraising $1,186$65,758
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $483,218 · Management $1,349 · Fundraising $675$485,242
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $119,075 · Management $14,009 · Fundraising $7,005$140,089
IX-17 TravelPrograms $8,533 · Management $1,004 · Fundraising $502$10,039
IX-20 InterestPrograms $114,734 · Management $13,498 · Fundraising $6,749$134,981
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $19,723$19,723
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $662,774 · Management $77,974 · Fundraising $38,986$779,734
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $2,627,934 · Management $70,242 · Fundraising $35,121$2,733,297
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $458,317 · Management $13,757 · Fundraising $5,828$477,902
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $6,673,355 · Management $795,761 · Fundraising $166,974$7,636,090
Part X · Balance sheet $97,362,094 assets, 14 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $29,210,480; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $2,095,010$7,584,903
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $168,582$168,613
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $12,318,740$5,404,984
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $1,271,980$5,000,000
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,869$81,609
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$456,102
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $49,807,847$49,455,403
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $94,875,508$97,362,094
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $638,009$638,437
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $112,475$112,475
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $7,716,226$6,149,091
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $87,159,282$91,213,003
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $87,159,282$91,213,003
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $94,875,508$97,362,094
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $91,213,003 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$11,689,811
XI-2 Total expenses$7,636,090
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$4,053,721
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$87,159,282
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$91,213,003

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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