Tennessee Innocence Project

Tax-deductible

Nashville, TN501(c)(3)Crime & LegalEIN 32-0582082

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The Tennessee Innocence Project is dedicated to investigating and litigating claims of actual Innocence. IT is designed to prevent and correct wrongful convictions throughout the state of Tennessee.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
68¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 20 volunteers and 7 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $546K a year · 35% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
68%
of spending
Fine: 68% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$235K
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 57% of similar orgs
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
22 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 22.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
22
named funders · $642K
Looks good: 22 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$212K
7% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 7% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
15
of 15 voting members
Looks good: 15 of 15 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.6M
+2% vs prior year
Spent
$1.2M
To programs
68%
Net assets
$3.0M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$1.6M
FY2024▲ +2%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$376K
FY2021$2.2M
FY2022$2.0M
FY2023$1.6M
FY2024$1.6M
Expenses
$1.2M
FY2024▼ -14%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$248K
FY2021$814K
FY2022$1.5M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$1.2M
Net assets
$3.0M
FY2024▲ +19%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$357K
FY2021$1.8M
FY2022$2.3M
FY2023$2.5M
FY2024$3.0M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Apr 2019.

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

Where the money goes

68 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 68% · $795K Management & general 14% · $165K Fundraising 17% · $203K

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

Something off? The org can add a note here. Request edit privileges.

Who runs it and what they're paid

17 people listed on the 990; $235K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Exec. Dir. J
$122,808Pt VII · Sec A
Exec. Dir. O
$111,875Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Preside
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jessica Van Dyke’s $123K as Exec. Dir. J is at the 43rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1147 $1–10M crime & legal nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Jessica Van Dyke$122,808$109,642$101,833$102,500$113,167
Jason Gichner$111,875————

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Tennessee Innocence Project 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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Investigates and litigates claims of actual innocence to prevent and correct wrongful convictions.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $795K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Litigating wrongful conviction cases for those in tennessee prisons to obtain exonerations. The organization trains law students and attorneys about how to litigate these cases and how to prevent future wrongful convictions.

$795Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 22 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.6M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Investment incomeLn 3$55K
Money outPt IX
$1.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$795K
Managementcol C$165K
Fundraisingcol D$203K
Owns and owesPt X
$3.0M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.2M
Total assetsLn 16$3.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$212K
PeoplePt VI, VII
17
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a15
IndependentVI 1b15
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$53K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$478K
Investment incomeLn 3$55K
Gains on assetsLn 7$549
Total revenueLn 12$1.6M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$111K
SavingsLn 2$2.1M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$2.2M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$59K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$14K
Other assetsLn 15$198K
Total assetsLn 16$3.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$212K
Net assetsLn 32$3.0M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 57
VolunteersI 620
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.8M$2.2M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$59K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$25K$14K
Total assetsLn 16$2.6M$3.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$131K$212K
Net assetsLn 32$2.5M$3.0M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$235K$160K$33K$42K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$449K$305K$63K$81K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$450$306$63$81
Other employee benefitsLn 9$56K$39K$17K
Payroll taxesLn 10$55K$38K$8K$10K
Legal feesLn 11b$61K$58K$1K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$23K$22K$467$701
Advertising and promotionLn 12$46K$9K$37K
Office expensesLn 13$27K$10K$16K$1K
Information technologyLn 14$6K$5K$570$570
OccupancyLn 16$104K$83K$10K$10K
TravelLn 17$19K$11K$8K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$28K$21K$4K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$8K$6K$2K$811
InsuranceLn 23$12K$9K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$34K$21K$7K$7K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.2M$795K$165K$203K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $1.6M$1.2M$477K$3.0M 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.6M$1.3M$253K$2.5M 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.0M$1.5M$485K$2.3M 990 PDF
FY2021 $2.2M$814K$1.4M$1.8M 990 PDF
FY2020 $376K$248K$128K$357K 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 FY2024 990 (5 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,639,793 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,330,760$1,702,812
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $26,041$55,163
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $243,362−$118,182
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,600,163$1,639,793
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $600,748$795,824
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $746,653$367,312
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,347,401$1,163,136
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $252,762$476,657
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,639,793 across 8 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $3,301 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$477,639
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,225,173
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$53,187
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,702,812
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $54,614$54,614
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $549$549
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$121,483−$121,483
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $3,301 · Excluded from tax −$66,320$1,639,793
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,163,136 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $159,584 · Management $32,856 · Fundraising $42,243$234,683
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $305,369 · Management $62,870 · Fundraising $80,833$449,072
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $306 · Management $63 · Fundraising $81$450
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $39,451 · Management $16,907$56,358
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $37,577 · Management $7,737 · Fundraising $9,947$55,261
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $57,540 · Management $1,211 · Fundraising $1,817$60,568
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $22,189 · Management $467 · Fundraising $701$23,357
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $8,524 · Fundraising $37,307$45,831
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $10,145 · Management $15,503 · Fundraising $1,391$27,039
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $4,560 · Management $570 · Fundraising $570$5,700
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $82,940 · Management $10,368 · Fundraising $10,367$103,675
IX-17 TravelPrograms $10,996 · Fundraising $7,626$18,622
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $20,867 · Management $4,311 · Fundraising $2,434$27,612
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $5,675 · Management $1,621 · Fundraising $811$8,107
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $8,712 · Management $3,734$12,446
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $20,648 · Management $6,871 · Fundraising $6,836$34,355
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $795,083 · Management $165,089 · Fundraising $202,964$1,163,136
Part X · Balance sheet $3,201,682 assets, 16 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,665,383$110,831
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $155,393$2,054,859
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $664,704$746,053
X-4 Accounts receivable$15,089
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $7,091$3,382
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $24,843$14,500
X-11 Publicly traded securities$58,528
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $121,313$198,440
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,641,431$3,201,682
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$2,151
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $130,705$209,746
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $130,705$211,897
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $2,510,726$2,203,497
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$786,288
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $2,510,726$2,989,785
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,641,431$3,201,682
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $2,989,785 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,639,793
XI-2 Total expenses$1,163,136
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$476,657
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$2,510,726
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$4,637
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$2,235
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$2,989,785

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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