Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 1997.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
22 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
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
9 people listed on the 990; $110K paid to officers and key staff.
Becky Kurtz’s $133K as Executive Director is at the 41st percentile of top reported officer pay among 731 $1–10M public & societal benefit 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becky Kurtz | $132,844 | $131,071 | $119,484 | $111,848 | $109,848 | $130,396 |
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.
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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
Desert Forum INC is a public benefit nonprofit based in La Quinta, CA.
Questions for Desert Forum INC
Your first name shows with your question. Desert Forum INC answers here, for everyone.
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Lecture Series
This program presents speeches and lectures by prominent world leaders. The program provides a forum for the general public to attend these lectures and obtain an insight into world events, public service, and other matters affecting our world.
Youth Ambassador Program
This program enables students from local area schools to attend speeches and lectures given by prominent civic and world leaders. It expands the students' intellectual horizons and exposes them to leaders who will serve as their role models.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $1.0M | $729K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $1.1M | $1.4M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $9K | $7K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $2.4M | $2.5M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $718K | $742K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $1.7M | $1.7M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $15K | $15K | ||
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $0 | |||
| Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3 | $0 | |||
| Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4 | $0 | |||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $110K | $110K | ||
| Pay of disqualified personsLn 6 | $0 | |||
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $58K | $58K | ||
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $1K | $1K | ||
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $8K | $8K | ||
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $14K | $14K | ||
| Management feesLn 11a | $0 | |||
| Legal feesLn 11b | $0 | |||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $13K | $13K | ||
| Lobbying feesLn 11d | $0 | |||
| Professional fundraising feesLn 11e | $0 | |||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $13K | $13K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $4K | $4K | ||
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $11K | $9K | $2K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $3K | $3K | ||
| Information technologyLn 14 | $4K | $4K | ||
| RoyaltiesLn 15 | $0 | |||
| OccupancyLn 16 | $18K | $18K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $0 | |||
| Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18 | $557 | $557 | ||
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $333 | $333 | ||
| InterestLn 20 | $0 | |||
| Payments to affiliatesLn 21 | $0 | |||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $2K | $2K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $4K | $4K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $53K | $48K | $5K | $66 |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $4K | $2K | $2K | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $336K | $74K | $258K | $4K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $1.6M | $1.9M | −$310K | $1.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $1.6M | $1.6M | $23K | $1.8M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $1.5M | $1.6M | −$101K | $1.6M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $1.7M | $1.6M | $104K | $1.6M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 Viewing | $83K | $336K | −$253K | $1.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $933K | $1.0M | −$74K | $1.7M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $82,852 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $82,852 across 9 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $335,596 across 31 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $2,466,326 assets, 20 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,724,661 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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