philanthropy.org | 990 Resource | FAQ Verify yourself
Sign in

Illinois Defense Counsel

Not tax-deductible

Rochester, IL501(c)(6)Mutual / membership EIN 36-2580576Revenue $245K in FY2025Latest return filed Jan 30, 2026

On file with the IRSidc.lawRochester, ILTax-exempt since Nov 1966

Claim this org

(tell your story, add context, and more) Claim it free, then get the verified mark for $100 a year.

How does your 990 look to donors? Take the 10-Question Audit

To advance the interests of the defense bar by ensuring civil justice with integrity, civility, and professional competence.

501(c)(6) business league; gifts are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
Run by 23 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(6)
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
No
Donations are not tax-deductible
Worth a look: the IRS does not list 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
1 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $13K a year · 5% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Cash reserves
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $354K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 4.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$97K
21% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 21% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
23
of 23 voting members
Looks good: 23 of 23 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$245K
-6% vs prior year
Spent
$261K
Net assets
$369K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$245K
FY2025▼ -6%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$207K
FY2022$224K
FY2023$243K
FY2024$261K
FY2025$245K
Expenses
$261K
FY2025▼ -4%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$176K
FY2022$229K
FY2023$306K
FY2024$271K
FY2025$261K
Net assets
$369K
FY2025▲ +7%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$388K
FY2022$352K
FY2023$310K
FY2024$343K
FY2025$369K

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

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 1966.

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

Who runs it and what they're paid

23 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$0Pt VII · Sec A
R Mark Cosimini
President Elect
$0Pt VII · Sec A
John F Watson
First Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Donald Patrick Eckler
Second Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Eugena Whitson-Owen
Secretary/Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Ann Barron
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Julie Black
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Illinois Defense Counsel executive salaries →

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

Advocates for fair civil justice, upholding integrity and professional competence for the defense bar.

Questions for Illinois Defense Counsel

Tap to ask. Illinois Defense Counsel sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Illinois Defense Counsel answers here, for everyone.

1 program · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

To promote improvements in the administration of justice and enhance the service of the legal profession to the public.

Pt IX · col B

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$245K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$162K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$64K
Other incomeLn 4–11$11K
Money outPt IX
$261K
Ln 25
Owns and owesPt X
$369K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$105K
Total assetsLn 16$466K
LiabilitiesLn 26$97K
PeoplePt VI, VII
23
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a23
IndependentVI 1b23
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$64K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$162K
Investment incomeLn 3$8K
Other incomeLn 4–11$11K
Total revenueLn 12$245K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$105K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$105K
Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesLn 9$6K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$354K
Total assetsLn 16$466K
LiabilitiesLn 26$97K
Net assetsLn 32$369K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 623
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
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$87K$105K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$357K$354K
Total assetsLn 16$455K$466K
LiabilitiesLn 26$112K$97K
Net assetsLn 32$343K$369K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Management feesLn 11a$117K
Accounting feesLn 11c$10K
Information technologyLn 14$13K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$34K
InsuranceLn 23$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$66K
All other expensesLn 24e$14K
Total functional expensesLn 25$261K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Jan 30, 2026 $245K$261K−$15K$369K 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS May 14, 2025 $261K$271K−$10K$343K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Feb 27, 2024 $243K$306K−$63K$310K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Jan 26, 2023 $224K$229K−$5K$352K 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Mar 1, 2022 $207K$176K$31K$388K 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $245,247 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $40,062$63,830
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $204,106$162,120
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $7,869$7,892
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $8,497$11,405
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $260,534$245,247
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $500$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $0$0
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $270,052$260,744
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $270,552$260,744
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$10,018−$15,497
Part VI · Governance 23 of 23 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body23
VI-1b Independent voting members23
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $245,247 across 6 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $2,780 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$63,830
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$63,830
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $159,340$159,340
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $7,892$7,892
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Unrelated business $11,405$11,405
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $162,120 · Unrelated business $11,405 · Excluded from tax $7,892$245,247
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $260,744 across 7 lines filed
IX-11a Management fees$117,331
IX-11c Accounting fees$10,250
IX-14 Information technology$13,179
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetings$33,576
IX-23 Insurance$6,207
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)$66,336
IX-24e All other expenses$13,865
IX-25 Total functional expenses$260,744
Part X · Balance sheet $465,542 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $86,831$105,356
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $11,072$6,251
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $357,134$353,935
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $455,037$465,542
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $112,100$96,995
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $112,100$96,995
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $342,937$368,547
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $342,937$368,547
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $455,037$465,542
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $368,547 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$245,247
XI-2 Total expenses$260,744
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$15,497
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$342,937
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$41,107
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$368,547

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

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the pay comparisons above.