Workers Defense Action Fund FY2023 filing

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We seek to build a long-lasting infrastructure that will engage working texans in electoral and legislative activities that affect their quality of life.

501(c)(4) social-welfare organization; gifts are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$360K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2023 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(4)
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
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
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $81K a year · 7% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
82%
of spending
Looks good: 82% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$360K
to officers and key staff · 28% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 28% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
4
named funders · $700K
Looks good: 4 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$162K
17% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 17% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$934K
-31% vs prior year
Spent
$1.3M
To programs
82%
Net assets
$783K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$934K
FY2023▼ -31%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.0M
FY2021$1.9M
FY2022$1.4M
FY2023$934K
FY2024$873K
Expenses
$1.3M
FY2023▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$620K
FY2021$1.5M
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$1.0M
Net assets
$783K
FY2023▼ -31%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$612K
FY2021$1.0M
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$783K
FY2024$1.4M

From the FY2023 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jan 2015.

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

Where the money goes

82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 82% · $1.1M Management & general 15% · $195K Fundraising 3% · $34K

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

13 people listed on the 990; $360K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Co-Executive Director
$130,503Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Executive Director
$129,433Pt VII · Sec A
Operations Director
$100,145Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Lizeth Chacon’s $144K as Executive Director is at the 90th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1031 $100K–1M civil rights & advocacy 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Lizeth Chacon$144,000$129,433$64,561—
Emily Timm—$130,503$111,053$28,287
Amparo Hughes—$100,145——

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 Workers Defense Action Fund 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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Engages working Texans in electoral and legislative activities to improve their quality of life.

Questions for Workers Defense Action Fund

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Your first name shows with your question. Workers Defense Action Fund answers here, for everyone.

1 program · $1.1M · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

In 2023 workers defense action fund (wdaf) worked to improve working conditions for workers in texas and to ensure immigrants are treated with dignity and respect. Wdaf worked on pursuing policies at the local and federal level around heat safety, accountability on bad employers and improved working conditions overall.

$1.1Mprogram 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
Texas for AllFY2024$25K
Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$700K
See all 4 funders →
Grants paid · 9 grants · $375K · 2021–2024
Texas for AllTX · FY2024$82,604
Fe Y Justicia Worker CenterTX · FY2022$20,000
Texas Civil Rights ProjectTX · FY2021$50,000
Texas Organizing ProjectTX · FY2021$50,000
Texas Freedom NetworkTX · FY2021$50,000
Texas Business FirstFY2021$32,500

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$934K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$933K
Other incomeLn 4–11$506
Money outPt IX
$1.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.1M
Managementcol C$195K
Fundraisingcol D$34K
Owns and owesPt X
$783K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$739K
Total assetsLn 16$945K
LiabilitiesLn 26$162K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$933K
Other incomeLn 4–11$506
Total revenueLn 12$934K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$739K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$739K
Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesLn 9$17K
Other assetsLn 15$189K
Total assetsLn 16$945K
LiabilitiesLn 26$162K
Net assetsLn 32$783K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 516
VolunteersI 6100
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.0M$739K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M$945K
LiabilitiesLn 26$126K$162K
Net assetsLn 32$1.1M$783K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$279K$253K$19K$6K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$517K$477K$31K$10K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$217K$163K$40K$13K
Payroll taxesLn 10$71K$51K$16K$4K
Legal feesLn 11b$11K$5K$6K
Office expensesLn 13$97K$49K$48K$417
Information technologyLn 14$18K$10K$8K
OccupancyLn 16$1K$685$463
TravelLn 17$27K$19K$7K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$11K$8K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$14K$14K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$23K$21K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.3M$1.1M$195K$34K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Feb 2, 2026 $873K$1.0M−$170K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2023 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 8, 2024 $934K$1.3M−$352K$783K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2023 $1.4M$1.2M$117K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Oct 7, 2022 $1.9M$1.5M$406K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Oct 19, 2021 $1.0M$620K$403K$612K 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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $933,980 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,356,053$933,474
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$506
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,356,053$933,980
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $70,000$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $860,257$1,083,669
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $308,297$202,773
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,238,554$1,286,442
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $117,499−$352,462
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $933,980 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1d Related organizations$350,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$583,474
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$933,474
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $506$506
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $506 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$933,980
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,286,442 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $252,754 · Management $19,375 · Fundraising $6,379$278,508
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $476,677 · Management $30,653 · Fundraising $10,060$517,390
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $162,876 · Management $40,400 · Fundraising $13,467$216,743
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $50,830 · Management $16,031 · Fundraising $4,167$71,028
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $4,750 · Management $6,250$11,000
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $48,570 · Management $48,484 · Fundraising $417$97,471
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $10,325 · Management $8,016$18,341
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $685 · Management $463$1,148
IX-17 TravelPrograms $19,498 · Management $7,054$26,552
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $8,498 · Management $2,775$11,273
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $14,246$14,246
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $21,255 · Management $1,487$22,742
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,056,718 · Management $195,234 · Fundraising $34,490$1,286,442
Part X · Balance sheet $944,999 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,024,876$739,190
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $13,520$16,765
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $223,156$189,044
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,261,552$944,999
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $125,676$161,585
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $125,676$161,585
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,014,595$684,132
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $121,281$99,282
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,135,876$783,414
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,261,552$944,999
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $783,414 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$933,980
XI-2 Total expenses$1,286,442
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$352,462
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,135,876
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$783,414

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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