Forward Justice is a nonpartisan law policy and strategy center dedicated to advancing racial social and economic Justice.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 20 volunteers and 28 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 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.6M a year · 30% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$542K
to officers and key staff · 12% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 12% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
23 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 22.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $10K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$582K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$7.7M
+69% vs prior year
Spent
$4.5M
To programs
71%
Net assets
$13.7M
By yearFY2019–FY2024
Revenue
$7.7M
FY2024▲ +69%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2019$5.5M
FY2020$4.6M
FY2021$5.8M
FY2022$4.6M
FY2023$4.6M
FY2024$7.7M
Expenses
$4.5M
FY2024▲ +43%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2019$3.6M
FY2020$6.4M
FY2021$2.4M
FY2022$2.8M
FY2023$3.1M
FY2024$4.5M
Net assets
$13.7M
FY2024▲ +31%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2019$5.1M
FY2020$3.3M
FY2021$7.2M
FY2022$9.0M
FY2023$10.4M
FY2024$13.7M

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 Sep 2018.

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

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $3.1M Management & general 20% · $889K Fundraising 10% · $427K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $542K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Co-Director
$153,557Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Director
$153,525Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Director of Sustainability Emergence
$133,521Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Impact
$101,520Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chairwoman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Daryl Atkinson’s $154K as Co-Director is at the 66th 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 · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020FY2019
Daryl Atkinson$153,557$152,087$172,878$112,837$97,401$95,003
Caitlin Swain$153,525$145,566$163,979$102,187$86,230$94,985
Dr Ashley Marshall$133,521$112,264————
Ashely Marshall——$118,526———
John Anthony Holbert$101,520—————

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

Programs and updates

Advance racial, social, and economic justice through law, policy, and strategy.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $3.1M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The organization lead the statewide protect our vote coalition including voter and election protection through legal cases policy advocacy and statewide tours. Voter protection hotlines provided real-time assistance information and advocacy for voters experiencing barriers at the polls.

$1.9Mprogram expense
02

The organization conducted trainings to equip community members with the information skills tools and resources needed to effectively organize and build power within their communities. The organization coordinated and facilitated the Second Chance Day of Advocacy during which directly impacted individuals and community advocates met with…

$905Kprogram expense
03

The organization hosted Transformative Justice events and community dinners designed to build community deepen trust and create spaces for collective care healing reflection and shared strategizing. These gatherings supported relationship-building and strengthened community capacity to practice transformative justice.

$305Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$10K
Grants paid · 5 grants · $3.7M · 2019–2021
Spirit HouseFY2021$12,500
A New Way of Life Reentry ProjectCA · FY2020$2,360,617
Forward Justice Action NetworkNC · FY2020$374,375
Unitemized GrantFY2020$10,831
Forward Justice Action NetworkNC · FY2019$950,508

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$7.7M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.3M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.2M
Other incomeLn 4–11$141K
Money outPt IX
$4.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.1M
Managementcol C$889K
Fundraisingcol D$427K
Owns and owesPt X
$13.7M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$8.5M
Total assetsLn 16$14.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$582K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A4
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.3M
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.2M
Investment incomeLn 3$24K
Other incomeLn 4–11$141K
Gains on assetsLn 7$0
Total revenueLn 12$7.7M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$7.4M
SavingsLn 2$1.1M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$8.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$12K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$53K
Other assetsLn 15$2K
Total assetsLn 16$14.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$582K
Net assetsLn 32$13.7M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 528
VolunteersI 620
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$7.7M$8.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$12K$12K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$58K$53K
Total assetsLn 16$11.0M$14.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$575K$582K
Net assetsLn 32$10.4M$13.7M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$0$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$542K$218K$147K$177K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0$0$0$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.4M$985K$324K$56K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0$0$0$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$261K$172K$66K$23K
Payroll taxesLn 10$150K$95K$30K$25K
Management feesLn 11a$0$0$0$0
Legal feesLn 11b$27K$0$27K$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$14K$0$14K$0
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0$0$0$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0$0$0$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0$0$0$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$60K$60K$0$0
Office expensesLn 13$106K$70K$29K$7K
Information technologyLn 14$104K$66K$26K$12K
RoyaltiesLn 15$0$0$0$0
OccupancyLn 16$212K$134K$53K$25K
TravelLn 17$283K$178K$71K$34K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0$0$0$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$218K$218K$0$0
InterestLn 20$317$0$317$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0$0$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$17K$11K$4K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$12K$0$12K$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$902K$774K$63K$65K
All other expensesLn 24e$192K$169K$23K$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.5M$3.1M$889K$427K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $7.7M$4.5M$3.2M$13.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $4.6M$3.1M$1.4M$10.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $4.6M$2.8M$1.7M$9.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $5.8M$2.4M$3.4M$7.2M 990 PDF
FY2020 $4.6M$6.4M−$1.8M$3.3M 990 PDF
FY2019 $5.5M$3.6M$1.9M$5.1M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $7,693,507 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,829,864$5,334,789
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,564,430$2,193,703
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $70$24,051
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $159,939$140,964
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,554,303$7,693,507
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 $2,050,323$2,317,514
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,075,011$2,147,504
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,125,334$4,465,018
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,428,969$3,228,489
Part VI · Governance 4 of 4 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $7,693,507 across 16 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$0
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$5,334,789
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$5,334,789
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$2,193,703
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$24,051
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$140,964
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$7,693,507
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,465,018 across 31 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $0$0
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $0$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $0$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for membersPrograms $0$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $217,932 · Management $146,868 · Fundraising $177,324$542,124
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $985,151 · Management $324,046 · Fundraising $55,543$1,364,740
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $171,864 · Management $65,958 · Fundraising $23,276$261,098
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $94,778 · Management $29,745 · Fundraising $25,029$149,552
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $0 · Management $27,436 · Fundraising $0$27,436
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $14,000 · Fundraising $0$14,000
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $0$0
IX-11f Investment management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $60,114 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$60,114
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $70,345 · Management $28,766 · Fundraising $6,704$105,815
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $65,547 · Management $26,010 · Fundraising $12,485$104,042
IX-15 RoyaltiesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $133,644 · Management $53,033 · Fundraising $25,456$212,133
IX-17 TravelPrograms $178,150 · Management $70,695 · Fundraising $33,934$282,779
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officialsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $217,704 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$217,704
IX-20 InterestPrograms $0 · Management $317 · Fundraising $0$317
IX-21 Payments to affiliatesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $10,614 · Management $4,212 · Fundraising $2,022$16,847
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $11,609 · Fundraising $0$11,609
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $774,179 · Management $62,865 · Fundraising $65,252$902,298
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $169,226 · Management $23,184 · Fundraising $0$192,410
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $3,149,248 · Management $888,744 · Fundraising $427,025$4,465,018
Part X · Balance sheet $14,255,036 assets, 24 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $6,626,831$7,384,356
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $1,101,165$1,125,216
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $2,675,000$5,334,165
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $35,215$31,268
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $0$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $5,137$25,092
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $57,610$53,077
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $12,295$12,295
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $0$0
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $466,254$287,703
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,767$1,864
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $10,981,274$14,255,036
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $574,596$582,496
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $0$0
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $0$0
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $0$0
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $574,596$582,496
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,687,442$7,154,859
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $4,719,236$6,517,681
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $10,406,678$13,672,540
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $10,981,274$14,255,036
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $13,672,540 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$7,693,507
XI-2 Total expenses$4,465,018
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$3,228,489
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$10,406,678
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$37,373
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$13,672,540

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

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