To prevent and oppose the gerrymandering of state legislative Districts through education, research, and litigation aimed at challenging racial gerrymandering.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
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
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $43K a year · 9% 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
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $1.1M
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$24K
8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 8% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
0
of 4 voting members
Concern: none of 4 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.2M
+491% vs prior year
Spent
$937K
To programs
87%
Net assets
$286K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.2M
FY2025▲ +491%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$266K
FY2021$211K
FY2022$236K
FY2023$414K
FY2024$195K
FY2025$1.2M
Expenses
$937K
FY2025▲ +79%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$230K
FY2021$127K
FY2022$247K
FY2023$524K
FY2024Not on file
FY2025$937K
Net assets
$286K
FY2025▲ +308%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$83K
FY2021$167K
FY2022$155K
FY2023$45K
FY2024$70K
FY2025$286K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · 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: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 2018.

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

Where the money goes

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $815K Management & general 9% · $84K Fundraising 4% · $38K

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

4 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
President/Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer/Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Leslie Martes’s $1K as Dir/Treasurer is at the 0th percentile of top reported officer pay among 798 $1–10M 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Leslie Martes$1,452$1,117——
Jessica Post$948$948——
Heather Williams$940$940——
Ellie Collinson——$196$196

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 Fair Districts Fund 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Challenging unfair district maps through education, research, and lawsuits.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $815K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

To prevent and oppose the gerrymandering of state legislative districts through education, research, and litigation aimed at challenging racial gerrymandering.

$815Kprogram 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
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 4 grants · $1.3M · 2019–2024
State Democracy Action FundDC · FY2024$800,000
State Democracy Action FundDC · FY2022$200,000
State Democracy Action FundDC · FY2021$200,000
The Voter Participation CenterFY2019$103,000

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.2M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.2M
Investment incomeLn 3$3K
Money outPt IX
$937K
Ln 25
Programscol B$815K
Managementcol C$84K
Fundraisingcol D$38K
Owns and owesPt X
$286K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$310K
Total assetsLn 16$310K
LiabilitiesLn 26$24K
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.2M
Investment incomeLn 3$3K
Total revenueLn 12$1.2M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$310K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$310K
Total assetsLn 16$310K
LiabilitiesLn 26$24K
Net assetsLn 32$286K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$96K$310K
Total assetsLn 16$96K$310K
LiabilitiesLn 26$26K$24K
Net assetsLn 32$70K$286K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$800K$800K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$18K$1K$10K$8K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$4K$255$2K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$1K$1K
Accounting feesLn 11c$24K$24K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$2K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$85K$14K$42K$28K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$75$75
Total functional expensesLn 25$937K$815K$84K$38K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.2M$937K$216K$286K 990 PDF
FY2024 $195K$70K 990 PDF
FY2023 $414K$524K−$110K$45K 990 PDF
FY2022 $236K$247K−$12K$155K 990 PDF
FY2021 $211K$127K$84K$167K 990 PDF
FY2020 $266K$230K$35K$83K 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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,152,989 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $0$1,150,427
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$2,562
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $0$1,152,989
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$800,000
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $0$22,829
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $0$114,654
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $0$937,483
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $0$215,506
Part VI · Governance 0 of 4 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members0
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,152,989 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,150,427
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,150,427
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $2,562$2,562
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $2,562$1,152,989
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $937,483 across 9 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $800,000$800,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,071 · Management $9,535 · Fundraising $7,839$18,445
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $255 · Management $2,266 · Fundraising $1,863$4,384
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $1,495$1,495
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $24,469$24,469
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $2,041$2,041
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $1,894$1,894
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $14,113 · Management $42,340 · Fundraising $28,227$84,680
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Management $75$75
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $815,439 · Management $84,115 · Fundraising $37,929$937,483
Part X · Balance sheet $309,741 assets, 9 lines filed
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $96,057$309,741
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $96,057$309,741
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $26,002$23,652
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$528
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $26,002$24,180
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $20,055$260,561
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $50,000$25,000
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $70,055$285,561
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $96,057$309,741
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $285,561 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,152,989
XI-2 Total expenses$937,483
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$215,506
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$70,055
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$285,561

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

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