The umlc provides public interest legal representation, without charge, for individuals and organizations which have suffered harm to their persons or rights due to abusive, overreaching or oppressive action by governmental, labor union and non-governmental organizations/agencies. The Center seeks to obtain redress for such wrongs by pursuing legal action under state and federal constitutional, statutory and common Law legal theories and to thereby establish legal principles which expand individual and organizational rights and protections against such abuse, overreaching and oppression.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
93¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$99K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2020 · 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
4 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $85K a year · 10% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
93%
of spending
Looks good: 93% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$99K
to officers and key staff · 27% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 27% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $50K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$5K
3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 3% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$440K
Spent
$372K
To programs
93%
Net assets
$193K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$440K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$440K
FY2021$722K
FY2022$743K
FY2023$1.0M
FY2024$1.3M
Expenses
$372K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$372K
FY2021$588K
FY2022$758K
FY2023$908K
FY2024$1.2M
Net assets
$193K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$193K
FY2021$326K
FY2022$306K
FY2023$446K
FY2024$552K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 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 May 2019.

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

Where the money goes

93 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 93% · $348K Management & general 3% · $10K Fundraising 4% · $15K

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

6 people listed on the 990; $99K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President
$99,000Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

James Dickey’s $190K as Attorney is at the 83rd 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
James Dickey$190,000$165,492$138,544$134,800—
Doug Seaton$123,500$113,500$110,000$109,000$99,000
Robin Kelleher$6,000$3,500$6,000——

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 Upper Midwest Law Center 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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Offers free legal help to those harmed by abusive government, union, or non-profit actions.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $348K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Upper midwest law center continued to grow and make a difference in 2020. We hired a new full time attorney in july, and also hired our first law clerk in the fall. We also continued to increase financial support to fund our cause. By the end of 2020, we had fifteen cases underway or successfully concluded.

$348Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$50K

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$440K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$371K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$69K
Money outPt IX
$372K
Ln 25
Programscol B$348K
Managementcol C$10K
Fundraisingcol D$15K
Owns and owesPt X
$193K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$193K
Total assetsLn 16$198K
LiabilitiesLn 26$5K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$371K
Government grantsLn 1e$13K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$69K
Total revenueLn 12$440K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$193K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$193K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$4K
Total assetsLn 16$198K
LiabilitiesLn 26$5K
Net assetsLn 32$193K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 610
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$121K$193K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$5K$4K
Total assetsLn 16$126K$198K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K$5K
Net assetsLn 32$125K$193K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$99K$84K$5K$10K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$109K$104K$3K$3K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$15K$14K$397$397
Payroll taxesLn 10$9K$8K$211$211
Management feesLn 11a$3K$3K
Legal feesLn 11b$79K$79K
Accounting feesLn 11c$12K$11K$398$398
Advertising and promotionLn 12$13K$13K
Office expensesLn 13$6K$6K$214$214
Information technologyLn 14$3K$3K$106$106
OccupancyLn 16$16K$15K$528$528
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$1K$1K$36$36
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$1K$1K$40$40
InsuranceLn 23$6K$6K$201$201
Total functional expensesLn 25$372K$348K$10K$15K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $1.3M$1.2M$106K$552K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.0M$908K$135K$446K 990 PDF
FY2022 $743K$758K−$15K$306K 990 PDF
FY2021 $722K$588K$134K$326K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $440K$372K$68K$193K 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $439,972 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $340,611$371,140
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $12,420$68,832
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $353,031$439,972
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 $131,726$231,695
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $96,667$140,398
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $228,393$372,093
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $124,638$67,879
Part VI · Governance 5 of 6 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members5
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
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $439,972 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$13,200
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$357,940
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$371,140
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $68,832$68,832
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $68,832 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$439,972
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $372,093 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $84,150 · Management $4,950 · Fundraising $9,900$99,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $103,952 · Management $2,650 · Fundraising $2,650$109,252
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $14,118 · Management $397 · Fundraising $397$14,912
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,109 · Management $211 · Fundraising $211$8,531
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $2,526$2,526
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $79,096$79,096
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $11,140 · Management $398 · Fundraising $398$11,936
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $13,100$13,100
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,005 · Management $214 · Fundraising $214$6,433
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,964 · Management $106 · Fundraising $106$3,176
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $14,771 · Management $528 · Fundraising $528$15,827
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $1,010 · Management $36 · Fundraising $36$1,082
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $1,118 · Management $40 · Fundraising $40$1,198
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,622 · Management $201 · Fundraising $201$6,024
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $347,681 · Management $9,731 · Fundraising $14,681$372,093
Part X · Balance sheet $197,631 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $120,556$193,453
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $5,377$4,178
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $126,466$197,631
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$5,114
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $1,828$5,114
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $124,638$192,517
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $126,466$197,631
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $192,517 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$439,972
XI-2 Total expenses$372,093
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$67,879
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$124,638
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$192,517

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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