1848 Project INC FY2021 filing

Not tax-deductible

Pewaukee, WI501(c)(4)Since 2020Civil Rights & AdvocacyEIN 84-4343732Revenue $393K in FY2021

On file with the IRS1848project.orgN54w27225 James Dr, 53072-1151 · Pewaukee, WITax-exempt since Nov 2020

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The 1848 Project empowers Wisconsins conservative credible leaders candidates and local elected officials who reflect a vision of fiscal conservatism small government and individual empowerment.

60¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$341K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
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
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $107K a year · 24% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
60%
of spending
Worth a look: 60% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$341K
to officers and key staff · 38% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 38% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $95K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$393K
-43% vs prior year
Spent
$888K
To programs
60%
Net assets
$149K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$393K
FY2021▼ -43%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$691K
FY2021$393K
FY2022$300K
FY2023$382K
FY2024$379K
FY2025$489K
Expenses
$888K
FY2021▲ ×19
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$46K
FY2021$888K
FY2022$156K
FY2023$270K
FY2024$320K
FY2025$310K
Net assets
$149K
FY2021▼ -77%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$645K
FY2021$149K
FY2022$293K
FY2023$404K
FY2024$463K
FY2025$643K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 2020.

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

Where the money goes

60 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 60% · $535K Management & general 23% · $204K Fundraising 17% · $149K

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

11 people listed on the 990; $341K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$112,500Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$70,800Pt VII · Sec A
Communications Director
$51,000Pt VII · Sec A
Development Director
$49,445Pt VII · Sec A
Operations Director
$30,000Pt VII · Sec A
Community Engagement Director
$22,919Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$4,017Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Rebecca Kleefisch’s $158K as President is at the 93rd 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2022FY2021FY2020
Rebecca Kleefisch$158,000$157,000$45,000$112,500$40,000
Charles Nichols——$17,500$70,800—
Bonnie Lee$42,000$68,250$30,000$4,017—
Alec Zimmerman———$51,000—
Colleen Coyle———$49,445—
Kristen Nupson———$30,000—
Christina Nelson———$22,919—
Benjamin Garbedian$18,833————

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 1848 Project INC 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

Develops and champions principled policy solutions for Wisconsin.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $535K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Forward Agenda

1848 Project released a comprehensive policy plan that identified more than fifty policy items for the next generation of conservative leadership in Wisconsin to focus on and implement.

$356Kprogram expense
02

Policy Listening Sessions

The 1848 Project hosted more than 70 listening sessions and working group meetings around the state to engage policy makers, community and business leaders, academic scholars, and the public at large to discuss and develop policy solutions.

$178Kprogram 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 · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$95K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$393K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$393K
Money outPt IX
$888K
Ln 25
Programscol B$535K
Managementcol C$204K
Fundraisingcol D$149K
Owns and owesPt X
$149K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$149K
Total assetsLn 16$149K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A7
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$393K
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Total revenueLn 12$393K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$149K
SavingsLn 2$0
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$149K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$149K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$149K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$645K$149K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0$0
Total assetsLn 16$645K$149K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$645K$149K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$341K$174K$118K$49K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$11K$11K
Management feesLn 11a$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$100K$100K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$201K$140K$60K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$102K$102K
Office expensesLn 13$15K$13K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$78K$74K$4K
OccupancyLn 16$2K$2K
TravelLn 17$16K$13K$3K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$7K$7K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$16K$11K$5K$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$888K$535K$204K$149K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $489K$310K$179K$643K 990 PDF
FY2024 $379K$320K$59K$463K 990 PDF
FY2023 $382K$270K$111K$404K 990 PDF
FY2022 $300K$156K$144K$293K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $393K$888K−$496K$149K 990 PDF
FY2020 $691K$46K$645K$645K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $392,574 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $690,851$392,574
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $690,851$392,574
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 $40,000$351,833
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$99,729
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $6,239$436,560
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $46,239$888,122
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $644,612−$495,548
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $392,574 across 9 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$392,574
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$392,574
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$392,574
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $888,122 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $173,531 · Management $117,704 · Fundraising $49,446$340,681
IX-7 Other salaries and wages$0
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $11,152$11,152
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $99,729$99,729
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $140,500 · Management $60,500$201,000
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $101,958$101,958
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $13,374 · Management $1,648$15,022
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $74,500 · Management $3,500$78,000
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $1,702$1,702
IX-17 TravelPrograms $12,587 · Management $3,000$15,587
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $7,248$7,248
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $11,043 · Management $5,000 · Fundraising $0$16,043
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $534,741 · Management $204,206 · Fundraising $149,175$888,122
Part X · Balance sheet $149,064 assets, 22 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $644,612$149,064
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $0$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $0$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $0$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $0$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $0$0
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $0$0
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $0$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $644,612$149,064
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$0
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-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $0$149,064
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $644,612$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $644,612$149,064
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $644,612$149,064
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $149,064 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$392,574
XI-2 Total expenses$888,122
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$495,548
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$644,612
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$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$149,064

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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