Upper Seven Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable and advocating for the constitutional rights of all montanans.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
81¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$237K 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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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
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $92K a year · 11% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
81%
of spending
Looks good: 81% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$237K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $30K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$68K
11% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 11% 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
$1.3M
+8% vs prior year
Spent
$1.3M
To programs
81%
Net assets
$575K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$1.3M
FY2025▲ +8%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$244K
FY2022$575K
FY2023$826K
FY2024$1.3M
FY2025$1.3M
Expenses
$1.3M
FY2025▲ +21%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$175K
FY2022$479K
FY2023$677K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.3M
Net assets
$575K
FY2025▲ +2%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$69K
FY2022$164K
FY2023$414K
FY2024$562K
FY2025$575K

From the FY2025 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: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 2021.

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

Where the money goes

81 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 81% · $1.1M Management & general 13% · $181K Fundraising 5% · $69K

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

7 people listed on the 990; $237K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$125,756Pt VII · Sec A
Litigation Director
$111,410Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Memeber
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Rylee Sommers-Flanagan’s $126K as Executive Director is at the 41st percentile of top reported officer pay among 797 $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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Rylee Sommers-Flanagan$125,756$122,692$105,000$90,000$72,692
Molly Danahy$111,410————
Constance C Van Kley——$105,000——

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.

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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

Holds powerful accountable and advocates for Montanans' constitutional rights.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $1.1M · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Upper seven law is a nonprofit, nonpartisian law firm dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. In 2025, upper seven law maintained twelve active cases in state and federal court and two broad-ranging litigation projects.

$841Kprogram expense
02

In 2025, the montana constitution roadshow completed 121 stops, traveled to 41 towns, spent 76 days on the road, and presented to 3,284 montanans. This program encourages montanans to better understand the history and context of the montana constitution, constitutions more generally, and to know more of the particular constitutional…

$242Kprogram 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$30K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.3M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$8K
Other incomeLn 4–11$5K
Money outPt IX
$1.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.1M
Managementcol C$181K
Fundraisingcol D$69K
Owns and owesPt X
$575K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$508K
Total assetsLn 16$643K
LiabilitiesLn 26$68K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.3M
Government grantsLn 1e$91K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$50K
Investment incomeLn 3$8K
Other incomeLn 4–11$5K
Total revenueLn 12$1.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$508K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$508K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$119K
Other assetsLn 15$7K
Total assetsLn 16$643K
LiabilitiesLn 26$68K
Net assetsLn 32$575K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 520
VolunteersI 60
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$542K$508K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$58K$119K
Total assetsLn 16$610K$643K
LiabilitiesLn 26$49K$68K
Net assetsLn 32$562K$575K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$237K$195K$36K$6K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$662K$541K$81K$40K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$62K$56K$4K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$79K$61K$14K$4K
Legal feesLn 11b$8K$8K
Accounting feesLn 11c$22K$22K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$53K$53K
Office expensesLn 13$52K$34K$7K$11K
Information technologyLn 14$3K$3K
OccupancyLn 16$88K$81K$7K
TravelLn 17$12K$9K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$10K$720$9K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$57K$54K$454$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.3M$1.1M$181K$69K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.3M$1.3M$4K$575K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.3M$1.1M$143K$562K 990 PDF
FY2023 $826K$677K$149K$414K 990 PDF
FY2022 $575K$479K$95K$164K 990 PDF
FY2021 $244K$175K$69K$69K 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 M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,349,658 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,232,584$1,336,368
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $12,973$7,972
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $6,607$5,318
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,252,164$1,349,658
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $827,110$1,039,809
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $282,118$306,268
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,109,228$1,346,077
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $142,936$3,581
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-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 $1,349,658 across 7 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $48 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$90,520
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,096,592
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$50,157
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,336,368
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $7,972$7,972
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossRelated to mission $5,270$5,270
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $13,242 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,349,658
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,346,077 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $194,586 · Management $36,292 · Fundraising $6,288$237,166
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $540,788 · Management $80,923 · Fundraising $40,342$662,053
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $55,958 · Management $3,838 · Fundraising $1,911$61,707
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $61,362 · Management $13,952 · Fundraising $3,569$78,883
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $8,080$8,080
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $21,776$21,776
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $52,982$52,982
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $34,440 · Management $7,131 · Fundraising $10,770$52,341
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $3,457$3,457
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $81,058 · Management $7,117$88,175
IX-17 TravelPrograms $8,923 · Fundraising $3,442$12,365
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $720 · Management $9,418$10,138
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $53,716 · Management $454 · Fundraising $2,784$56,954
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,096,070 · Management $180,901 · Fundraising $69,106$1,346,077
Part X · Balance sheet $643,132 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $542,478$508,411
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $9,451$8,257
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $58,339$119,264
X-15 Other assets$7,200
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $610,268$643,132
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $48,712$67,996
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $48,712$67,996
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $561,556$575,136
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $610,268$643,132
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $575,136 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,349,658
XI-2 Total expenses$1,346,077
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$3,581
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$561,556
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$9,999
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$575,136

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

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