Upper Seven Law FY2023 filing

Tax-deductible

Helena, MT501(c)(3)Since 2021Civil Rights & AdvocacyEIN 86-1632816Revenue $826K in FY2023

On file with the IRSuppersevenlaw.com104 E Broadway St Ste G1, 59601-4101 · Helena, MTTax-exempt since Sep 2021Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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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.
95¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$210K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2023 · 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
95%
of spending
Looks good: 95% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$210K
to officers and key staff · 31% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 31% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.3 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
$935
0.2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$826K
+44% vs prior year
Spent
$677K
To programs
95%
Net assets
$414K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$826K
FY2023▲ +44%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$244K
FY2022$575K
FY2023$826K
FY2024$1.3M
FY2025$1.3M
Expenses
$677K
FY2023▲ +41%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$175K
FY2022$479K
FY2023$677K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.3M
Net assets
$414K
FY2023▲ +152%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$69K
FY2022$164K
FY2023$414K
FY2024$562K
FY2025$575K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 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 Sep 2021.

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

Where the money goes

95 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 95% · $645K Management & general 3% · $19K Fundraising 2% · $14K

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; $210K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$105,000Pt VII · Sec A
Litigation Director
$105,000Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$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.

See Upper Seven Law 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

Holds powerful accountable and advocates for Montanans' constitutional rights.

Questions for Upper Seven Law

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $645K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Upper Seven Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable and advocating for the constitutional rights of all Montanans. Through strategic legal action and community engagement, we work to safeguard democracy, promote equality, and improve Montanans' access to justice.

$645Kprogram 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 FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$826K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$826K
Investment incomeLn 3$543
Money outPt IX
$677K
Ln 25
Programscol B$645K
Managementcol C$19K
Fundraisingcol D$14K
Owns and owesPt X
$414K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$415K
Total assetsLn 16$415K
LiabilitiesLn 26$935
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$826K
Government grantsLn 1e$90K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$63K
Investment incomeLn 3$543
Total revenueLn 12$826K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$361K
SavingsLn 2$54K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$415K
Total assetsLn 16$415K
LiabilitiesLn 26$935
Net assetsLn 32$414K
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$265K$415K
Total assetsLn 16$265K$415K
LiabilitiesLn 26$100K$935
Net assetsLn 32$165K$414K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$210K$205K$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$284K$274K$10K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$7K$7K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$26K$25K$756
Payroll taxesLn 10$42K$41K$812$410
Management feesLn 11a$2K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$800$800
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$390$390
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$993$993
Advertising and promotionLn 12$210$105$105
Office expensesLn 13$23K$21K$3K
Information technologyLn 14$5K$4K$510
OccupancyLn 16$42K$42K
TravelLn 17$3K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$6K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$27K$18K$915$8K
Total functional expensesLn 25$677K$645K$19K$14K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.3M$1.3M$4K$575K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.3M$1.1M$143K$562K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $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 I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $826,218 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $574,252$825,675
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $283$543
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $574,535$826,218
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 $316,730$568,095
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$390
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $162,739$108,872
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $479,469$677,357
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $95,066$148,861
Part VI · Governance 4 of 5 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members4
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 $826,218 across 11 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$63,477
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$90,296
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$671,902
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$825,675
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $543 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$543
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $543 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$826,218
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $677,357 across 17 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $204,885 · Fundraising $5,115$210,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $274,048 · Management $9,641$283,689
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $6,673$6,673
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $24,966 · Management $756$25,722
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $40,789 · Management $812 · Fundraising $410$42,011
IX-11a Management feesManagement $1,500$1,500
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $800$800
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $390$390
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $993$993
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $105 · Management $105$210
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $20,714 · Management $2,572$23,286
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $4,021 · Management $510$4,531
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $42,043$42,043
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,881$2,881
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,853$5,853
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $17,838 · Management $915 · Fundraising $8,022$26,775
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $644,816 · Management $18,604 · Fundraising $13,937$677,357
Part X · Balance sheet $414,572 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $264,778$360,565
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$54,007
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $264,778$414,572
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$935
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $100,000$935
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $164,778$413,637
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $264,778$414,572
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $413,637 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$826,218
XI-2 Total expenses$677,357
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$148,861
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$164,778
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$99,998
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$413,637

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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