Country First Foundation

Ottawa, ILUnknown exempt organizationEIN 88-3020032

At country first foundation we pursue a path to educate the public on important civic and policy issues. Country first foundation strives to support nonprofits that are working on proven solutions that empower local communities from the bottom-up. For too long, many have looked to washington, DC to solve the problems facing rural, exurban, suburban, and urban america. Real change often takes place closest to the people at the local level. Country first foundation will work to educate citizens on strengthening our democratic institutions and look to invest in nonprofit organizations that seek to implement proven solutions with a lasting impact for the american people.

94¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 5 volunteers and 1 employee.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
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
1 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $0 a year · under 1% of revenue · last 2 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
94%
of spending
Looks good: 94% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$18K
to officers and key staff · 3% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 3% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Named funders
1
named funder · $13K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
total owed
No data yet: the filing does not give total assets.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
2
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 2 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
$178K
-74% vs prior year
Spent
$683K
To programs
94%
Net assets
$0
By yearFY2023–FY2024
Revenue
$178K
FY2024▼ -74%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$681K
FY2024$178K
Expenses
$683K
FY2024▲ +287%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023$176K
FY2024$683K
Net assets
$0
FY2024▼ -100%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$505K
FY2024$0

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024.

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

Where the money goes

94 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 94% · $641K Management & general 6% · $42K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Who runs it and what they're paid

3 people listed on the 990; $18K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Excecutive Director, Secretary and Treasurer
$17,500Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023
Greg Ridenour$17,500$27,750

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 Country First Foundation 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

Educates the public on civic issues and supports local community solutions.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Country First Foundation claims this page.

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3 program services account for $641K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Dash for democracy, a weeklong non-partisan celebration of democracy held in line with the international day of democracy (september 15TH), that we hold between the commemoration of september 11TH and constitution day (9/17).

$641Kprogram expense
02

Mute the mayhem. A non-partisan citizen education campaign that speaks to the electorate's disgust with constant political attack ads, and introduces election reforms (such as open primaries, ranked-choice voting, final 4/FINAL 5 voting etc.) as a viable solution to this stressor.

Pt IX · col B
03

National democracy scholars, which engages with high school and college students to create peer educators and social influencers for issues that will strengthen american democracy.

Pt IX · col B

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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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$13K
Grants paid · 5 grants · $684K · 2023–2024
Country First ActionIL · FY2024$75,000
US Capital Police Memorial FundFY2023$14,051

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$178K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$178K
Investment incomeLn 3$7
Money outPt IX
$683K
Ln 25
Programscol B$641K
Managementcol C$42K
Owns and owesPt X
$0
net assets · Ln 32
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
3
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b2
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$178K
Investment incomeLn 3$7
Total revenueLn 12$178K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$0
SavingsLn 2$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$0
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 51
VolunteersI 65
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$528K$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$528K$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$23K$0
Net assetsLn 32$505K$0
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$580K$580K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$18K$14K$4K
Legal feesLn 11b$26K$26K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$37K$29K$7K
Office expensesLn 13$23K$18K$5K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$282$282
Total functional expensesLn 25$683K$641K$42K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $178K$683K−$505K$0 990 PDF
FY2023 $681K$176K$505K$505K 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 FY2024 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $177,886 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$177,879
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$177,879
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $7$7
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $7$177,886
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $682,892 across 6 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $579,500$579,500
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $14,000 · Management $3,500$17,500
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $26,237$26,237
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $29,495 · Management $7,375$36,870
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $18,002 · Management $4,501$22,503
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Management $282$282
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $640,997 · Management $41,895 · Fundraising $0$682,892
Part X · Balance sheet $0 assets, 17 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $320,601$0
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $207,519$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivable$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$0
X-11 Publicly traded securities$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assets$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $528,120$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $23,114$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $505,006$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $505,006$0
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $528,120$0
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $0 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$177,886
XI-2 Total expenses$682,892
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$505,006
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$505,006
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$0

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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