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Country First Action FY2023 filing

Not tax-deductible

Ottawa, IL501(c)(4)Public & Societal Benefit EIN 92-2311773Revenue $913K in FY2023Latest return filed Nov 12, 2025

On file with the IRScountry1st.comPo Box 2385, 61350-6985 · Ottawa, ILTax-exempt since Jan 2026

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Country First Action is dedicated to pro-democracy education and engagement, with the mission of strengthening our democratic institutions and improving civic discourse for the public good. We achieve this by mobilizing the Country First community, a network of 300,000 members and volunteers, and equipping them with the tools needed to support and enhance democracy.

501(c)(4) social-welfare organization; gifts are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
54¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2023 · 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
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
2 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $258K a year · 26% of revenue · last 2 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 2 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
54%
of spending
Worth a look: 54% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $75K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$14K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
1
of 1 voting members
Looks good: 1 of 1 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$913K
Spent
$603K
To programs
54%
Net assets
$310K
By yearFY2023–FY2024
Revenue
$913K
FY2023
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$913K
FY2024$1.1M
Expenses
$603K
FY2023
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023$603K
FY2024$893K
Net assets
$310K
FY2023
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$310K
FY2024$505K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 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 Jan 2026.

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

Where the money goes

54 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 54% · $327K Management & general 14% · $87K Fundraising 31% · $189K

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

Something off? Claim to add context

Who runs it and what they're paid

1 person listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Mario Castillo
Director and President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Country First Action executive salaries →

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 and engages people to strengthen democracy and improve civic discourse.

Questions for Country First Action

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Your first name shows with your question. Country First Action answers here, for everyone.

1 program · $327K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Country First National Working Groups

Country first national volunteer working groups provided a unique and collaborative approach to civic education by intentionally connecting americans of different backgrounds, identities, contexts, and geographies together to learn, research, and discuss the leading ideas to promote civic governance.

$327Kprogram 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
Country First FoundationFY2024$75K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$75K

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$913K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$866K
Other incomeLn 4–11$47K
Money outPt IX
$603K
Ln 25
Programscol B$327K
Managementcol C$87K
Fundraisingcol D$189K
Owns and owesPt X
$310K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$323K
Total assetsLn 16$323K
LiabilitiesLn 26$14K
PeoplePt VI, VII
1
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a1
IndependentVI 1b1
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$866K
Other incomeLn 4–11$47K
Total revenueLn 12$913K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$323K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$323K
Total assetsLn 16$323K
LiabilitiesLn 26$14K
Net assetsLn 32$310K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 61,200
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$0$323K
Total assetsLn 16$0$323K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$14K
Net assetsLn 32$0$310K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Management feesLn 11a$204K$204K
Legal feesLn 11b$14K$14K
Accounting feesLn 11c$10K$10K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$243K$106K$51K$86K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$64K$64K
Office expensesLn 13$519$519
Information technologyLn 14$22K$17K$2K$2K
TravelLn 17$8K$8K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$39K$1K$38K
Total functional expensesLn 25$603K$327K$87K$189K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Nov 12, 2025 $1.1M$893K$206K$505K 990 PDF
FY2023 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 15, 2024 $913K$603K$310K$310K 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $912,529 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grants$865,989
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$46,540
I-12 Total revenue$912,529
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$0
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expenses$603,010
I-18 Total expenses$603,010
I-19 Revenue less expenses$309,519
Part VI · Governance 1 of 1 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body1
VI-1b Independent voting members1
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
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $912,529 across 4 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $46,540 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1d Related organizations$55,500
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$810,489
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$865,989
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $46,540 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$912,529
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $603,010 across 9 lines filed
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $203,880$203,880
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $14,302$14,302
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $10,012$10,012
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $106,061 · Management $51,077 · Fundraising $85,861$242,999
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $63,523$63,523
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $519$519
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $17,257 · Management $2,158 · Fundraising $2,158$21,573
IX-17 TravelManagement $7,557$7,557
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Management $1,138 · Fundraising $37,507$38,645
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $327,198 · Management $86,763 · Fundraising $189,049$603,010
Part X · Balance sheet $323,338 assets, 6 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $0$323,338
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $0$323,338
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$13,819
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$13,819
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $0$309,519
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $0$323,338
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $309,519 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$912,529
XI-2 Total expenses$603,010
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$309,519
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$309,519

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

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