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Nonprofiteer
← DEFENDING EDUCATION

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by DEFENDING EDUCATION.

Totals

Total revenue
$5,331,408
Total expenses
$4,971,032
Contributions and grants received
$5,159,340
Grants paid
$6,000
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$0
Other revenue
$172,068
Total assets, end of year
$980,016
Total liabilities, end of year
$280,136
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$699,880
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$3,745,733
Management and general expenses
$636,004
Fundraising expenses
$589,295
Program service expenses (Part III)
$3,745,733

Program services were 75.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1b · Membership dues

    $44,577

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $5,114,763

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $0

  • 11a · Other revenue: Shared service revenue

    total $172,068 · related or exempt $172,068

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $172,068

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $6,000 · program services $6,000

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $533,250 · program services $244,363 · management and general $150,054 · fundraising $138,833

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,255,359 · program services $1,043,099 · management and general $146,638 · fundraising $65,622

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $127,156 · program services $91,682 · management and general $20,843 · fundraising $14,631

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $121,062 · program services $87,288 · management and general $19,844 · fundraising $13,930

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $1,260,143 · program services $1,244,981 · management and general $15,162

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $53,411 · management and general $53,411

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $72,000 · fundraising $72,000

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $517,108 · program services $352,319 · management and general $59,374 · fundraising $105,415

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $232,615 · program services $232,615

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $36,331 · management and general $24,733 · fundraising $11,598

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $140,082 · program services $101,002 · management and general $22,962 · fundraising $16,118

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $22,800 · management and general $22,800

  • 17 · Travel

    total $258,638 · program services $186,484 · management and general $42,395 · fundraising $29,759

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $211,965 · program services $155,900 · management and general $32,942 · fundraising $23,123

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $12,410 · management and general $12,410

  • 24a · Other expenses: Direct mail

    total $98,266 · fundraising $98,266

  • 24b · Other expenses: Dues and subscriptions

    total $12,436 · management and general $12,436

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $450,734 · end of year $864,162

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $650,000

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $22,804 · end of year $43,202

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $81,090 · end of year $72,652

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $865,124 · end of year $280,136

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $339,504 · end of year $699,880

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

National grassroots organization working to reclaim our schools from activists promoting harmful agendas. Through network and coalition building investigating reporting, litigation, and engagement on local, state, and national policies, we fight educational - Cont. sched O

Activities or mission (Part I)

National grassroots organization working to reclaim our schools from activists promoting harmful agendas Through network and coalition building investigating reporting litigation and engagement on local state and national policies we fight educational Cont sched O

  • Through network and coalition building, investigative reporting, liti- gation, and engagement on local, state, and national policies, Defending Education works to ensure that students at all levels receive a quality education free from political influence and bias. DE empowers parents and students by teaching them about civil rights and how the American education system is structured; exposes malfeasance in schools and the school system through a tip line and public records requests; and engages in the policy process by filing lawsuits & federal comments, sending coalition letters, and networking education activists with each other and the broader policy advocacy community.

    Expenses $3,745,733 · Grants $6,000

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Nicole Neily

    PRESIDENT SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $358,571
    From this org
    $349,583
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $8,988
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $349,583
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $8,988
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $358,571

  • Michele Exner

    Senior Advisor

    Total calculated
    $203,583
    From this org
    $197,583
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $6,000
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $197,583
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $6,000
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $203,583

  • Caroline Moore

    Vice President

    Total calculated
    $198,038
    From this org
    $184,667
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,371
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $184,667
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $5,330
    Nontaxable benefits
    $8,041
    Filer's total
    $198,038

  • Marissa Fallon

    Director of Advocacy

    Total calculated
    $163,626
    From this org
    $149,250
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $14,376
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $149,250
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $4,387
    Nontaxable benefits
    $9,989
    Filer's total
    $163,626

  • Erika Sanzi

    Director Outreach

    Total calculated
    $142,583
    From this org
    $142,583
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Andrew Kozusko

    Director Development

    Total calculated
    $120,612
    From this org
    $109,583
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $11,029
    Hours/week
    40

  • Kenneth Marcus

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Karol Markowicz

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Edward Blum

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Garrett Exner

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Mary Hasson

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Written employment contract
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
10 October 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202512839349300016

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