Form 990 for tax year 2024

Totals

Total revenue

$40,016,763

Total expenses

$29,735,575

Contributions and grants received

$36,482,507

Grants paid

$665,615

Program service revenue

$535,440

Investment income

$2,927,609

Other revenue

$71,207

Total assets, end of year

$74,097,710

Total liabilities, end of year

$9,637,453

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$64,460,257

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$23,647,763

Management and general expenses

$2,843,823

Fundraising expenses

$3,243,989

Program service expenses (Part III)

$23,647,763

Program services were 79.5% 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.

Mission and programs · 2024

• PUBLIC AWARENESS: FIRE EXECUTES BROAD COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS TO GENERATE AWARENESS OF FREE SPEECH ISSUES. WE SEEK TO REACH MILLIONS OF AMERICANS BY GETTING OUR CASES AND COMMENTARY IN PRINT, PLACING OP-EDS, AND COORDINATING MEDIA APPEARANCES; PRODUCING CREATIVE AND COMPELLING CONTENT FOR OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS THAT IS EASILY DIGESTIBLE AND SHAREABLE; AND MAINTAINING A ROBUST PUBLICATIONS PROGRAM TO GET OUR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IN FRONT OF THE EXPERTS THAT NEED TO SEE IT IN SCHOLARLY ARTICLES, ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS, BOOKS, AND MORE. IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025, FIRE RECEIVED 19,089 MEDIA MENTIONS; OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT RECEIVED 1.6 MILLION LIKES, COMMENTS, AND SHARES; AND OUR VIDEOS RECEIVED 10.4 MILLION VIEWS. OUR WEBSITE RECEIVED 4.7 MILLION VIEWS.

  Expenses $6,343,916 · Grants $1,593 · Revenue $3,700

• FIRE LITIGATION: FIRE STRATEGICALLY LITIGATES IN COURTS NATIONWIDE TO VINDICATE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. IN SERVICE OF OUR EXPANDED MISSION TO DEFEND FREE SPEECH BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPUS, OUR LITIGATION PROGRAM IS GROWING INTO A PREMIER PUBLIC-INTEREST LAW FIRM FOR FREE EXPRESSION. FIRE ATTORNEYS REVIEW EACH AND EVERY CASE SUBMISSION WE RECEIVE AND ALSO PROACTIVELY SEEK OUT LEGAL CHALLENGES WITH THE POTENTIAL TO SECURE LASTING LEGAL PRECEDENTS, MAJOR PUBLIC-POLICY REFORM, OR CLEAR CULTURAL IMPACT. SINCE FIRE BEGAN LITIGATING IN 2014, FIRE'S LITIGATION PROGRAM HAS SECURED 42 VICTORIES AND NEARLY $4 MILLION IN DAMAGES AND FEES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.)

  Expenses $4,144,884 · Grants $1,296 · Revenue $459,550

• RESEARCH: FIRE'S RESEARCH TEAM GATHERS SIGNIFICANT DATA ON THE NATION'S CLIMATE FOR FREE EXPRESSION SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF AMERICA'S FREE SPEECH CRISIS AND ARM ADVOCATES WITH TOOLS THEY CAN USE TO FIGHT CENSORSHIPS. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDE OUR FREE SPEECH INDEX, A QUARTERLY SURVEY ON NATIONAL ATTITUDES TOWARD FREE SPEECH, AND ANNUAL COLLEGE FREE SPEECH RANKINGS, THE NATION'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR FREE EXPRESSION.

  Expenses $3,086,891 · Grants $500,032 · Revenue $52,300

• STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS: FIRE'S STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM INITIATES, CULTIVATES, AND MAINTAINS RELATIONSHIPS WITH FIRE'S GROWING LIST OF ALLIES. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, WE MONITOR AND MAINTAIN OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE OUR WORK BY COLLABORATING WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PARTNERS.

  Expenses $2,844,709 · Grants $142,924

• CAMPUS RIGHTS ADVOCACY (CRA): FIRE CONTINUES TO PLACE A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON DEFENDING THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS ON CAMPUS, AND OUR CRA PROGRAM LEADS THESE EFFORTS. OUR EXPERT STAFF REVIEWS EVERY CASE SUBMISSION AND TAKES ACTION BY INTERVENING DIRECTLY WITH ADMINISTRATORS; USING FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) REQUESTS OR THREATS TO SCHOOLS' ACCREDITATION; APPLYING PUBLIC PRESSURE TO SCHOOLS TO REVERSE RIGHTS VIOLATIONS; AND WORKING WITH STUDENTS AND FACULTY WITH OTHER MEANS OF CREATIVE ADVOCACY. IN THE 2024-25 FISCAL YEAR, FIRE'S CRA TEAM SECURED 82 VICTORIES.

  Expenses $2,636,541 · Grants $879 · Revenue $12,492

• LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY: FIRE'S LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY TEAM WORKS AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF FREE SPEECH-FRIENDLY LEGISLATION AND AGAINST PROPOSED LAWS THAT WOULD RESTRICT SPEECH. THE TEAM PROPOSES MODEL LEGISLATION, TESTIFIES BEFORE STATE AND FEDERAL BODIES, MEETS WITH POLICYMAKERS TO PROVIDE LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS, AND ISSUES PUBLIC COMMENTARY. IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-25, THEY SECURED 20 LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES IN 11 STATES, SHORING UP CAMPUS DUE PROCESS RIGHTS, DEFEATING RESTRICTIONS ON ONLINE EXPRESSION, AND MORE.

  Expenses $1,580,594 · Grants $510 · Revenue $1,000

• PUBLIC ADVOCACY: FIRE'S PUBLIC ADVOCACY DEPARTMENT ENGAGES IN NON-LITIGATION ADVOCACY TO DEFEND AND PROMOTE EXPRESSIVE RIGHTS AND A STRONG CULTURE OF FREE EXPRESSION. OUR EXPERT STAFF REVIEWS EVERY CASE SUBMISSION AND TAKES ACTION BY INTERVENING DIRECTLY WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, WHILE ENGAGING IN CREATIVE ADVOCACY SUCH AS EMAIL-WRITING CAMPAIGNS AND PETITIONS THAT APPLY PUBLIC PRESSURE TO BAD ACTORS TO REVERSE RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-25, THE PUBLIC ADVOCACY TEAM SECURED 17 VICTORIES.

  Expenses $970,629 · Grants $334 · Revenue $1,750

• ENGAGEMENT & MOBILIZATION: FIRE'S ENGAGEMENT AND MOBILIZATION TEAM IS RAPIDLY BECOMING THE "HOME BASE" FOR AMERICA'S FREE SPEECH CONSTITUENCY, GIVING THEM THE COMMUNITY, THE KNOWLEDGE, AND THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO PROMOTE A CULTURE OF FREEEXPRESSION.

  Expenses $913,085 · Grants $12,717 · Revenue $1,648

• POLICY REFORM PROJECT: OUR POLICY REFORM TEAM PROACTIVELY AND SYSTEMATICALLY DOCUMENTS AND EXPOSES CAMPUS POLICIES THAT VIOLATE COLLEGE STUDENTS' FREE SPEECH RIGHTS. THE CENTERPIECE OF THEIR WORK IS MAINTAINING FIRE'S SPOTLIGHT DATABASE, WHICH CATALOGS RESTRICTIONS ON FREE SPEECH ON OVER 475 CAMPUSES NATIONWIDE. THE TEAM ALSO WORKS TO REFORM POLICIES BY WRITING LETTERS, MEETING WITH ADMINISTRATORS, COORDINATING WITH CAMPUS CONSTITUENTS SUCH AS ALUMNI OR FACULTY, AND PROVIDING POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS. IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-25, THE POLICY REFORM TEAM REFORMED 43 POLICIES ON 29 CAMPUSES, IMPACTING OVER 630,000 STUDENTS.

  Expenses $840,622 · Grants $289 · Revenue $3,000

• FACULTY OUTREACH: THE FIRE FACULTY NETWORK CONDUCTS OUTREACH TO COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FACULTY, CONNECTING THEM WITH A NETWORK THAT WILL GIVE THEM THE KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC FREEDOM ON THEIR CAMPUSES.

  Expenses $285,892 · Grants $5,041

• FIRE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT: FIRE'S STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS EDUCATE AND EMPOWER HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND LAW STUDENTS TO DEFEND FREE SPEECH THROUGH STUDENT CONFERENCES, INTERNSHIPS, AND LEGAL FELLOWSHIPS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE ALSO HELPING FIRE BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION OF TALENTED FREE SPEECH LEADERS, MANY OF WHOM GO ON TO WORK WITH US. IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025, FIRE HOSTED 30 INTERNS AND 13 LEGAL FELLOWS AND CLERKS.

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

Listed in Part VII

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

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

• COSMOS INSTITUTE INC

  $250,000

  FIRE AND COSMOS INSTITUTE ARE COLLABORATING ON A FAST GRANTS PROJECT TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRUTH-SEEKING AI.

• PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE

  $50,000

  THIS IS AN INTERVENTION STUDY THAT WILL TEST THE HKS PRACTICE OF TRAINING STUDENTS IN CIVIL DISAGREEMENT BY HAVING THEM INTERACT WITH AI CHATBOTS TO DEBATE HOT-BUTTON SOCIAL ISSUES AS PART OF ORIENTATION. ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS RELATING TO CIVIL DISAGREEMENT WILL BE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER EXPOSURE TO THE INTERVENTION.

• THE FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH

  $35,144

  THIS WILL BE AN INTERNATIONAL REPLICATION OF THE CFSR SURVEY LOOKING AT BRAZILIAN CAMPUSES RUN BY JACOB MCHANGAMA'S FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY.

• GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

  $35,000

  JOHN HASNAS WILL RECRUIT PAPER WRITERS AND SPEAKERS TO HOST A SYMPOSIUM ON THE ETHICS OF FREE SPEECH ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AT GEORGETOWN, WHICH WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

• NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER

  $25,000

  PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER TO HOST A FIRST AMENDMENT SUMMIT ON CONSTITUTION DAY.

• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES

  $24,279

  MARK PEZZO WILL DO 5 PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS TO SEE HOW DIFFERENT FACTORS INFLUENCE DESIRE TO CENSOR IN THE EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT, INCLUDING PERCEIVED OFFENSIVENESS, FALSITY, AND HARM, AS WELL AS PRAGMATIC CONCERNS (LOSS OF INCOME, HARM TO REPUTATION).

• THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  $22,000

  SURVEYS WILL BE UTILIZED TO FIND DIFFERENCES IN SUPPORT AMONG THE AMERICAN PUBLIC FOR THE LEGALITY OF DISAGREEABLE SPEECH AND PROTEST FOR CITIZENS AND NONCITIZENS AND STUDENTS AND NON-STUDENTS.

• INSTITUTE FOR HUMANE STUDIES AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

  $18,500

  CO-HOSTED HIGHER EDUCATION SUMMIT IN NASHVILLE, TN WITH THE INSTITUTE FOR HUMANE STUDIES FOR FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATORS.

• 2WAY INTERACTIVE INC

  $17,500

  FIRE SPONSORED THE MOYNIHAN REPORT, A CURRENT EVENTS NEWS SHOW HOSTED BY MICHAEL MOYNIHAN ON THE 2WAY PLATFORM. THE SPONSORSHIP FEATURED FIRE STAFF IN SEGMENTS, HOST-LED ADVOCACY, AND DIRECT FUNDRAISING APPEALS THAT INVITED VIEWERS TO SUPPORT FIRE'S FREE SPEECH MISSION.

• ELENA VELEZ INDUSTRY INC

  $15,000

  PARTNERSHIP WITH ELENA VELEZ TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF FREE EXPRESSION AT HER FASHION SHOW IN NYC.

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2024

Filed

28 October 2025

IRS schema version

2024v5.2

Source object

202513029349302776

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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