Totals
- Total revenue
- $3,308,425
- Total expenses
- $2,819,772
- Contributions and grants received
- $3,291,853
- Grants paid
- $0
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $2,544
- Other revenue
- $14,028
- Total assets, end of year
- $1,884,777
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $162,972
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $1,721,805
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $2,136,920
- Management and general expenses
- $313,486
- Fundraising expenses
- $369,366
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $2,136,920
Program services were 75.8% 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.
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$3,291,853
-
1g · Noncash contributions included above
$30,239
-
3 · Investment income
total $2,544 · excluded $2,544
-
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds
total $0
-
5 · Royalties
total $0
-
6d · Net rental income or loss
total $0
-
7d · Net gain or loss
total $0
-
8c · Net income from fundraising events
total $0
-
9c · Net income from gaming
total $0
-
10c · Net income from sales of inventory
total $0
-
11a · Other revenue: OTHER INCOME
total $14,028 · excluded $14,028
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$14,028
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $0
-
2 · Grants to domestic individuals
total $0
-
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals
total $0
-
4 · Benefits paid to or for members
total $0
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $122,043 · program services $95,188 · management and general $11,861 · fundraising $14,994
-
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons
total $0
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $1,468,391 · program services $1,144,636 · management and general $142,720 · fundraising $181,035
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $28,329 · program services $22,139 · management and general $2,769 · fundraising $3,421
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $162,246 · program services $127,087 · management and general $15,675 · fundraising $19,484
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $131,598 · program services $102,697 · management and general $12,853 · fundraising $16,048
-
11a · Fees: management
total $0
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $5,399 · management and general $5,399
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $22,000 · management and general $22,000
-
11d · Fees: lobbying
total $0
-
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services
total $0
-
11f · Fees: investment management
total $0
-
11g · Fees: other
total $292,962 · program services $247,531 · management and general $20,158 · fundraising $25,273
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $91,839 · program services $80,053 · management and general $633 · fundraising $11,153
-
13 · Office expenses
total $23,723 · program services $8,848 · management and general $7,909 · fundraising $6,966
-
14 · Information technology
total $132,358 · program services $94,508 · management and general $17,788 · fundraising $20,062
-
15 · Royalties
total $0
-
16 · Occupancy
total $63,115 · program services $41,513 · management and general $14,643 · fundraising $6,959
-
17 · Travel
total $58,671 · program services $39,015 · management and general $9,989 · fundraising $9,667
-
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials
total $0
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $0
-
20 · Interest
total $0
-
21 · Payments to affiliates
total $0
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $3,081 · management and general $3,081
-
23 · Insurance
total $25,480 · program services $42 · management and general $25,438
-
24a · Other expenses: EDITORIAL SUPPORT
total $127,855 · program services $127,852 · fundraising $3
-
24b · Other expenses: DEVELOPMENT/CORPORATE SPONSOR
total $49,890 · program services $2,727 · management and general $570 · fundraising $46,593
-
24c · Other expenses: ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
total $6,954 · fundraising $6,954
-
24d · Other expenses: MEMBER SERVICES
total $3,838 · program services $3,084 · fundraising $754
-
24e · All other expenses
total $0
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $1,179,822 · end of year $1,352,935
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
beginning of year $25,852 · end of year $70,465
-
3 · Pledges and grants receivable
beginning of year $69,001 · end of year $341,998
-
4 · Accounts receivable
end of year $0
-
5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people
end of year $0
-
6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons
end of year $0
-
7 · Other notes and loans receivable
end of year $0
-
8 · Inventories for sale or use
end of year $0
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $16,447 · end of year $25,480
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$19,815
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$8,587
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $9,910 · end of year $11,228
-
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities
end of year $0
-
12 · Investments: other securities
end of year $0
-
13 · Investments: program-related
end of year $0
-
14 · Intangible assets
end of year $0
-
15 · Other assets
beginning of year $117,979 · end of year $82,671
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $46,245 · end of year $54,067
-
19 · Deferred revenue
end of year $12,500
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $139,614 · end of year $96,405
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $786,865 · end of year $633,351
-
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions
beginning of year $446,287 · end of year $1,088,454
Mission and programs · 2025
Mission
OUR MISSION: OUR MISSION IS TO PRODUCE IN-DEPTH PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM COVERINGSTATE AND COMMUNITY ISSUES RELEVANT TO MONTANANS.OUR VISION: ALL MONTANANS HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY JOURNALISM THAT CREATESPOSITIVE CHANGE AND HELPS MOVE SOCIETY TOWARD JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
Activities or mission (Part I)
MONTANA FREE PRESS IS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT, READER-SUPPORTED NEWSROOM THATPROVIDES HIGH QUALITY, IN-DEPTH AND DATA-INFORMED NEWS, INFORMATION, AND ANALYSIS TOALL FREE OF CHARGE.WE BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM HAS THE CAPACITY TO CATALYZE POSITIVESOCIAL CHANGE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE FREE ACCESS TO INFORMATION IS THE TINDER TO IGNITEACTION. WE ENVISION A FUTURE FOR OUR STATE WITH EQUITABLE ACCESS TO CLEAN AIR AND AHEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION, AFFORDABLE HOMES, SUSTAINABLE ECONOMICGROWTH, AND ABOVE ALL, ACCESS TO NONPARTISAN INFORMATION THAT ALLOWS MONTANANS TO BEENGAGED CITIZENS. WE DONT TELL OUR READERS HOW TO THINK; RATHER, WE PROVIDE THEM WITH NONPARTISAN FACTS AND ANALYSIS TO FORM THEIR OWN OPINIONS AND ACTIONS.WE HOLD THOSE IN POWER ACCOUNTABLE WHILE STRIVING TO MOVE MONTANAS NEEDLE TOWARD AJUST AND EQUITABLE DEMOCRACY. IN A SEA OF ADVERTISING REVENUE-DRIVEN NEWSROOMS, MTFPIS AN INNOVATIVE LEADER IN THE NEWS INDUSTRY, COMMITTED TO OPERATING UNDER A NONPROF
-
PROGRAM: EDITORIALMTFP SEEKS TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH AND BRING TO LIGHT ESSENTIAL NEWS STORIES BY INVESTIGATING GOVERNMENT, POLICY AND COMMUNITY ISSUES, ANALYZING DATA AND PUBLIC RECORDS, AND HOLDING THOSE IN POWER ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE. WE WORK INDEPENDENTLY AND IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER NEWS OUTLETS AROUND MONTANA TO PRODUCE IN-DEPTH, PUBLIC-SERVICE JOURNALISM INCLUDING STATEWIDE AND LOCAL REPORTING THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE.
Expenses $1,587,053
-
PROGRAM: AUDIENCEONE OF MTFPS KEY GOALS IS TO PRODUCE ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC-SERVICE JOURNALISM THAT FILLS THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF MONTANANS, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS UNDERSERVED BY LOCAL NEWS. TO MEET THESE NEEDS, WE PRIORITIZE BROAD DISTRIBUTION OF OUR FREE CONTENT THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, NEWSLETTERS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AUDIO PROGRAMMING, LIVE EVENTS, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH NEWS OUTLETS ACROSS THE STATE, WHICH ARE ABLE TO REPUBLISH OUR WORK AT NO COST. WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE WAYS OF DELIVERING NEWS THAT MEET MONTANANS WHEREVER THEY ARE ONLINE, ON MOBILE, THROUGH EMAIL, BROADCAST, AND IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
Expenses $349,083
-
PROGRAM: SPECIAL PROJECTS MTFP launched and expanded several strategic initiatives designed to strengthen civic engagement, improve access to trusted local journalism and better understand the information needs of Montanans. During the year, Special Projects included the Montana Insights public opinion research initiative, expansion of MTFP Local reporting into Billings, and participation in Local News Day, a national effort to increase awareness of and support for local journalism. These initiatives complement Montana Free Press' core reporting mission by providing original public-interest research, expanding local reporting capacity and engaging communities around the importance of independent journalism.
Expenses $200,784
As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.
Listed in Part VII
-
John AdamsJOHN ADAMS
Executive Dir.
- Total calculated
- $122,043
- From this org
- $122,043
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Mark HuberMARK HUBER
Treasurer
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Heather DietrickHEATHER DIETRICK
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Anne AvisANNE AVIS
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Susan FoxSUSAN FOX
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Skylar BrowningSKYLAR BROWNING
President
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Alexis BonogofskyALEXIS BONOGOFSKY
Secretary
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Tresa SmithTRESA SMITH
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Jason BegayJASON BEGAY
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Mike DennisonMIKE DENNISON
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
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.
Grants on this return
No itemized grants to organizations on this return.
Taxable family on this return
Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.
Disregarded entities
Part I: entities that legally are the filer and file no return of their own.
-
ROCKY MOUNTAIN FREE PRESS LLC
MOUNTAIN JOURNAL · MT · income $112,955 · assets $31,640
Directly controlled by MONTANA FREE PRESS
Provenance
- Return type
- form_990
- Tax year
- 2025
- Filed
- 31 August 2026
- IRS schema version
- 2025v4.1
- Source object
- 202642439349300949
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