Form 990 for tax year 2023
Filed by SECURE DEMOCRACY USA.
This return was superseded by a later amendment. matched by us It is kept because history is preserved rather than replaced.
What the amendment changed
Compared with the latest return for 2023 , filed 26 March 2025. matched by us Only the return's totals, a 990-PF's accounting method and the names listed in Part VII (Part VIII on a 990-PF) are compared. We relate returns by organization, tax year and form, and order them by each return's own timestamp; the filer's own "amended return" checkbox is a separate fact.
- Total expenses
- $2,879,459 changed to $2,942,012
- Contributions and grants received
- $3,955,005 changed to $3,956,111
- Other revenue
- $98,956 changed to $97,850
- Total assets, end of year
- $1,837,686 changed to $1,387,686
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $612,601 changed to $225,154
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $1,225,085 changed to $1,162,532
- Program services expenses
- $2,037,289 changed to $2,037,288
- Management and general expenses
- $588,959 changed to $651,513
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $2,037,289 changed to $2,037,288
Totals
- Total revenue
- $4,053,961
- Total expenses
- $2,879,459
- Contributions and grants received
- $3,955,005
- Grants paid
- $31,750
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $0
- Other revenue
- $98,956
- Total assets, end of year
- $1,837,686
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $612,601
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $1,225,085
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $2,037,289
- Management and general expenses
- $588,959
- Fundraising expenses
- $253,211
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $2,037,289
Program services were 70.8% 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.
-
1d · Related organizations
$450,000
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$3,505,005
-
11a · Other revenue: Insurance Reimbursemen
total $97,850 · excluded $97,850
-
11b · Other revenue: Miscellaneous
total $1,106 · excluded $1,106
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$98,956
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $31,750 · program services $31,750
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $456,717 · program services $288,428 · management and general $84,823 · fundraising $83,466
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $291,768 · program services $175,547 · management and general $54,857 · fundraising $61,364
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $18,470 · program services $13,448 · management and general $2,806 · fundraising $2,216
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $111,285 · program services $73,045 · management and general $22,119 · fundraising $16,121
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $61,925 · program services $41,958 · management and general $9,651 · fundraising $10,316
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $252,570 · management and general $252,570
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $40,133 · management and general $40,133
-
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services
total $22,724 · fundraising $22,724
-
11g · Fees: other
total $1,317,949 · program services $1,252,852 · management and general $59,697 · fundraising $5,400
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $1,567 · program services $1,567
-
13 · Office expenses
total $45,461 · program services $43,403 · management and general $1,983 · fundraising $75
-
14 · Information technology
total $55,140 · management and general $11,439 · fundraising $43,701
-
16 · Occupancy
total $167 · program services $167
-
17 · Travel
total $69,051 · program services $63,461 · management and general $884 · fundraising $4,706
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $16,950 · program services $15,336 · fundraising $1,614
-
23 · Insurance
total $2,684 · management and general $2,684
-
24a · Other expenses: Miscellaneous
total $41,998 · program services $8 · management and general $41,990
-
24b · Other expenses: Dues and Subscriptions
total $25,520 · program services $25,345 · management and general $175
-
24c · Other expenses: Payroll Processing
total $15,630 · program services $10,974 · management and general $3,148 · fundraising $1,508
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $925,079 · end of year $1,698,653
-
4 · Accounts receivable
beginning of year $10,801 · end of year $12,330
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
end of year $18,924
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$20,406
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$0
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $0 · end of year $20,406
-
15 · Other assets
beginning of year $30,070 · end of year $87,373
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $363,382 · end of year $220,984
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $551,985 · end of year $391,617
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $50,583 · end of year $1,225,085
Mission and programs · 2023
Mission
Secure Democracy USA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to build stronger elections, state by state.
-
State Policy Change: Efforts undertaken to advance or defeat election law-related legislative priorities and/or contribute to the implementation of new election laws in a specific subset of states.
Expenses $1,718,093 · Grants $31,750
-
Public Education: Efforts undertaken to educate the public about the benefits and/or drawbacks of proposed legislation related to elections and/or facilitate public comment on proposed legislation through traditional and digital campaign tactics.
Expenses $154,644
-
Partner Capacity Building: Direct human, financial, and/or knowledge-based resources provided to other nonpartisan, 501(c)(4) charitable organizations advancing shared, strategic objectives and initiatives related to election law and policy.
Expenses $116,826
-
Voter Sentiment Research: Rigorous, commissioned public opinion research into the elections policy-related attitudes, beliefs, and preferences of voters across the ideological spectrum.
Expenses $14,060
-
National Policy Analysis: Research and analysis pertaining to laws and legislation related to elections, and their impact, nationwide.
Expenses $33,666
As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.
Listed in Part VII
-
Brina Milikosky
President
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 3 + 6 related
-
Zach Silk
Secretary & Treasurer
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 3 + 6 related
-
Megan Lewis
Executive Director
- Total calculated
- $330,999
- From this org
- $88,151
- From related orgs
- $242,416
- Other
- $432
- Hours/week
- 8 + 32 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $88,151 + $242,416 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $115 + $317 related
- Filer's total
- $88,266 + $242,733 related
-
Tshombe Hubbard
Chief Administrative Officer
- Total calculated
- $256,367
- From this org
- $63,582
- From related orgs
- $190,746
- Other
- $2,039
- Hours/week
- 8 + 32 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $63,582 + $190,746 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $510 + $1,529 related
- Filer's total
- $64,092 + $192,275 related
-
Samantha Tarazi
Chief Operating Officer
- Total calculated
- $259,882
- From this org
- $62,462
- From related orgs
- $191,620
- Other
- $5,800
- Hours/week
- 8 + 32 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $62,462 + $191,620 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $1,426 + $4,374 related
- Filer's total
- $63,888 + $195,994 related
-
Alexander Lee
Chief People Officer
- Total calculated
- $213,912
- From this org
- $42,770
- From related orgs
- $171,078
- Other
- $64
- Hours/week
- 8 + 32 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $42,770 + $171,078 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $13 + $51 related
- Filer's total
- $42,783 + $171,129 related
-
Megan Bellamy
VP of Law & Policy
- Total calculated
- $216,763
- From this org
- $37,039
- From related orgs
- $174,611
- Other
- $5,113
- Hours/week
- 8 + 32 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $37,039 + $174,611 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $895 + $4,218 related
- Filer's total
- $37,934 + $178,829 related
-
Charlotte Olena
Sr. Director of Advocacy
- Total calculated
- $204,157
- From this org
- $69,580
- From related orgs
- $134,070
- Other
- $507
- Hours/week
- 8 + 32 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $69,580 + $134,070 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $173 + $334 related
- Filer's total
- $69,753 + $134,404 related
-
James Daniel Griffith II
Sr Director of Policy
- Total calculated
- $185,316
- From this org
- $54,205
- From related orgs
- $131,111
- Other
- $0
- Hours/week
- 8 + 32 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $54,205 + $131,111 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $0
- Filer's total
- $54,205 + $131,111 related
-
Rebecca Israel
Sr Director of Major Gifts
- Total calculated
- $178,985
- From this org
- $34,952
- From related orgs
- $139,809
- Other
- $4,224
- Hours/week
- 8 + 32 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $34,952 + $139,809 related
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $0
- Nontaxable benefits
- $845 + $3,379 related
- Filer's total
- $35,797 + $143,188 related
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 · Form 990 of other organizations
- 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
- 6b · Pay contingent on a related 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
-
$31,750
Legislative Support 2024
Related organizations on this return
Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.
-
501(c)(3) · Expert Analysis Research on Election Related Law · DC · controlled entity
-
Free and Fair Elections USA Inc
501(c)(4) · Public Education · DC · controlled entity
Provenance
- Return type
- form_990
- Tax year
- 2023
- Filed
- 15 November 2024
- IRS schema version
- 2023v5.1
- Source object
- 202403209349315955
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