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← SECURE DEMOCRACY USA

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This return was superseded by a later amendment.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

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.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
15 November 2024
IRS schema version
2023v5.1
Source object
202403209349315955

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