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Nonprofiteer
← BEACON CENTER OF TENNESSEE

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by BEACON CENTER OF TENNESSEE.

Totals

Total revenue
$2,697,352
Total expenses
$2,484,142
Contributions and grants received
$2,635,971
Grants paid
$77,000
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$61,381
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$3,099,125
Total liabilities, end of year
$354,263
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$2,744,862
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,986,247
Management and general expenses
$213,248
Fundraising expenses
$284,647
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,986,247

Program services were 80.0% 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

    $2,635,971

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $61,381 · excluded $61,381

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $77,000 · program services $77,000

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $222,041 · program services $172,963 · management and general $16,638 · fundraising $32,440

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,392,194 · program services $1,084,477 · management and general $104,318 · fundraising $203,399

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $145,317 · program services $112,147 · management and general $22,606 · fundraising $10,564

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $35,965 · program services $13,816 · management and general $22,149

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $79,909 · program services $76,409 · management and general $3,500

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $168,113 · program services $162,444 · management and general $5,669

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $47,117 · program services $44,504 · management and general $2,558 · fundraising $55

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $48,783 · program services $32,483 · management and general $15,767 · fundraising $533

  • 17 · Travel

    total $68,605 · program services $67,567 · management and general $780 · fundraising $258

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,460 · management and general $1,460

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $8,504 · management and general $8,504

  • 24a · Other expenses: TRAINING

    total $71,839 · program services $71,839

  • 24b · Other expenses: PRINTING

    total $25,722 · program services $1,540 · fundraising $24,182

  • 24c · Other expenses: EVENTS

    total $23,571 · program services $17,212 · fundraising $6,359

  • 24d · Other expenses: RECRUITMENT

    total $18,200 · program services $18,200

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $49,802 · program services $33,646 · management and general $9,299 · fundraising $6,857

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $2,534,754 · end of year $2,648,112

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $15,000 · end of year $152,396

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $2,173 · end of year $13,115

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $59,103

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $56,322

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $553 · end of year $2,781

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $48,365 · end of year $282,721

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $25,735 · end of year $69,028

  • 24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable

    beginning of year $34,593 · end of year $54,573

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $8,865 · end of year $230,662

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,448,264 · end of year $2,172,112

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $83,388 · end of year $572,750

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

THE BEACON CENTER OF TENNESSEE IS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT AND NONPARTISAN RESEARCH ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PROVIDING CONCERNED CITIZENS, THE MEDIA AND PUBLIC LEADERS WITH EXPERT EMPIRICAL RESEARCH AND TIMELY FREE MARKET POLICY SOLUTIONS TO PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES IN TENNESSEE. THE BEACON CENTER EMPOWERS TENNESSEANS TO RECLAIM CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES, SO THAT THEY CAN FREELY PURSUE THEIR VERSION OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.

  • RESEARCH AND POLICY ANALYSIS - CONDUCTING RESEARCH INTO VARIOUS POLICY REFORMS AND DETERMINING THE IMPACT THEY HAVE ON TENNESSEEANS' LIVES; PUBLISHING RESEARCH AND RELATED INFORMATION ON KEY POLICY ISSUES

    Expenses $662,083 · Grants $25,667

  • GENERAL EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PROGRAMMING - COMMUNICATING WITH TENNESSEANS ABOUT VARIOUS PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES AND THE IMPACT THOSE ISSUES HAVE ON THEIR LIVES VIA WEBSITE, BLOG, VIDEOS, INFOGRAPHICS, PODCASTS, OPINION ARTICLES, MEDIA INTERVIEWS, AND EVENTS

    Expenses $662,082 · Grants $25,667

  • PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION - REPRESENTING TENNESSEANS WHOSE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED IN COURT; FILING OR SIGNING OFF ON AMICI BRIEFS IN KEY COURT CASES RELATED TO STATE AND FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

    Expenses $662,082 · Grants $25,666

  • LEGAL FOUNDATION - TO LITIGATE PRO BONO ON BEHALF OF TENNESSEE CLIENTS WHOSE ECONOMIC LIBERTY, PROPERTY RIGHTS, OR OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED.

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Joe Scarlett

    VICE CHAIRMAN

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Pat Shepherd

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ken Meyer

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Brian Fitzpatrick

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Fred Decosimo

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Tina Benkiser

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Andrew B Everett

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Richard C Patton

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Douglas Song

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • John Cerasuolo

    CHAIRMAN

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Justin Owen

    PRESIDENT & CEO

    Total calculated
    $222,040
    From this org
    $222,040
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $222,040
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $222,040

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

None.

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

No itemized grants to organizations 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.

  • BEACON IMPACT

    TN

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
1 May 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.1
Source object
202601219349301670

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