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Nonprofiteer
← RELIGIOUS FREEDOM INSTITUTE INC

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by RELIGIOUS FREEDOM INSTITUTE INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$1,716,106
Total expenses
$1,855,135
Contributions and grants received
$1,680,946
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$70,811
Investment income
$599
Other revenue
-$36,250
Total assets, end of year
$716,068
Total liabilities, end of year
$556,728
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$159,340
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,088,397
Management and general expenses
$528,399
Fundraising expenses
$238,339
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,088,397

Program services were 58.7% 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.

  • 1c · Fundraising events

    $165,214

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,515,732

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $84,027

  • 2a · Program service revenue: CONTRACT REVENUE

    total $67,555 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 2b · Program service revenue: EVENT TICKET SALES

    total $3,256 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $7 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $7

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $81,605

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $81,013

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $592

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $592 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $592

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $19,200

  • 8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c

    $165,214

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $59,110

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total -$39,910 · unrelated business $0 · excluded -$39,910

  • 11a · Other revenue: OTHER INCOME

    total $3,660 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $3,660

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $3,660

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $303,768 · program services $130,536 · management and general $142,855 · fundraising $30,377

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $832,120 · program services $576,914 · management and general $112,341 · fundraising $142,865

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $20,685 · program services $13,868 · management and general $2,563 · fundraising $4,254

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $92,397 · program services $84,325 · management and general $3,565 · fundraising $4,507

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $76,115 · program services $45,274 · management and general $17,424 · fundraising $13,417

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $3,779 · program services $0 · management and general $3,779 · fundraising $0

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $80,549 · program services $0 · management and general $80,549 · fundraising $0

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $28,751 · program services $28,174 · management and general $577 · fundraising $0

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $189 · program services $189 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $6,633 · program services $60 · management and general $6,563 · fundraising $10

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $22,686 · program services $7,837 · management and general $12,744 · fundraising $2,105

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $181,920 · program services $110,904 · management and general $39,465 · fundraising $31,551

  • 17 · Travel

    total $62,169 · program services $34,830 · management and general $24,402 · fundraising $2,937

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $51,696 · program services $42,572 · management and general $9,124 · fundraising $0

  • 20 · Interest

    total $26,062 · program services $0 · management and general $26,062 · fundraising $0

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $15,664 · program services $9,549 · management and general $3,398 · fundraising $2,717

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $12,290 · program services $2,896 · management and general $8,570 · fundraising $824

  • 24a · Other expenses: DUES AND FEES

    total $27,662 · program services $469 · management and general $24,418 · fundraising $2,775

  • 24b · Other expenses: BAD DEBT EXPENSE

    total $10,000 · program services $0 · management and general $10,000 · fundraising $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $32,800 · end of year $247,012

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $5,000 · end of year $58,860

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $443,800 · end of year $19,400

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    end of year $353

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $7,629 · end of year $2,900

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

    $94,530

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

    $78,723

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $31,509 · end of year $15,807

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $516,375 · end of year $371,736

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $278,214 · end of year $208,941

  • 24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable

    beginning of year $2,720

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $498,647 · end of year $347,787

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year -$197,156 · end of year -$19,702

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $454,688 · end of year $179,042

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM INSTITUTE IS COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING A BROAD ACCEPTANCE OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT, THE CORNERSTONE OF A SUCCESSFUL SOCIETY, AND A SOURCE OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY.

  • THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM INSTITUTE (RFI) IS ADVANCING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT, THE CORNERSTONE OF A SUCCESSFUL SOCIETY, AND A SOURCE OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY. IT IS WORKING TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL BY CONVINCING STAKEHOLDERS IN SELECT REGIONS THAT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CAN HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR OWN GOALS - ECONOMIC, STRATEGIC, AND RELIGIOUS.

    Expenses $1,088,397

As filed on the 2024 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • MICHAEL ORTNER

    CHAIRMAN/CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • MARY RICE HASSON

    VICE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • DOUG BECH

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • THOMAS FARR

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • SCOTT HAMBERGER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • PATRICK KEARNS

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • FRANK KEATING

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • ANTHONY LAUINGER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • HANNAH SMITH

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • SEALY YATES

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • DAVID TRIMBLE

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $178,569
    From this org
    $159,390
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,179
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $159,390
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $5,040
    Nontaxable benefits
    $14,139
    Filer's total
    $178,569

  • JEREMY BARKER

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $125,198
    From this org
    $101,738
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $23,460
    Hours/week
    40

  • NATHAN BERKELEY

    DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

    Total calculated
    $171,797
    From this org
    $137,507
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $34,290
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $137,507
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $4,325
    Nontaxable benefits
    $29,965
    Filer's total
    $171,797

  • JAMES BENNETT

    DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CENTER FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM EDUCATION

    Total calculated
    $137,073
    From this org
    $106,769
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $30,304
    Hours/week
    40

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 · Written employment contract
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 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

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
13 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202543179349304704

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