Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by CITIZEN ACTION DEFENSE FUND.

Totals

Total revenue: $736,646
Total expenses: $734,746
Contributions and grants received: $736,646
Grants paid: $0
Program service revenue: $0
Investment income: $0
Other revenue: $0
Total assets, end of year: $33,574
Total liabilities, end of year: $0
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $33,574
Program services expenses (Part IX): $475,344
Management and general expenses: $259,402
Fundraising expenses: $0
Program service expenses (Part III): $475,344

Program services were 64.7% 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.

1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

$736,646

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

total $327,950 · program services $245,963 · management and general $81,987
11a · Fees: management

total $110,004 · management and general $110,004
11b · Fees: legal

total $205,775 · program services $204,420 · management and general $1,355
11c · Fees: accounting

total $13,328 · management and general $13,328
11g · Fees: other

total $13,704 · management and general $13,704
12 · Advertising and promotion

total $16,114 · program services $14,807 · management and general $1,307
13 · Office expenses

total $9,585 · management and general $9,585
14 · Information technology

total $12,297 · program services $10,154 · management and general $2,143
16 · Occupancy

total $19,344 · management and general $19,344
17 · Travel

total $3,098 · management and general $3,098
23 · Insurance

total $3,547 · management and general $3,547

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

beginning of year $31,674 · end of year $33,574
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

beginning of year $31,674 · end of year $33,574

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

TO SUSTAIN, DEFEND AND PROVIDE THE MEANS TO PRESERVE THE INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF ALL WASHINGTONIANS, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF RELIGION, FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY, FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION, PARTICULARLY DURING DECLARED STATES OF EMERGENCIES, AND TO CARRY ON OTHER CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PURPOSE AS ALLOWED BY LAW.

Activities or mission (Part I)

CITIZEN ACTION DEFENSE FUND IS A WATCHDOG FOR ALL WASHINGTONIANS, HELPING TO ENSURE THAT STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PLAY BY THE RULES AND THAT THE PUBLIC'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED. WE ACHIEVE THESE GOALS BY SUPPORTING AND PURSUING STRATEGIC, HIGH-IMPACT LITIGATION IN CASES WHERE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEFEND YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, RESTRAIN GOVERNMENT OVERREACH, AND PROTECT FREE MARKETS.

LITIGATION - CADF FILES LAWSUITS, REPRESENTS AFFECTED PARTIES, AND INTERVENES IN OTHER CASES WHEN THE STATE ENACTS LAWS THAT VIOLATE THE STATE OR FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONS, WHEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TAKE ACTIONS THAT INFRINGE UPON FIRST AMENDMENT OR OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, OR WHEN AGENCIES PROMULGATE RULES IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW.CADF V. OFM. CADF PREVAILED IN LITIGATION AGAINST THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR WITHHOLDING DOCUMENTS FROM BILLION-DOLLAR NEGOTIATIONS WITH PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS.UNDIVIDED MEDIA V. CITY OF SEATTLE. CADF FILED A PUBLIC RECORDS LAWSUIT IN STATE COURT TO OBTAIN RECORDS REGARDING A COUNCILMEMBER'S PUBLIC SAFETY VOTE.CADF ET AL. V. STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL. LAWSUIT FILED IN FEDERAL COURT TO BLOCK OR DELAY RESTRICTIONS TO THE NATURAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HARMED BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS IN WASHINGTON STATE.SMITH V. WSDOT. CADF DEFENDED A WHISTLEBLOWER WHO WAS FORCED OUT OF HIS JOB AFTER HE WAS PRESSURED TO LIE ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THE GOVERNOR'S CAP AND TRADE PROGRAM ON FUEL COSTS.N. PEARL ST. V. TACOMA. CADF CHALLENGED AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL MEASURE (THE TACOMA INITIATIVE) THAT WILL INCREASE THE COST OF HOUSING IN TACOMA.DORIOT V. WSDOT. CADF FILED A SUIT ON BEHALF OF A SMALL BUSINESS CHALLENGING THE STATE LEGISLATURE'S PASSING OF A TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE THAT VIOLATED THE SINGLE SUBJECT REQUIREMENT OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION.WALSH V. HOBBS. CADF INTERVENED IN A LAWSUIT THAT CHALLENGED THE LAW THAT ALLOWED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO WRITE MISLEADING ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENTS FOR STATEWIDE INITIATIVES.

Expenses $450,383
COMMUNICATION - CADF ENGAGES WITH THE MEDIA, THE PUBLIC, STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, LAWMAKERS AND STAFF, AND DONORS ON LEGAL ISSUES THAT ADVANCE FREE MARKETS, RESTRAIN GOVERNMENT OVERREACH OR DEFEND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

Expenses $24,961
EDUCATION - CADF EDUCATES WASHINGTON CITIZENS ABOUT LEGAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT THEIR FREEDOM AND RIGHTS UNDER THE FEDERAL AND STATE CONSTITUTIONS. CADF ALSO PROVIDES A GUIDE TO ASSIST AND EDUCATE STATE VOTERS ON THE RECORD OF DECISIONS OF JUDGES AND WHETHER THEY ARE BIASED OR INCONSISTENT WITH CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND COMMON SENSE.

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

JACKSON MAYNARD

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$327,950

From this org

$327,950

From related orgs

$0

Other

$0

Hours/week

40

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$327,950

Bonus

$0

Other

$0

Deferred

$0

Nontaxable benefits

$0

Filer's total

$327,950
DANN MEAD SMITH

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
STEVE GORDON

BOARD DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
PAUL S GRAVES

BOARD DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
CRAIG WILLIAMSON

BOARD DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5

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 · 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: 17 November 2025
IRS schema version: 2024v5.2
Source object: 202523219349317792

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