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← COUNTRY FIRST ACTION

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by COUNTRY FIRST ACTION.

Totals

Total revenue
$1,098,407
Total expenses
$892,588
Contributions and grants received
$1,067,909
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$0
Other revenue
$30,498
Total assets, end of year
$546,323
Total liabilities, end of year
$41,334
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$504,989
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$341,103
Management and general expenses
$361,247
Fundraising expenses
$190,238
Program service expenses (Part III)
$341,103

Program services were 38.2% 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

    $75,000

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $992,909

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $63,076

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $32,578

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $30,498 · related or exempt $30,498

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $22,753 · management and general $22,753

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $75,298 · management and general $75,298

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $663,748 · program services $308,124 · management and general $235,836 · fundraising $119,788

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $9,364 · program services $8,815 · management and general $313 · fundraising $236

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $54,625 · program services $575 · management and general $10,492 · fundraising $43,558

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $40,895 · program services $22,647 · management and general $2,732 · fundraising $15,516

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $4,312 · fundraising $4,312

  • 17 · Travel

    total $13,758 · program services $942 · management and general $6,226 · fundraising $6,590

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $7,835 · management and general $7,597 · fundraising $238

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $323,338 · end of year $375,107

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $75,000

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $32,879

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $48,546

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $14,791

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $13,819 · end of year $41,334

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $429,989

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $75,000

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS NATIONWIDE AND EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE TOOLS NEEDED, SUPPORT AND ENHANCE DEMOCRACY.

Activities or mission (Part I)

COUNTRY FIRST WORKS TO EMPOWER CITIZENS TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY AND REBUILD TRUST IN AMERICA'S INSTITUTIONS THROUGH CIVIC EDUCATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND ADVOCACY. WITH A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS COUNTRY FIRST EQUIPS THEM WITH THE TOOLS NEEDED TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE DEMOCRACY FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD.

  • COUNTRY FIRST NATIONAL WORKING GROUPS: COUNTRY FIRST NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WORKING GROUPS PROVIDED A UNIQUE AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO CIVIC EDUCATION BY INTENTIONALLY CONNECTING AMERICANS OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, IDENTITIES, CONTEXTS, AND GEOGRAPHIES TOGETHER TO LEARN, RESEARCH, AND DISCUSS THE LEADING IDEAS TO PROMOTE CIVIC GOVERNANCE. OUR WORKING GROUPS FOCUSED ON ELECTORAL REFORMS, RESTORING CIVIL DIALOGUE AND ADVANCING CONFLICT RESOLUTION, PROMOTING CIVIC LITERACY THROUGH POLITICAL RESEARCH, AND ADVANCING THOUGHTFUL CIVIC DEBATE OF POLICIES THROUGH PLANNING AND PROPOSING SPEAKER SERIES FOR ORGANIZATION SUPPORTERS. THESE WORKING GROUPS ENGAGED THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS WITHIN VIRTUAL FORMATS AND PROVIDED VOLUNTEERS WITH UNIQUE, LIVE EXPERIENCES TO GROW IN THE SKILLS NEEDED TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC GOOD.NATIONAL VIRTUAL CAMPFIRES: COUNTRY FIRST HOSTS REGULARLY SCHEDULED LIVE VIRTUAL CAMPFIRES AT WHICH TENS OF THOUSANDS GATHER AND WATCH LATER, WHERE MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS ARE INFORMED ON OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO DISMANTLE THE PERVASIVE TOXIC TRIBALISM DIVIDING OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM WITH AN EMPHASIS ON A COMMITMENT TO BRIDGE DIVIDES AND FORTIFY DEMOCRACY THROUGH CIVIC ACTION. NATIONAL CAMPFIRES PROVIDE COUNTRY FIRST THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE OUR MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS ON OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE AND BOLSTER OUR DEMOCRACY, TO EDUCATE ON IMPORTANT TOPICS OR ISSUES OF THE DAY AND TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO A SPACE OF FREE-FLOWING IDEAS AND CIVIC DISCOURSE WHERE THEY FEEL PART OF A COMMUNITY. FUTURE DEMOCRACY LEADERS: THE NATIONAL DEMOCRACY SCHOLARS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO FOSTER A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS DEDICATED TO NURTURING DEMOCRATIC VALUES. WE AIM TO ATTRACT A LEGION OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS TO COMPETE IN THE CREATION OF INTERESTING, ENTERTAINING, AND INNOVATIVE DIGITAL CONTENT THAT EDUCATES THEIR PEERS AND FOLLOWERS ON KEY ISSUES THAT WOULD MAKE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY STRONGER AND MORE INCLUSIVE.

    Expenses $341,103

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

Listed in Part VII

  • Greg Ridenour

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Mario Castillo

    CEO AND DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Adam Kinzinger

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

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.

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.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
12 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202503169349302935

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