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Nonprofiteer
← LAW FORWARD INC

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by LAW FORWARD INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$2,261,899
Total expenses
$2,132,071
Contributions and grants received
$2,170,981
Grants paid
$2,302
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$90,090
Other revenue
$828
Total assets, end of year
$5,731,329
Total liabilities, end of year
$74,905
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$5,656,424
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,393,731
Management and general expenses
$350,650
Fundraising expenses
$387,690
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,393,731

Program services were 65.4% 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

    $2,170,981

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $90,090 · excluded $90,090

  • 11d · All other revenue

    total $828 · excluded $828

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $828

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $2,302 · program services $2,302

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $334,269 · program services $113,652 · management and general $110,309 · fundraising $110,308

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $713,729 · program services $610,343 · management and general $90,664 · fundraising $12,722

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $6,348 · program services $4,394 · management and general $1,214 · fundraising $740

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $51,426 · program services $35,710 · management and general $9,790 · fundraising $5,926

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $81,285 · program services $56,169 · management and general $15,582 · fundraising $9,534

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $263,620 · program services $252,197 · management and general $11,423

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $37,644 · management and general $37,644

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $150,000 · fundraising $150,000

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $7,666 · management and general $7,666

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $79,169 · program services $2,051 · fundraising $77,118

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $200,857 · program services $172,737 · management and general $28,120

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $30,341 · program services $24,344 · management and general $4,996 · fundraising $1,001

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $13,586 · program services $9,388 · management and general $2,604 · fundraising $1,594

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $98,619 · program services $68,147 · management and general $18,905 · fundraising $11,567

  • 17 · Travel

    total $18,311 · program services $12,653 · management and general $3,510 · fundraising $2,148

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $8,301 · program services $5,736 · management and general $1,591 · fundraising $974

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $2,958 · program services $2,044 · management and general $567 · fundraising $347

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $29,721 · program services $20,538 · management and general $5,697 · fundraising $3,486

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $1,919 · program services $1,326 · management and general $368 · fundraising $225

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $808,717 · end of year $955,765

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $254,214 · end of year $769,636

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $1,476,284 · end of year $769,695

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $8,493 · end of year $15,012

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

    $10,250

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

    $4,807

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $2,901 · end of year $5,443

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $3,004,357 · end of year $2,872,151

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $18,972 · end of year $304,460

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $63,106 · end of year $39,167

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $113,094 · end of year $32,360

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $83,634 · end of year $42,545

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $3,936,884 · end of year $4,786,729

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $1,503,432 · end of year $869,695

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

TO PRESERVE FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES, SUPPORT WISCONSIN'S COMMITMENT TO CLEAN AND OPEN GOVERNMENT, AND PROMOTE A PROGRESSIVE VISION THROUGH IMPACT LITIGATION, ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES AND PUBLIC EDUCATION.

Activities or mission (Part I)

TO PRESERVE FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES, REVIVE WISCONSIN'S TRADITIONAL COMMITMENT TO CLEAN AND OPEN GOVERNMENT, AND PROMOTE A PROGRESSIVE VISION THROUGH IMPACT LITIGATION, ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION.

  • THE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPS CASES, IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO USE LITIGATION TO DEVELOP THE LAW IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS. THE ORGANIZATION CONFRONTS LEGISLATIVE WRONGDOING, WHETHER IT BE PROCEDURAL ERRORS, INCONSISTENCY WITH THE STATE OR FEDERAL CONSTITUTION, OR SUBSTANTIVE SHORTCOMINGS. THE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPS AND LITIGATES INNOVATIVE TEST CASES IN THE ISSUE AREAS OF DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT AND ENSURES THAT STATE AGENCIES FULFILL THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE MANDATES.

    Expenses $1,393,731 · Grants $2,302

As filed on the 2024 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • JUDY ZIEWACZ

    SECRETARY/TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ANDREW DISCH

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • JOHN MILLER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • CHRISTINE BREMER MUGGLI

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • SARAH GODLEWSKI

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • NICOLE SAFAR

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THRU APR 2024)

    Total calculated
    $121,072
    From this org
    $116,795
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $4,277
    Hours/week
    40

  • JEFFREY MANDELL

    PRESIDENT & GENERAL COUNSEL (FROM JUN 2024)

    Total calculated
    $213,197
    From this org
    $202,299
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,898
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $202,299
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $3,828
    Nontaxable benefits
    $7,070
    Filer's total
    $213,197

  • DANIEL LENZ

    STAFF COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $121,177
    From this org
    $110,925
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,252
    Hours/week
    40

  • SCOTT THOMPSON

    STAFF COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $139,959
    From this org
    $130,165
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $9,794
    Hours/week
    40

  • CHRISTINE DONAHOE

    STAFF COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $108,625
    From this org
    $108,625
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • TORREAN EDWARDS

    STAFF COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $137,833
    From this org
    $133,365
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $4,468
    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 · 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
3 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202523119349304107

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