Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$1,481,112

Total expenses

$1,723,067

Contributions and grants received

$1,202,040

Grants paid

$676,493

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$276,968

Other revenue

$2,104

Total assets, end of year

$4,632,202

Total liabilities, end of year

$2,063

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$4,630,139

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$1,426,677

Management and general expenses

$290,866

Fundraising expenses

$5,524

Program service expenses (Part III)

$1,426,677

Program services were 82.8% 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.

Mission and programs · 2023

• INTEREST ON LAWYERS TRUST ACCOUNTS PROGRAM (IOLTA): A LAW-RELATED PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM THAT STRENGTHENS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM. IOLTA GENERATES FUNDS THAT ARE USED TO SUPPORT LEGAL AID, LEGAL EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT IMPROVE ACCESS TO THE QUALITY OF JUSTICE IN MONTANA. THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE GRANT PROGRAM, THE MJF STRATEGICALLY AND OBJECTIVELY ALLOCATES ITS RESOURCES TO DOZENS OF OUTSTANDING LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

  Expenses $838,538 · Grants $650,992

• COMMUNITY EDUCATION & GRANTEE SUPPORT: THE MJF IS A CONVENING FORCE THAT FOSTERS INNOVATION. WITH OUR STRONG TIES TO THE STATE BAR, OUR SOLID RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COURT SYSTEM, AND OUR IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ACCESS TO JUSTICE, PUBLIC INTEREST LAW AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITIES, THE MJF HAS AN EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY TO BRING TOGETHER DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS TO INNOVATIVELY ADDRESS THE COMMON NEEDS AND COLLECTIVE CHALLENGES FACING LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS AND TACKLE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO ACCESS TO JUSTICE. THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION & GRANTEE SUPPORT THE MJF REACHES OUT TO MONTANA'S LOCAL COMMUNITIES, CORPORATIONS, AND GOVERNMENT TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF AND NEED FOR CIVIL LEGAL AID AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE INITIATIVES IN THE STATE.

  Expenses $187,546

• LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LRAP): THE FOUNDATION MAKES LOANS TO INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE FOUNDATIONS LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LEGAL AID LOANS). THIS PROGRAM IS FOR LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES DEDICATED TO PROVIDING LEGAL AID TO LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN MONTANA, AND ASSISTS LEGAL AID LAWYERS WORKING FOR MONTANA LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS BY REDUCING THE BURDEN OF SIGNIFICANT DEBT INCURRED TO FINANCE THEIR LAW SCHOOL EDUCATION. A MAXIMUM LOAN AMOUNT OF $2,500 PER YEAR MAY BE AWARDED. APPLICANTS MUST MEET CERTAIN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. THERE ARE TWO ENROLLMENT PERIODS. THE FIRST ENROLLMENT PERIOD HAS AN APPLICATION DEADLINE OF MAY 15. APPLICANTS APPROVED UNDER THIS ENROLLMENT PERIOD WILL RECEIVE DISBURSEMENTS SEMI-ANNUALLY IN JULY AND JANUARY. THE SECOND ENROLLMENT PERIOD HAS AN APPLICATION DEADLINE OF NOVEMBER 15. APPLICANTS APPROVED UNDER THIS ENROLLMENT PERIOD WILL RECEIVE DISBURSEMENTS SEMI-ANNUALLY IN JANUARY AND JULY. THE FOUNDATION EXPECTS TO FORGIVE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE LOANS. ACCORDINGLY, THE OUTSTANDING LOAN BALANCE IS OFFSET BY AN ALLOWANCE. THESE LOANS DO NOT ACCRUE INTEREST.

  Expenses $213,047 · Grants $25,501

• OTHER PROGRAM SERVICE: LAW RELATED EDUCATION AND OTHER LAW RELATED PROGRAM SERVICE ACTIVITIES

  Expenses $187,546 · Revenue $2,104

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

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

• MONTANA LEGAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION

  $481,150

  LEGAL AID

• DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

  $64,664

  FUND THE SALARY, BENEFITS AND CELL PHONE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE PROJECT COORDINATOR OF THE SENIOR FINANCIAL SERVICES POSITION FOR ONE YEAR.

• EASTERN MONTANA CASA GAL INC

  $12,000

  RECRUITMENT/TRAINING AND RETENTION OF NEW AND EXISTING VOLUNTEERS AND PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS

• YWCA BILLINGS

  $10,000

  FUNDING FOR FREE CIVIL LEGAL CONSULTATION, ADVOCACY, AND REFERRALS TO VICTIMS IN BILLINGS AND THE SURROUNDING REGION (REDUCES WAIT TIME AND NO FEES).

• MONTANA FAIR HOUSING

  $9,999

  COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS, DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF AND DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS AND POSTS FOCUSING ON THE MONTANA HUMAN RIGHTS ACT.

• CASA OF HILL COUNTY INC

  $8,000

  TRAVEL/MEALS, MATERIALS, REGISTRATION FOR TRAINING NEW AND EXISTING VOLUNTEERS

• MONTANA INNOCENCE PROJECT

  $8,000

  SUPPORT FOR IMPLEMENTING STAFF ATTORNEY TO CONDUCT PLACE-BASED WORK AMONGST MONTANA'S RURAL AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. 10% WILL SUPPORT THE STAFF ATTORNEY'S SALARY.

• CASA OF MISSOULA

  $7,500

  RECRUITMENT/TRAINING AND RETENTION OF NEW AND EXISTING VOLUNTEERS

• SAFE HARBOR INC

  $7,500

  ONGOING DELIVERY OF FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS

• BILLINGS MEDIATION CENTER INC

  $7,000

  INCREASE ACCESS TO ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

12 February 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202540449349301309

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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