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Nonprofiteer
← COUNTY CITIZENS DEFENDING FREEDOM USA FOUNDATION INC

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by COUNTY CITIZENS DEFENDING FREEDOM USA FOUNDATION INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$5,499,048
Total expenses
$5,716,705
Contributions and grants received
$5,590,597
Grants paid
$99,880
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$70
Other revenue
-$91,619
Total assets, end of year
$437,451
Total liabilities, end of year
$2,162,102
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
-$1,724,651
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$4,421,986
Management and general expenses
$821,734
Fundraising expenses
$472,985
Program service expenses (Part III)
$4,421,986

Program services were 77.4% 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.

  • 1c · Fundraising events

    $145,310

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $5,445,287

  • 2f · All other program service revenue

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

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $70 · excluded $70

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $0 · personal property $0

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $0 · other assets $0

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $82,414

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

    $145,310

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $174,033

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total -$91,619 · excluded -$91,619

  • 11d · All other revenue

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

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $0

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $99,880 · program services $99,880

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $251,830 · management and general $1,854 · fundraising $249,976

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $3,107,428 · program services $2,570,905 · management and general $376,511 · fundraising $160,012

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $86,229 · program services $71,341 · management and general $10,448 · fundraising $4,440

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $237,352 · program services $204,912 · management and general $30,058 · fundraising $2,382

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $32,497 · program services $32,497

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $51,504 · management and general $51,504

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $213,212 · program services $52,767 · management and general $160,445 · fundraising $0

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $9,000 · program services $7,770 · management and general $1,140 · fundraising $90

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $112,200 · program services $78,774 · management and general $30,972 · fundraising $2,454

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $5,830 · program services $5,033 · management and general $738 · fundraising $59

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $220,302 · program services $190,193 · management and general $27,898 · fundraising $2,211

  • 17 · Travel

    total $298,553 · program services $257,749 · management and general $37,808 · fundraising $2,996

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $261,576 · program services $220,531 · fundraising $41,045

  • 20 · Interest

    total $50,139 · program services $43,287 · management and general $6,349 · fundraising $503

  • 24a · Other expenses: Disaster Relief Supplies

    total $608,571 · program services $525,395 · management and general $77,068 · fundraising $6,108

  • 24b · Other expenses: Educational Expenses

    total $42,026 · program services $36,282 · management and general $5,322 · fundraising $422

  • 24c · Other expenses: Security

    total $28,576 · program services $24,670 · management and general $3,619 · fundraising $287

  • 24e · All other expenses

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

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $172,416 · end of year $133,485

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    end of year $303,888

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    end of year $78

  • 5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

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

    $0

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

    $0

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $0

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    beginning of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $883

  • 22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

    beginning of year $98,250 · end of year $301,066

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $1,580,277 · end of year $1,861,036

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year -$1,532,990 · end of year -$1,724,651

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $25,996

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

Citizens Defending Freedom Foundation engages in training and educational activities for county citizens. These activities consist of two key components: Civic Education and Civic Engagement.

  • Citizens Defending Freedom Foundation engages in training and educational activities for county citizens. These activities consist of two key components: Civic Education and Civic Engagement. Civic Education The Foundation engages in educational activities designed to inform county citizens regarding local government policies and ordinances including public school curriculum, approved public school library and classroom books and materials, and city and county ordinances. The Foundation informs citizens of these educational opportunities through regularly scheduled monthly meetings and special seminars and/or events at local churches and other meeting venues. The Foundation provides this information to educate citizens who would not otherwise be aware of local school board policies (both existing and proposed) as well as local municipal proceedings and related agenda. Civic Engagement The Foundation works to engage citizens through educational activities designed to train them with tools and knowledge they need to communicate effectively with local government regarding issues of concern to citizens, their families, and their businesses. These activities focus on helping those citizens who have not been able to obtain effective responses from, or initiate communication with, their local governments. By engaging and equipping the citizens, they can now have a part in influencing public policy at the local level.

    Expenses $4,421,986 · Grants $99,880

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

Listed in Part VII

  • David Bendett

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related

  • John Durham

    Vice President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 3 related

  • Kevin Respress

    Director and Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 5 related

  • Steve Maxwell

    President / Exec. Director

    Total calculated
    $251,830
    From this org
    $251,830
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    3 + 33 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $251,830
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $251,830

  • Jim McClain

    Director (Part-Year)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 40 related

  • Keith Rose

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 6 related

  • Keith Smith

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 3 related

  • Steve Blackwelder

    CEO

    Total calculated
    $136,331
    From this org
    $0
    From related orgs
    $114,102
    Other
    $22,229
    Hours/week
    5 + 35 related

  • Holly Kesler

    GA State Director

    Total calculated
    $101,009
    From this org
    $101,009
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    5 + 35 related

  • James Bruner

    General Counsel

    Total calculated
    $137,411
    From this org
    $137,411
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    5 + 35 related

  • Luis Cabrera

    TX Faith Director

    Total calculated
    $114,557
    From this org
    $107,320
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $7,237
    Hours/week
    5 + 35 related

  • Melinda Preston

    TX County Director

    Total calculated
    $101,009
    From this org
    $100,532
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $477
    Hours/week
    5 + 35 related

  • Sarah Calamunci

    FL State Director

    Total calculated
    $101,009
    From this org
    $101,009
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    5 + 35 related

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 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 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

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
14 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.1
Source object
202533189349305308

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