Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by FINES AND FEES JUSTICE CENTER INC.

Totals

Total revenue: $10,508,538
Total expenses: $2,369,907
Contributions and grants received: $10,393,833
Grants paid: $0
Program service revenue: $0
Investment income: $114,437
Other revenue: $268
Total assets, end of year: $17,424,714
Total liabilities, end of year: $146,925
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $17,277,789
Program services expenses (Part IX): $2,113,402
Management and general expenses: $247,652
Fundraising expenses: $8,853
Program service expenses (Part III): $2,113,402

Program services were 89.2% 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.

1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

$10,393,833
1g · Noncash contributions included above

$25,608
3 · Investment income

total $114,437 · excluded $114,437
11a · Other revenue: REFUNDS

total $268 · excluded $268
11e · Other revenue, total

$268

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

total $332,805 · program services $251,997 · management and general $74,051 · fundraising $6,757
7 · Other salaries and wages

total $1,117,223 · program services $1,115,712 · management and general $1,178 · fundraising $333
8 · Pension plan contributions

total $69,918 · program services $69,410 · management and general $376 · fundraising $132
9 · Other employee benefits

total $195,322 · program services $191,897 · management and general $2,561 · fundraising $864
10 · Payroll taxes

total $125,147 · program services $118,854 · management and general $5,703 · fundraising $590
11b · Fees: legal

total $15,985 · management and general $15,985
11c · Fees: accounting

total $83,862 · management and general $83,862
11d · Fees: lobbying

total $28,040 · program services $28,040
11g · Fees: other

total $180,190 · program services $147,581 · management and general $32,432 · fundraising $177
12 · Advertising and promotion

total $693 · program services $359 · management and general $334
13 · Office expenses

total $31,164 · program services $20,461 · management and general $10,703
14 · Information technology

total $49,255 · program services $40,686 · management and general $8,569
16 · Occupancy

total $42,412 · program services $42,412
17 · Travel

total $42,811 · program services $37,500 · management and general $5,311
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

total $40,675 · program services $40,160 · management and general $515
23 · Insurance

total $5,946 · management and general $5,946
24a · Other expenses: TRAINING AND SEMINARS

total $8,022 · program services $7,921 · management and general $101
24b · Other expenses: OTHER EXPENSES

total $412 · program services $412
24c · Other expenses: STATE AND LOCAL TAXES

total $25 · management and general $25

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

end of year $5,462,451
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

end of year $6,113,049
3 · Pledges and grants receivable

end of year $5,832,299
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

end of year $16,011
15 · Other assets

beginning of year $0 · end of year $904
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

end of year $146,925
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

end of year $10,579,293
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

end of year $6,698,496

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

THE FINES AND FEES JUSTICE CENTER, INC. ("FFJC") IS THE ONLY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOCUSED EXCLUSIVELY ON THE UNJUST AND HARMFUL FINES AND FEES IMPOSED IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM. THROUGH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY, FFJC WORKS TO CREATE A JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT TREATS INDIVIDUALS FAIRLY, CONT'D.ENSURES PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY PROSPERITY, AND IS FUNDED EQUITABLY. FFJC WORKS COLLABORATIVELY WITH AFFECTED COMMUNITIES AND JUSTICE SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS TO ELIMINATE FEES IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, ENSURE FINES ARE EQUITABLY IMPOSED, AND END ABUSIVE COLLECTION PRACTICES.

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE FINES AND FEES JUSTICE CENTER (FFJC) WORKS TO END THE CRUEL PRACTICE OF GOVERNMENTS' USING CONT'D.FINES AND FEES TO PROFIT OFF THE MOST VULNERABLE. WE EMPOWER STATE AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO END FEES IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ENSURE THAT WHERE FINES EXIST THEY ARE FAIR AND EQUITABLY IMPOSED. WE PURSUE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH AT BOTH THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL USING: EXPERTISE, ACTION, AND THE CREATION OF BLUEPRINTS WHICH STATE AND LOCAL ADVOCATES CAN USE TO CHANGE POLICIES AND PRACTICES IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS.

JUSTICE PROGRAMS: USING OUR POLICY EXPERTISE AND ON-THE-GROUND EXPERIENCE, WE DEVELOP MODELS FOR REFORM THAT CAN HELP COMMUNITIES PURSUE THE TYPE OF FINES AND FEES REFORM THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM. THESE EFFORTS HAVE ENABLED US TO ACCELERATE STATE-LEVEL POLICY CHANGE THROUGH TWO MAJOR NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS: FREE TO DRIVE AND END JUSTICE FEES AS WELL AS LOCAL-BASED REFORM THROUGH OUR CITIES AND COUNTIES FOR FINE AND FEE JUSTICE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE. WE PARTNER WITH ADVOCATES, POLICYMAKERS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD, STRENGTHEN, AND ENTRENCH A RESILIENT BIPARTISAN MOVEMENT FOR LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY REFORM AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL. OUR EFFORTS IN NEW MEXICO, NEVADA, NEW YORK AND FLORIDA HAVE CHANGED STATE AND LOCAL POLICY, ENDED CRUEL PUNISHMENTS, AND HELPED US BUILD MODELS FOR REFORM. CONT'D.THE POLICY SOLUTIONS WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTED HAVE STOPPED THE EXTRACTION OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT MOST NEED THOSE RESOURCES.

Expenses $1,552,573
RESEARCH AND POLICY: WE CONDUCT ORIGINAL RESEARCH, COLLECT DATA ON THE IMPACTS OF CRIMINAL LEGAL DEBT, AND AUTHOR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ON KEY ISSUE AREAS IN THE FIELD. TOGETHER THESE RESOURCES ARE COMPILED, ALONG WITH RESEARCH AND TOOLS FROM OTHER SCHOLARS AND PARTNERS, IN FFJC'S CLEARINGHOUSE - AN ONLINE REPOSITORY OF FFJC-VETTED AND SUMMARIZED RESOURCES THAT ADVOCATES CAN USE TO INFORM THEIR CAMPAIGNS.

Expenses $311,729
COMMUNICATIONS: WE EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND POLICYMAKERS ABOUT THE HARMS OF FINES AND FEES, AND THE POLICY SOLUTIONS THAT IMPROVE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES. WE AMPLIFY AND DISSEMINATE BEST PRACTICES, POLICY GUIDANCE AND CRITICAL RESEARCH TO EVIDENCE BASED SOLUTIONS.

Expenses $249,100

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

Listed in Part VII

ATTEEYAH HOLLIE

PRESIDENT

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1.25
JENNY KIM

SECRETARY

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
JOSE CISNEROS

TREASURER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1.5
STEPHANIE CAMPOS-BUI

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
JODI HOCKING

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
AMY DIXON

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Total calculated

$211,351

From this org

$178,040

From related orgs

$0

Other

$33,311

Hours/week

40

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$178,040

Bonus

$0

Other

$0

Deferred

$10,682

Nontaxable benefits

$22,629

Filer's total

$211,351
LISA FOSTER

CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$201,050

From this org

$195,000

From related orgs

$0

Other

$6,050

Hours/week

40

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$195,000

Bonus

$0

Other

$0

Deferred

$5,850

Nontaxable benefits

$200

Filer's total

$201,050
JOANNA WEISS

CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$229,492

From this org

$215,000

From related orgs

$0

Other

$14,492

Hours/week

40

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$215,000

Bonus

$0

Other

$0

Deferred

$6,450

Nontaxable benefits

$8,042

Filer's total

$229,492

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

None.

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

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART VII, LINE 5:: FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2023, THE OFFICERS WERE EMPLOYED AND COMPENSATED BY THE FISCAL SPONSOR, NEW VENTURE FUND, WHICH WAS AN UNRELATED PARTY. THEY DEVOTED 100% OF THEIR TIME TO FINE AND FEES JUSTICE CENTER, INC. AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH PART VII INSTRUCTIONS OF THE 990, THEY ARE REPORTING 100% OF THEIR COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS ALLOCATED TO THE ORGANIZATION. JOANNA WEISS - $229,492 AMY DIXON - $211,351 LISA FOSTER - $201,050

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: 2023
Filed: 27 March 2025
IRS schema version: 2023v6.0
Source object: 202530869349301498

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