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Nonprofiteer
← MAINE EQUAL JUSTICE PARTNERS INC

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by MAINE EQUAL JUSTICE PARTNERS INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$2,714,077
Total expenses
$3,745,709
Contributions and grants received
$2,580,805
Grants paid
$1,011,018
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$129,414
Other revenue
$3,858
Total assets, end of year
$4,775,624
Total liabilities, end of year
$184,302
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$4,591,322
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$3,228,233
Management and general expenses
$347,314
Fundraising expenses
$170,162
Program service expenses (Part III)
$3,228,233

Program services were 86.2% 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.

  • 1a · Federated campaigns

    $77,362

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $2,503,443

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $5,338

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $129,414 · excluded $129,414

  • 11a · Other revenue: Miscellaneous

    total $3,858 · related or exempt $3,858

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $3,858

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $92,940 · program services $92,940

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $918,078 · program services $918,078

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $214,522 · program services $174,192 · management and general $26,579 · fundraising $13,751

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,629,263 · program services $1,322,962 · management and general $201,865 · fundraising $104,436

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $36,157 · program services $29,359 · management and general $4,480 · fundraising $2,318

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $222,411 · program services $180,598 · management and general $27,557 · fundraising $14,256

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $143,697 · program services $118,532 · management and general $15,808 · fundraising $9,357

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $1,566 · program services $1,566

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $25,323 · program services $20,563 · management and general $3,137 · fundraising $1,623

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $21,723 · program services $21,723

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $18,403 · management and general $18,403

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $73,627 · program services $61,719 · management and general $7,848 · fundraising $4,060

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $7,022 · program services $5,702 · management and general $870 · fundraising $450

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $60,112 · program services $48,811 · management and general $7,448 · fundraising $3,853

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $97,366 · program services $79,061 · management and general $12,064 · fundraising $6,241

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $24,543 · program services $19,929 · management and general $3,041 · fundraising $1,573

  • 17 · Travel

    total $6,821 · program services $5,539 · management and general $845 · fundraising $437

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $84,613 · program services $73,981 · management and general $7,007 · fundraising $3,625

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $14,070 · program services $11,425 · management and general $1,743 · fundraising $902

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $16,304 · program services $11,389 · management and general $4,016 · fundraising $899

  • 24a · Other expenses: Dues and subscriptions

    total $17,535 · program services $14,238 · management and general $2,173 · fundraising $1,124

  • 24b · Other expenses: Continuing professional

    total $13,061 · program services $10,606 · management and general $1,618 · fundraising $837

  • 24c · Other expenses: Miscellaneous

    total $6,552 · program services $5,320 · management and general $812 · fundraising $420

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $833,800 · end of year $562,376

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $384,684 · end of year $391,142

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $233,635 · end of year $440,902

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $1,966 · end of year $458

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

    $366,696

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

    $188,006

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $192,760 · end of year $178,690

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $3,881,748 · end of year $3,202,056

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $139,894 · end of year $184,302

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,231,473 · end of year $2,134,543

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $3,157,226 · end of year $2,456,779

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

Maine Equal Justice is a nonprofit legal aid and economic justice organization working to increase economic security, opportunity and equity for people in Maine.

Activities or mission (Part I)

Maine Equal Justice is a Nonprofit legal aid and economic justice organization working to increase economic security, opportunity, and equity for people in Maine.

  • Litigation & Other Advocacy: MEJ represents clients (individuals below 200% of the federal poverty level) before administrative agencies, the state legislature and state & federal courts primarily to ensure that they can meet basic needs, including food, housing, utilities, health care, and to protect and advance their rights as consumers. MEJ handled 644 individual cases in 2023, as well as 40 systemic cases and rulemakings affecting programs that serve over 345,000 people, and our 15 trainings reached 773 people. Individual and systemic cases focused on health care (primarily Medicaid related), food assistance and income supports, employment issues, housing and utility matters, consumer protections, and education or family issues.

    Expenses $558,513

  • Health Care: MEJ performs legal research, public policy analysis, and develops strategies to improve access to health care for people with low income at the state level. Specific state activities included providing education on the benefits of Medicaid and how to access health coverage as pandemic-era benefits end, and advocating to preserve and increase access to Medicaid to close gaps in health care coverage for people with low income.

    Expenses $207,859

  • Increasing Opportunity/Income Support: MEJ performs legal research and public policy analysis, and develops strategies to improve Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other anti-poverty programs that provide income support to low-income families. Activities include improving administrative processes, increasing access to economic support programs and providing support to qualifying households through our Build HOPE program and Next Step projects. MEJ is also a partner in the Peer Workforce Navigator pilot program.

    Expenses $1,276,882 · Grants $988,321

  • Accomplishments in 2023 include policy changes: to increase TANF monthly benefit by 20% and to increase the asset limit for participants; to create a rent relief pilot program funded by $18 million in state funds; to eliminate application fees for rental housing and to provide other protections for renters; and to prohibit debt collectors from suing low-income consumers for medical debt.

    Expenses $1,184,979 · Grants $22,697 · Revenue $3,858

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

Listed in Part VII

  • Lauren Wille

    President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Lisa Black

    Vice President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ben Grant

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Charlie Dingman

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Shanna Cox

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Sara Gideon

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Belinda Kande

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Bruce King

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Susan Kiralis

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Maggie Lavoie

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Tina Nadeau

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Shelice Rhule

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Jennifer Richardson

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Erica Schair-Cardona

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Rachel Wertheimer

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Robyn Merrill

    Executive Director

    Total calculated
    $118,258
    From this org
    $97,569
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $20,689
    Hours/week
    35

  • Mathew Scease

    Development and Finance Director

    Total calculated
    $96,264
    From this org
    $81,444
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $14,820
    Hours/week
    35

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

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
2023
Filed
12 August 2024
IRS schema version
2023v5.1
Source object
202432259349302013

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