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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression reported $40.0 million in revenue and $29.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $79.53 went to program services, $9.56 to management and general costs and $10.91 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 91.2% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $667,056 (PRESIDENT AND CEO). 47 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 191% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $30MFor context, the median across 132 covered civil rights, social action & advocacy charities: $84.11 programs, $11.40 management, $4.49 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $40MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 79.5% | 82.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 9.6% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 10.9% | 4.4% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.09 | $0.05 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 91.2% | 94.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.3% | 0.3% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $667,056 | $321,771 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.24% | 1.81% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 47 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 26.0 | 10.5 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 11 of 11 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expensePublic awareness: fire executes broad communications efforts to generate awareness of free speech issues. We seek to reach millions of americans by getting our cases and commentary in print, placing op-eds, and coordinating media appearances; producing creative and compelling content for our social media channels that is easily digestible and shareable; and maintaining a robust publications program to get our thought leadership in front of the experts that need to see it in scholarly articles, academic publications, books, and more. In the fiscal year 2024-2025, fire received 19,089 media…
Fire litigation: fire strategically litigates in courts nationwide to vindicate first amendment rights. In service of our expanded mission to defend free speech both on and off campus, our litigation program is growing into a premier public-interest law firm for free expression. Fire attorneys review each and every case submission we receive and also proactively seek out legal challenges with the potential to secure lasting legal precedents, major public-policy reform, or clear cultural impact. Since fire began litigating in 2014, fire's litigation program has secured 42 victories and nearly…
Research: fire's research team gathers significant data on the nation's climate for free expression so that we can provide concrete evidence of america's free speech crisis and arm advocates with tools they can use to fight censorships. These efforts include our free speech index, a quarterly survey on national attitudes toward free speech, and annual college free speech rankings, the nation's most comprehensive assessment of the campus climate for free expression
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT AND CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $621,657 | $0 | $45,399 | $667,056 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $401,607 | $0 | $45,887 | $447,494 |
| CHIEF COUNSEL Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $400,432 | $0 | $40,129 | $440,561 |
| LEGAL DIRECTOR Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $367,557 | $0 | $43,187 | $410,744 |
| GENERAL COUNSEL Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $299,429 | $0 | $40,193 | $339,622 |
| EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $279,251 | $0 | $39,402 | $318,653 |
| VP OF LITIGATION THROUGH NOV 2024 Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $248,997 | $0 | $38,187 | $287,184 |
| VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNIC Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $189,103 | $0 | $34,083 | $223,186 |
47 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.3M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b11 · 11 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5162
- Volunteers Part I, line 617
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| NODEHAUS MEDIA LLC Advertising services | $146,497 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 1 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
102 private foundations reported grants to Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression totaling $7.6M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression spent in FY2025, $79.53 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Legal Aid Center of Southern NevadaLas Vegas, NV · revenue $40M · programs 90.9% · 2024
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Questions people ask
How much of Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression reported that 79.5% of its $29.7 million in expenses went to program services, 9.6% to management and general and 10.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $667,056, for the role of PRESIDENT AND CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression get its money?
Of $40.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 91.2% came from contributions and grants and 1.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 04-3467254 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202513029349302776 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202433189349302218 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202400229349301210 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202300179349300120 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202133149349301333 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202023259349300617 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 04-3467254: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.