Forward Mt Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
EDUCATE, ENGAGE AND ORGANIZE YOUNG MONTANANS TO SHAPE THEIR DEMOCRACY TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF FELLOW MONTANANS.
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $1.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 12.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 59
- Volunteers
- 86
- Highest pay
- $100,724, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 87% of charities in its peer group (health care, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.1 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 32% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 51% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (health care, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $1.3 million spent. VOTER REGISTRATION AND MOBILIZATIONForward Montana Foundation registered 8,022 voters, through in-person and online tactics. You could reliably find our staff and volunteers with clipboards in hand registering Montanans to vote at farmers markets, campuses, concerts, and state-wide events. We also knocked on 5,359 doors in a door-to-door voter registration canvass.We held voter registration drives on 20 high school campuses and over 13 college campuses across the state, including public, private, and tribal colleges. Forward Montana Foundation also collected 5,767 pledges-to-vote, and followed up with those voters via text ahead of the primary and general elections. Forward Montana Foundation high school fellows made 7,533 calls to our state's youngest voters.
- $104,956 spent. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTIn 2024, we graduated 17 community organizing fellows and 20 high school fellows from across the state. Fellows go through a robust curriculum that provides weekly training on community organizing and civic engagement. Fellows lead on a final project that connects their interests to meaningful change in their communities.
- $100,750 spent. STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACYFoward Montana Foundation launched Civics Unders The Big Sky, an effort to provide Montana communities with trustworthy civic information, approachable educational resources, and unbiased voter registration to give a voice to the future workers and citizens of our democracy. In 2024, we facilitated civic templates in 20 classrooms and hosted Democracy Days voter registration drives in 19 schools across the state.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 2011.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.