Southerners on New Ground
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Southerners on New Ground, Inc. (SONG) is a home for LGBTQ liberation across all lines of race, class, abilities, age, culture, gender, and sexuality in the South. SONG builds, sustains, and connects a southern regional base of LBGTQ people in order to transform the region through strategic projects and campaigns developed in response to the current conditions in the communities. SONG builds this movement through leadership development, intersectional analysis, and organizing. Since 1993, SONG has been known, both regionally and nationally, for organizing and training work across issues of race, class, gender and sexuality with both LGBTQ people and allies. SONG works to build and maintain a Southern LGBTQ infrastructure for organizers strong enough to combat the Southern-specific strategy of the Right to divide and conquer Southern oppressed communities.
- Income
- $3.4 million
- Spending
- $7.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 21.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 25
- Volunteers
- 450
- Highest pay
- $92,395, co director
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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 21.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 130% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 33% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 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: 95 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (1)
- $6.0 million spent. For the year ended December 31, 2024, SONG operated the following programs:(i) Local Campaign Training and Organizing: In 2024, SONG continued to train LGBTQ leaders in seven local chapters across the South in grassroots campaign organizing and intersectional methodology and connect leaders building local organizing campaigns with each other. Responding to the changing conditions in 2024, leaders in local sites worked with regional staff to develop campaigns focusing on Housing & Land Liberation, Protecting the Queer & Trans Kindred, and Stopping Criminalization. Additionally, SONG members worked to evolve organizing practices in the response to climate disaster conditions which required shifts in organizing methodology and limited campaign tactics.(ii) Coalition and Alliance Work: SONG brings LGBTQ leadership, expertise, and visibility to key racial and economic justice alliances and organizing fights in the South and incubates collaborative work that helps to connect bases and shared priorities. In 2024, SONG continued to participate as a partner in multiple coalitions including Movement 4 Black Lives, as well as partnering with other local and statewide coalitions and alliances throughout the South.SONG also continued to serve as an anchor organization along with eight other Southern movement organizations to lead the Southern Power Fund which was designed to raise and distribute resources to grassroots organizations across the South. The coalition has been anchored by four core organizations: SONG, Highlander Training Center, Alternate ROOTS, Inc., and Project South, Inc. As one of the four anchor organizations of the Southern Power Fund, SONG helped raise funds to redistribute to smaller southern organizations. (iii) Regional Membership & Base-building: SONG maintains and builds a base of more than 48,955 Southern LGBTQ Black people, people of color, rural, working class, and immigrant people. In 2024, SONG continued its work to connect and support SONGs base through general membership meetings, training and leadership development, communications work, and regional convenings. Due to continued pandemic conditions, SONGs gatherings which have been central to our work have happened virtually and in-person to support continued connection while also being mindful of our immunocompromised members and staff. We were able to engage members using online meeting tools and old school technologies like phone calls. In response to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing climate catastrophes, SONG continued to offer a member support fund and distributed funds for emergency support to SONG members and other community members in need. Through these programs in 2024, SONG brought leadership to intersectional organizing projects; further developed leadership within a multi-racial, intergenerational LGBTQ base; and engaged Southern LGBTQ people in projects and campaigns that directly addressed institutional and social injustice.
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 May 1999.
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.