Non-profit

Forward Montana (FM)

Website:

www.forwardmontana.org

Location:

Missoula, MN

Tax ID:

13-4285849

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $1,001,933
Expenses: $525,368
Assets: $662,645

Type:

Youth Activism

Executive Director:

Kiersten Iwai

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Forward Montana (FM) works to engage young people in support of left-of-center positions on weather-dependent energy production, eliminating carbon-based energy sources, LGBT interests, rent control and the elimination of single-family zoning, and a revisionist history of Thanksgiving. The organization endorses and promotes predominately progressive Democratic Party candidates. 1 2 3 4 5

The organization is affiliated with founder Matt Singer’s Alliance for Youth Action (AFYA) and the Alliance for Youth Organizing (AFYO), both of which call for equal outcomes along economic, health, and racial lines. 6 7

Luke Rosiak, in his book Race to the Bottom: Uncovering the Secret Forces Destroying American Public Education, termed Forward Montana an organization that “seeks to use youth to turn conservative areas into progressive ones.” 8

Founding

Forward Montana (FM) was founded in 2004 by Mathew Singer while he was a student at the University of Montana. Singer founded the group to engage, educate, and involve young people in the political process with the intent of advancing progressive policies. 9

The left-wing organization claims to be the “largest youth civic engagement organization in Montana” and employ year-round staff in Billings, Bozeman, Missoula, and the Flathead Valley. 10

Activities

Forward Montana, through its affiliated  Forward Montana Foundation, operates a 12-week community organizing fellowship program for young people that features workshops, networking, and hands-on experience in voter registration and mobilization activities. 11

FM opposes electrical generation from oil, gas, and coal while favoring weather-dependent sources like wind and solar. Further, it opposes the building of a nuclear power plant in Montana, claiming that radioactive waste poses a danger to “marginalized groups,” and linking its opposition to the advancement of “climate justice.” 12 13 14 The organization is strongly opposed to efforts by Northwest Energy, the primary electricity provider in Montana, to develop non-weather dependent energy sources, and seeks the company’s breakup. 15 16

The group opposes Montana legislation that would prevent natal males living as transgender women from competing in women’s sports, limit gender reassignment surgery, and expand religious conscience exemptions to non-discrimination laws. 17 18

FM published the second edition of “Transcendent Joy,” an e-zine of poems and stories from LGBTQ persons that promoted “coming out” while attempting to build pride amongst those that do. 19

FM supports rent control and promotes inclusionary zoning that would abandon traditional single-family neighborhoods. 20

The organization provides a voter hub on its website that includes direction on how to register, vote, and gain access to candidate-related information via a bipartisan voter guide that promotes progressive Democratic Party candidates for office. 21 22 23 FM claims to have conducted eight candidate forums, distributed 46,061 voter guides, knocked on 19,496 doors, and made nearly 20 thousand phone calls to voters in 2020. 24

FM provides “Truthsgiving Resources,” which describes the “alternative history” of Thanksgiving and purports to combat narratives it claims were designed to erase the history of violence in the settlement of the United States. 25

Luke Rosiak, in his book Race to the Bottom: Uncovering the Secret Forces Destroying American Public Education, describes Forward Montana as an affiliate of the left-of-center Alliance for Youth Organizing (AFYO), which is attempting to organize left-wing youth in conservative areas of the country. AFYO activities include efforts to create equal outcomes in justice, the economy, climate, and health. 2627

FM is an affiliate of the left-wing Alliance for Youth Action (AFYA), formerly the Bus Federation, which was affiliated with AFYO. Affiliates of AFYA include Next Up, Chicago Votes, and Move Texas. 28

FM founded the Forward Montana Foundation, a left-of-center 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that shares costs, employees, office space, and equipment with the group. 29

People

Matt Singer is the founder of Forward Montana. Singer also founded the Alliance for Youth Action (AFYA) and the National Voter Registration Day and is a consultant to left-of-center non-profit organizations. 30 31

Kiersten Iwai, the executive director of FM, worked for Stand.earth, a left of center organization that advocates to protect forests, eliminate fossil fuels, and reinvent cities, as a digital and climate campaigner. 32 33

Finances

Through Forward Montana Foundation, the group is partially funded by grants from left-of-center Montana Voices (MV), which in turn receives funding from the Kelly Ann Brown Foundation of the left-of-center Marin Community Foundation MCF, which receives funding from the left-of-center Silicon Valley Community Foundation. 34

FM reported 2019 total revenue of $143,988 down from $303,015 in 2018. Program service revenue, sourced from voter mobilization, issue advocacy and other income, declined from $61,816 in 2018 to $11,373 in 2019. Total expenses declined from $210,336 in 2018 to $176,472 in 2019 while net assets declined to $113,307 from $145,791 in 2018. 35

References

  1. “Issue Advocacy.” Forward Montana. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/voicing-our-values/.
  2. “What the Helena.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/what-the-helena/.
  3. “Queer in Montana: Reflecting on the 2021 Legislative Session.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/queer-in-montana/.
  4. “What the Helena.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/what-the-helena/.
  5. Truthsgiving Resources.” Forward Montana. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/truthsgiving-resources/.
  6. “Our Values.” Alliance for Youth Organizing. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://allianceforyouthorganizing.org/our-values/.
  7. “Our Values.” Alliance for Youth Action. December 18, 2020. https://allianceforyouthaction.org/our-values/.
  8. Rosiak, Luke. “Foundations.” In Race to the Bottom: Uncovering the Secret Forces Destroying American Public Education. 2022.
  9. “About.” Forward Montana. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/about/.
  10. “About.” Forward Montana. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/about/.
  11. “Community Organizing Fellowships.” Forward Montana Foundation, January 26, 2023. https://forwardmontanafoundation.org/get-involved/community-organizing-fellowship/.
  12. “Issue Advocacy.” Forward Montana. Accessed January 29, 2023, https://forwardmontana.org/voicing-our-values/.
  13. “What the Helena.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/what-the-helena/.
  14. “What the Helena – Week 2.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/2021-wth2/.
  15. “Power Play.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/power-play-2/.
  16. “Power Play.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/power-play/.
  17. “Queer in Montana: Reflecting on the 2021 Legislative Session.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/queer-in-montana/.
  18. “What the Helena.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/what-the-helena/.
  19. “Transcendant Joy.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/view_transcendent_joy/.
  20. “What the Helena.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/what-the-helena/.
  21. “Voter Hub.” Forward Montana. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/voterhub/.
  22. “Voter Hub.” Forward Montana. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/voterhub/.
  23. “Forward Montana.” Facebook. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/FMTVoterFund/.
  24. “Forward Montana.” Facebook. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/forwardmontana.
  25. “Truthsgiving Resources.” Forward Montana. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://forwardmontana.org/truthsgiving-resources/.
  26. Rosiak, Luke. “Foundations.” In Race to the Bottom: Uncovering the Secret Forces Destroying American Public Education. 2022.
  27. “Our Network.” Alliance for Youth Organizing. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://allianceforyouthorganizing.org/our-network/.
  28. “Our Network.” Alliance for Youth Action. October 5, 2022. https://allianceforyouthaction.org/our-network/.
  29. “Home.” Forward Montana Foundation. November 4, 2022. https://forwardmontanafoundation.org/.
  30. “Matt Singer.” Netroots Nation. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://www.netrootsnation.org/profile/matt-singer/.
  31. “Matt Singer.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattsinger7/details/experience/.
  32. “Kiersten Iwai.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiersten-iwai-9b511a57.
  33. “For the People and Places You Love.” Stand.earth, November 30, 2022. https://stand.earth/.
  34. “Montana Voices.” Kelly Ann Brown Foundation. Accessed January 29, 2023. https://www.kellyannbrownfoundation.org/montana-voices.html.
  35. Forward Montana. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2019. Part I, Lines 12, 18, 22, and Part VIII, lines 2a, 2b.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: July 1, 2006

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form 990 $1,001,933 $525,368 $662,645 $59,735 N $1,000,145 $0 $0 $19,500
    2019 Dec Form 990 $143,988 $176,472 $140,937 $27,630 N $132,521 $11,373 $94 $20,578 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $303,015 $210,336 $148,298 $2,507 N $241,144 $61,816 $55 $14,125 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990EZ $84,986 $73,309 $56,479 $3,367 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2016 Dec Form 990EZ $112,962 $107,485 $43,738 $2,303 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2015 Dec Form 990EZ $89,976 $122,193 $35,958 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2014 Dec Form 990EZ $151,921 $126,553 $68,175 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2013 Dec Form 990EZ $86,337 $80,056 $42,807 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2012 Dec Form 990EZ $127,594 $98,250 $21,220 $6,616 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2011 Dec Form 990EZ $69,321 $82,401 $2,287 $17,027 $0 $0 $0 $0

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Forward Montana (FM)

    PO VOX 2817
    Missoula, MN 59806-0000