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Non-profit

Interfaith Worker Justice

Website:

www.iwj.org
Location:

CHICAGO, IL
Tax ID:

36-4063982
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2016):

Revenue: $868,372
Expenses: $1,632,279
Assets: $1,183,169
Type:

Religious Group

Interfaith Worker Justice is a nominally religious-based non-profit which allies with labor unions and other groups with left-leaning economic policy advocacy goals. 1 It was founded in 1996. 2

Among other policies, Interfaith Worker Justice supports a $15 minimum wage and wrote congressional legislation for a national pay stub standard which was introduced by Members of Congress in 2016. 3 The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) labor union has provided substantial funding to the group, with its annual support exceeding $100,000 in 2013 at the height of UFCW’s OUR Walmart advocacy campaign. 4

Funding

Interfaith Worker Justice’s budget was under $868,372 in 2016. Its 2017 budget was over twice that at $1,821,328. The increase came directly from contributions and grants. 5

The organization is financially supported by a large number of left-leaning individuals, foundations, religious organizations, and corporations. 6 Foundations contributed over 1.12 million of Interfaith Worker Justice’s 2017 revenues. Unions contributed nearly $71,000. Individuals contributed $332,000, governments contributed $106,109, and religious organizations contributed $41,946. Almost all of the increase in Interfaith Worker Justice’s 2017 revenues from 2016 came from Foundation support. Increased individual donations had the second-greatest increase. Government support dropped by almost $40,000 year-over-year. 7

The Marguerite Casey Foundation gave a three-year, $450,000 grant in 2017. 8

2016 supporters included  the left-wing groups Oxfam America, the Ford Foundation, Center for Community Change, and the Chicago Teachers Union. 9 Religious groups with a pro-labor-union or other left-wing political orientation including United Church of Christ and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops provided some financial support. 10

Interfaith Worker Justice gave $185,100 in grants in 2017 and $340,102 in grants in 2016. Its 2017 990 did not identify their grant recipients. The group’s tax returns identified that the grant recipients were mostly organizations which engage in left-of-center public policy advocacy. 11

Advocacy

Interfaith Worker Justice advocates for labor-union-aligned employment policies and equalizing worker pay regardless of immigration status. 12 Its national network includes 60 affiliated groups. 13

Interfaith Worker Justice campaigns for the labor-union-backed effort to more than double the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and against any form of uncompensated work. It also advocates for mandatory trainings for workplace safety as well as whistleblower situations, laws requiring sick pay leave, and improved health and safety conditions at poultry plants. The group also campaigns for liberal expansionist immigration policy, advocating for driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants and leading protests. 14

Leadership

Interfaith Worker Justice’s 2017 Executive Director Laura Barrett earned over $156,000, according to tax records. 15 Her professional background before and after her time at Interfaith Worker Justice focuses heavily on campaigning and advocacy for left-leaning groups. 16

Jeanette Smith is co-chair of Interfaith Worker Justice’s Board of Directors. She is executive director of the organization’s South Florida chapter. 17 Her fellow co-chair is Nora Morales. 18

Interfaith Worker Justice’s board vice president is Bishop Emeritus Howard Hubbard. A Catholic priest and retired bishop, an anonymous man filed a lawsuit against Hubbard in August 2019 accusing him of sexual assault and grooming of a minor in the 1990s. Hubbard denied the allegations; a previous investigation of his conduct in the 1990s did not find wrongdoing. 192021

References

  1. Interfaith Worker Justice, About, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://www.iwj.org/about
  2. Interfaith Worker Justice, About, Accessed August 30, 2019.http://www.iwj.org/about
  3. Interfaith Worker Justice, 2016 Annual Report, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://files.iwj2017.gethifi.com/about/16AnnualReviewlo.pdf
  4. United Food and Commercial Workers, Annual Report of a Labor Organization (Form LM-2), 2013, Schedule 17
  5. Interfaith Worker Justice, 2017 990, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://files.www.iwj.org/about/annual-report/archive-990/2017-990_PV.pdf
  6. Interfaith Worker Justice, 2016 Annual Report, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://files.iwj2017.gethifi.com/about/16AnnualReviewlo.pdf
  7. “Combined Statement of Activities for the Year Ended December 31, 2017.” Interfaith Worker Justice, June 21, 2018. http://files.www.iwj.org/about/annual-report/archive-990/FS_2017_-_FINAL.pdf.
  8. Marguerite Casey Foundation, Interfaith Worker Justice grantee profile, Accessed August 30, 2019. https://caseygrants.org/grantee-database/interfaith-worker-justice/
  9. Interfaith Worker Justice, 2016 Annual Report, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://files.iwj2017.gethifi.com/about/16AnnualReviewlo.pdf
  10. Interfaith Worker Justice, 2016 Annual Report, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://files.iwj2017.gethifi.com/about/16AnnualReviewlo.pdf
  11. Interfaith Worker Justice, 2016 990, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://files.www.iwj.org/about/annual-report/archive-990/2016-990_PV.pdf
  12. Interfaith Worker Justice, Mission & Values, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://www.iwj.org/about/mission-values
  13. Interfaith Worker Justice, 2017 990, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://files.www.iwj.org/about/annual-report/archive-990/2017-990_PV.pdf
  14. Interfaith Worker Justice, Issues, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://www.iwj.org/issues
  15. Interfaith Worker Justice, 2017 990, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://files.www.iwj.org/about/annual-report/archive-990/2017-990_PV.pdf
  16. LinkedIn, Laura Barrett profile, Accessed August 30, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-barrett-2433536/
  17. Interfaith Worker Justice, Ms. Jeanette Smith, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://www.iwj.org/about/board/ms-jeanette-smith
  18. Interfaith Worker Justice, Ms. Nora Morales, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://www.iwj.org/about/board/nora-morales
  19. Churchill, Chris. “Churchill: A Dark Time for the Albany Diocese.” Times Union. Times Union, August 20, 2019. https://www.timesunion.com/7dayarchive/article/Churchill-A-dark-time-for-the-Albany-Diocese-14360938.php.
  20. Interfaith Worker Justice, Howard Hubbard, Accessed August 30, 2019. http://www.iwj.org/about/board/howard-hubbard
  21. Bishop Emeritus Howard J Hubbard, “Bishop Hubbard responds sex abuse lawsuit,” August 16, 2019. Accessed August 30, 2019. https://wnyt.com/news/bishop-emeritus-howard-hubbard-releases-statement-after-being-accused-of-sexual-abuse/5459661/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: May 1, 1996

    • 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
    2016 Dec Form 990 $868,372 $1,632,279 $1,183,169 $127,971 N $856,714 $7,301 $2,577 $113,836
    2015 Dec Form 990 $2,208,452 $1,799,523 $1,931,863 $112,758 N $2,184,724 $3,474 $2,169 $120,345 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,922,970 $1,912,081 $1,538,039 $127,863 N $1,786,789 $106,544 $2,249 $92,676 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $2,290,303 $1,678,351 $1,504,344 $105,057 N $2,272,273 $13,444 $2,420 $86,678 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,650,591 $2,087,741 $803,005 $56,892 N $1,638,942 $4,270 $2,872 $78,912 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $2,648,734 $2,430,725 $1,326,164 $90,080 N $2,472,830 $162,347 $3,434 $82,031 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Map image for Interfaith Worker Justice

    Interfaith Worker Justice

    1020 W BRYN MAWR 4TH FL
    CHICAGO, IL 60660-4627