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Non-profit

ISAIAH

Website:

isaiahmn.org/
Location:

SAINT PAUL, MN
Tax ID:

41-1957358
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $3,505,026
Expenses: $3,529,325
Assets: $8,070,299

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ISAIAH is an activist organization based in Minnesota that recruits left-of-center activists from church congregations in order to advance a number of left-of-center policy priorities. ISAIAH opposes the use of law enforcement to deter crime, advocates for the decreased incarceration of criminals, and works against the enforcement of immigration laws. ISAIAH also supports the implementation of a government-controlled health care system and has argued that the government should intervene to correct disparities in outcomes between racial groups. 1 The group opposes election integrity measures, such as requiring voters to confirm their identity and reducing opportunities for the abuse of provisional ballots. 2

ISAIAH is an affiliate of the Gamaliel Foundation, which was founded by political agitator and left-wing activist Saul Alinsky. The Foundation uses religious coalitions to advance left-of-center activism and helps set up local activist groups which then hide their connection to the Foundation, allowing it to be “invisible” in order to make its campaigns appear to be grassroots-led. 3

ISAIAH is a member of Faith in Action, formerly known as the PICO National Network, a grassroots network of faith-based organizations based across the country including several international locations. 4

Initiatives

Identity Coalitions

The ISAIAH Latinx Coalition is a group of activists of Hispanic heritage. The group promotes the same left-of-center political and cultural objectives as the rest of the organization, with a particular focus on opposing the enforcement of immigration laws. 5

The ISAIAH Muslim Coalition claims to promote the interests of the approximately 150,000 Muslims in Minnesota and aims to increase the political influence of the Muslim population as it increases in the state. 6

Issue-Based Groups

To assist in promoting its broad left-of-center agenda, ISAIAH organizes issue-based advocacy groups. The Barbershops and Black Congregation Cooperative is a group of African American barbershop and beauty salon owners who claim to be advancing the interests of their communities. ISAIAH describes barbershops as providing “individual and collective empowerment, esteem and moral [sic].” 7

The Black Church Collective is a group of African American clergy members that describes itself as “reclaiming” what it calls a “holistic perspective of Jesus.” The group, which also refers to itself as the Black Church Coalition, says that its members live out “their christian [sic] call” by promoting and adhering to a left-of-center social agenda. 8

Kids Count On Us is a group of parents and teachers who promote increasing taxpayer funding for education and childcare programs. The group claims that “a few politicians are pitting communities against one another,” but does not provide examples of such behavior or explain how this claim relates to childcare and education funding. 9

The Sanctuary Network is a group of churches that opposes immigration enforcement. The group uses its interpretation of Christian teachings to justify its support for illegal immigration. To enable illegal immigrants to avoid deportation, the group organizes legal defense funds and trainings on how to resist law enforcement and immigration enforcement. The Sanctuary Network has advocated for the state of Minnesota to bar federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from entering the state. 10

Staff

Doran Schrantz is the executive director of ISAIAH. 11 She is a long-time activist who received training from a left-of-center organization called the Social Transformation Project and was responsible for scaling up ISAIAH into a group with statewide reach. Schrantz attended the University of Chicago. 12

Lars Negstad is the policy director for ISAIAH. He previously worked for the hospitality services labor union UNITE HERE and its predecessor, the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union. Negstad attended Oberlin College. 13

Brian Kao is the director of operations for ISAIAH. He previously worked at several Asian advocacy organizations. Kao received his master’s degree from the University of Saint Thomas and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. 14

Financials

Annual grants and donations to ISAIAH grew from just over $1 million in 2011 to nearly $4 million in 2018. 15 In 2019, the group received just over $5 million in contributions. 16

In March 2024, ISAIAH received a $2 million grant from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos through her organization Yield Giving. ISAIAH was one of 8 nonprofit organizations based in Minnesota that received grants totaling $15 million from Scott. The 8 groups were among 316 nonprofit organizations that received donations totaling $640 million. 17

References

  1. About Us. ISAIAH. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://isaiahmn.org/about/
  2. ISAIAHMN. Twitter. May 3, 2021. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://twitter.com/ISAIAHMN/status/1389277879146487808
  3. Doran Schrantz. Social Transformation Project. Accessed May 6, 2021. http://stproject.org/lio_directory/doran-schrantz/
  4. “ISAIAH.” Faith in Action, Accessed July 3, 2024. https://faithinaction.org/federation/isaiah/
  5. Latinx Coalition. ISAIAH. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://isaiahmn.org/project/latinx-coalition/
  6. Muslim Coalition. ISAIAH. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://isaiahmn.org/project/muslim-coalition/
  7. Barbershops and Black Congregation Cooperative. ISAIAH. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://isaiahmn.org/project/barbershops-creating-change-in-the-community/
  8. Black Church Collective. ISAIAH. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://isaiahmn.org/project/black-church-collective/
  9. Kids Count on Us. ISAIAH. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://isaiahmn.org/project/kids-count-on-us/
  10. Sanctuary Network. ISAIAH. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://isaiahmn.org/project/sanctuary-network/
  11.   Staff. ISAIAH. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://isaiahmn.org/staff/
  12. Doran Schrantz. Social Transformation Project. Accessed May 6, 2021. http://stproject.org/lio_directory/doran-schrantz/
  13. Lars Negstad. LinkedIn. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lars-negstad-a791758
  14. Brian Kao. LinkedIn. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjkao
  15. ISAIAH. ProPublica. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/411957358
  16. ISAIAH. IRS Form 990. 2019. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/411957358/202023219349313842/full
  17. “Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donates millions to Minnesota nonprofits.” Fox 9 News, March 19, 2024. https://www.fox9.com/news/philanthropist-mackenzie-scott-donates-15m-to-minnesota-nonprofits
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: July 1, 2000

    • 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
    2021 Dec Form 990 $3,505,026 $3,529,325 $8,070,299 $439,222 N $3,418,829 $56,400 $23,573 $421,018
    2020 Dec Form 990 $3,702,520 $3,175,168 $7,818,010 $169,719 N $3,599,224 $45,470 $51,091 $285,024
    2019 Dec Form 990 $5,253,110 $2,687,793 $7,306,892 $185,953 N $5,038,089 $187,799 $8,595 $231,010 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $4,238,919 $3,003,026 $4,731,520 $175,898 N $3,927,132 $308,300 $180 $209,929 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $3,425,151 $2,298,175 $3,360,339 $100,610 N $3,120,176 $296,022 $174 $116,708 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $3,459,315 $2,585,091 $2,239,496 $106,743 N $2,456,590 $968,515 $0 $109,063 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $2,824,730 $2,121,134 $1,365,746 $107,217 N $2,389,939 $423,222 $0 $106,542 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $2,208,793 $2,151,448 $642,945 $88,012 N $1,745,549 $443,772 $0 $106,418 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,535,139 $2,131,452 $595,605 $98,017 N $1,121,943 $374,180 $0 $109,814 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $2,150,522 $1,605,266 $1,188,889 $94,988 N $2,011,142 $124,987 $0 $86,282 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $1,266,156 $1,401,891 $514,192 $41,585 N $1,094,156 $92,832 $0 $100,739 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    ISAIAH

    2356 UNIVERSITY AVE W STE 405
    SAINT PAUL, MN 55114-3802