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Non-profit

National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)

Website:

www.nass.org/%20
Location:

Washington, DC
Tax ID:

61-1332655
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $1,239,159
Expenses: $1,197,851
Assets: $1,461,089
Status:

State Government Official Advocacy Organization
Formation:

1904
Executive Director:

Leslie Reynolds

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National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) is a professional organization for secretaries of state and other officials who work in the role as secretary of state in all 50 states; Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and American Samoa. 1

Founded in 1904, NASS is the oldest professional organization for public officials in the United States 2 and operates as a medium of exchange for information between states, fosters development of public policy, and has issue-oriented task forces. 3

Leslie Reynolds is NASS’s executive director. 4 In 2020, NASS received $15,000 from the left-of-center New Venture Fund. 5 In 2019, NASS organized a voting rights tour in Alabama with the left-of-center Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME), the controversial Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and left-of-center grantmakers Ford Foundation and the Democracy Fund. 6

History and Leadership

National Association of Secretaries of State was founded in 1904 and was granted nonprofit status in 1999. 7

Leslie Reynolds is NASS’s executive director. 8 As of April 2022, Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin (R) is president of NASS. NASS’s president and president-elect are of opposing political parties and rotate on an annual basis. 9 Former NASS president Trey Grayson, a former Republican Secretary of State of Kentucky, is a member of the left-of-center National Task Force on Election Crises. 10

Activities and Funding

The National Association of Secretaries of State is the oldest nonpartisan professional organization for public officials in the United States. 11 NASS operates as a medium of exchange for information between states, fosters development of public policy, and has issue-oriented task forces. 12

NASS’s members include dues-paying secretaries of state and lieutenant governors or other officials who act as secretaries of state in all 50 states; Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and American Samoa. 13 NASS’s membership also includes non-voting emeritus members and non-voting affiliate members. 14

NASS carries out much of its business in executive committees. As of April 2022, the elections committee is co-chaired by Denise Merrill (D-CT) and Laurel Lee (R-FL). 15 Kyle Ardoin (R-LA) and Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D-NM) chair NASS’s cybersecurity committee. 16

In 2019, NASS organized a voting rights tour in Alabama with the left-of-center Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME), the controversial Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and left-of-center grantmakers Ford Foundation and the Democracy Fund. 17

NASS also has corporate affiliates. These affiliates build relationships with NASS members, gain free registration to NASS conferences, attend special events at NASS conferences, and have white papers hosted on NASS’s website 18 and distributed to members during the NASS conferences. 19

Funding

National Association of Secretaries of State receives its funds from grants and its corporate affiliate relationships. In 2020, the National Association of Secretaries of State reported $1,012,069 of revenue and $1,156,159 in expenses. In 2019, NASS reported $1,239,670 in revenue and $1,197,851 in expenses. 20

NASS received $15,000 from the left-of-center New Venture Fund in 2020. 21

NASS’s corporate affiliates include Meta (formerly known as Facebook), NIC, Amazon Web Services, Ingalls Information Security, the Center for Internet Security, Clear Ballot, Comcast, Democracy Live, Dominion Voting Systems, Microsoft, Thompson Reuters, left-of-center VotingWorks, and others. 22

References

  1. “About the NASS Corporate Affiliate Program.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/membership/corporate-affiliates/about-nass-corporate-affiliate-program
  2. “National Association of Secretaries of State Inc.” Candid GuideStar. Accessed April 28, 2022. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/61-1332655.
  3. “About the NASS Corporate Affiliate Program.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/membership/corporate-affiliates/about-nass-corporate-affiliate-program.
  4. “National Association of Secretaries of State.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/611332655/202111379349308201/full.
  5. “New Venture Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. Form 990. 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205806345/202033169349300208/full.
  6. Powell, Adam. “Secretary of State to host voting rights tour in Selma.” Selma Times Journal. May 6, 2019. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.selmatimesjournal.com/2019/05/06/secretary-of-state-to-host-voting-rights-tour-in-selma/.
  7. “National Association of Secretaries of State Inc.” Candid GuideStar. Accessed April 28, 2022. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/61-1332655.
  8. “National Association of Secretaries of State.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/611332655/202111379349308201/full.
  9. [1] “NASS Executive Board.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/committees/executive-board.
  10. “Task Force Members.” National Task Force on Election Crises. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.electiontaskforce.org/members.
  11. “About Us.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/about-nass.
  12. “About the NASS Corporate Affiliate Program.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/membership/corporate-affiliates/about-nass-corporate-affiliate-program.
  13. [1] “About the NASS Corporate Affiliate Program.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/membership/corporate-affiliates/about-nass-corporate-affiliate-program.
  14. “National Association of Secretaries of State.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/611332655/202111379349308201/full.
  15. “NASS Elections Committee.” National Association of Secretaries of State. National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/committees/elections-committee.
  16. “Cybersecurity Committee.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/committees/cybersecurity-committee.
  17.  Powell, Adam. “Secretary of State to host voting rights tour in Selma.” Selma Times Journal. May 6, 2019. Accessed April 29, 2022. https://www.selmatimesjournal.com/2019/05/06/secretary-of-state-to-host-voting-rights-tour-in-selma/.
  18. [1] “Corporate Affiliate White Papers.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/corporate-affiliates/white-papers.
  19. “About the NASS Corporate Affiliate Program.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/membership/corporate-affiliates/about-nass-corporate-affiliate-program.
  20. “National Association of Secretaries of State.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/611332655/202111379349308201/full.
  21. “New Venture Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. Form 990. 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205806345/202033169349300208/full.
  22. “Corporate Affiliates.” National Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.nass.org/membership/corporate-affiliates.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1999

    • 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
    2019 Jun Form 990 $1,239,159 $1,197,851 $1,461,089 $302,365 N $614,042 $609,088 $10,290 $195,616 PDF
    2018 Jun Form 990 $1,107,581 $992,261 $1,415,105 $318,284 N $594,272 $483,484 $11,625 $194,919 PDF
    2017 Jun Form 990 $1,108,876 $1,012,768 $1,362,086 $374,700 N $535,770 $447,662 $23,602 $191,187 PDF
    2016 Jun Form 990 $851,490 $820,378 $1,291,773 $343,845 N $527,640 $294,072 $24,674 $178,812
    2015 Jun Form 990 $846,077 $874,619 $1,185,501 $247,973 N $494,130 $319,203 $29,314 $173,604 PDF
    2014 Jun Form 990 $822,399 $786,042 $1,208,423 $232,396 N $528,845 $271,802 $19,092 $169,616 PDF
    2013 Jun Form 990 $823,393 $782,942 $1,144,196 $244,470 N $472,957 $340,692 $6,459 $170,824 PDF
    2012 Jun Form 990 $761,535 $775,342 $1,013,886 $185,701 N $471,433 $234,006 $4,520 $163,794 PDF
    2011 Jun Form 990 $679,864 $756,589 $1,068,454 $226,009 N $385,982 $276,503 $8,012 $157,180 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)

    444 North Capitol Street NW Suite 401
    Washington, DC