Petrelis Files

HRC's Two IRS 990 Files: $30.3M Revenue, Former-Executive Director Made $221,917

I recently examined the latest IRS 990 tax return for National Public Radio and found quite a few hefty salaries and contributions to benefits' plans, and this got me thinking about the most current IRS 990 for the Human Rights Campaign Inc and the affiliated Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

Here are some basic numbers from the FY 2005 IRS 990 reports for the two HRC nonprofits, based in Washington.

For HRC Inc, it reported $23.7 million in revenue, much of which must comes from their glamorous dinners, selling tschotkes on their web site and at their "action centers" in P-town and San Francisco.

What the gay community got in return for endowing HRC Inc with $23.7 in 2005 is open to question.

The IRS 990 for the HRC Foundation reveals revenue in 2005 of $6.6 million, with assets at the end of the year of $24.5 million. That's a nice chunk of change to have in the bank, wouldn't you agree?

Both HRC Inc and the Foundation show the group paid then-executive director Cheryl Jacques a salary of $221,917 for her services, and contributed $28,849 to her benefits package.

To my eyes, these sums are damn impressive. Too bad the same can't be said for about HRC supposed accomplishment with the gay community's money.

Of course, I wish the HRC leaders made their IRS 990 reports available on their own site, as does NPR.

But the last thing HRC wants is for the community to read their tax report, since the group is not committed to fiscal transparency.

Anyone know how much Joe Solmonese is making? His salary won't show up on an HRC IRS 990 for another year, but I think the community should know what he's earning right now.

But we all know that is asking too much of an organization that can't even throw an occasional bone to piss-poor bloggers who tirelessly work to find straight GOP state reps in places like Wyoming, who stand up for gay equality, and the day after they make great speeches for us, hearing from bloggers, who also run up long-distance phone bills to generate AP wire stories singing the praises of the GOP friends in the Equality State.

Almost two weeks ago Dan Zwonitzer and Pat Childers took great risk speaking and voting in favor of gay equality. Sure would be nice for the well-endowed HRC to send a thank you note to them and toss some bucks to bloggers.