Rocky Mountain Innocence Center

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024, the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center (RMIC) experienced a transformative year marked by growth, perseverance, and extraordinary breakthroughs in our mission to correct wrongful convictions. Thanks to the support of our funders, we expanded our legal team, strengthened our infrastructure, and pushed forward with renewed momentum. The addition of a new staff attorney and paralegal was a turning point. For the first time, our legal department grew beyond its two core attorneys, enabling us to manage more cases, more efficiently, with deeper investigative capacity. This expansion directly translated into action-cases moved forward faster, clients were reached more consistently, and our ability to pursue justice widened across state lines. Throughout the year, our team filed numerous post-conviction DNA petitions-crucial steps in the legal process that can mean the difference between freedom and continued incarceration. In one case, we pursued a compassionate release for a client in Wyoming. Though the request was denied, we have since launched a new effort: a posthumous pardon, seeking dignity and justice even beyond life. Collaboration proved essential to overcoming legal barriers. Working closely with Kirkland & Ellis and Las Vegas-based counsel, we tackled procedural challenges with shared resolve and strategic depth. But our impact wasn't limited to courtrooms. RMIC's educational outreach and community presence grew in powerful ways. Law students from the University of Utah, BYU, and BYU-Idaho joined our mission, contributing to real-world casework and gaining hands-on experience in innocence advocacy. We also brought our message to new audiences-presenting at the University of Nevada-Reno and the Utah Law Related Education Program-planting seeds of awareness and reform. The most powerful moments of 2024 came with the release of individuals who had spent decades imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit. On February 27, Adrian Gordon was released after 23 years behind bars. Just weeks later, on April 9, Jimmy Meinhard walked free after 27 years. And in May, a Nevada client who had been incarcerated for 24 years was granted a new trial following breakthroughs in DNA evidence. These cases are not just victories-they are testaments to the human cost of injustice and the life-changing power of our work. Our reach extended across Utah, Nevada, Texas, Missouri, and Maine. We traveled to meet with clients, conducted witness interviews, and filed critical appeals-including one to the Nevada Supreme Court following a denied DNA petition. In Oregon, we joined fellow advocates at the Western Innocence Organizations Conference, refining our strategy and deepening our coalition. Throughout the year, community engagement remained a cornerstone of our approach. In March, our Hope for the Innocent Breakfast featured exoneree Sean K. Ellis, whose story inspired attendees to remain steadfast in their support. In May, the Litigation Section Casino Night brought together legal professionals committed to the cause. And in November, a Utah Jazz game created a joyful space where clients, families, and supporters came together in solidarity.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 30.4%; rating input score 30
• Program expense ratio: 40.9%; rating input score 41
• Fundraising efficiency: $13.7 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 28%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.66; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 41.3%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 22.1% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings