Thomas More Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
364270023
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3127821680
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public Interest Law

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,428,987
Expenses
$11,314,489
Assets
$5,581,238
Liabilities
$241,830

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • THOMAS L BREJCHA (PRESIDENT/CO)

Highest reported compensation

  • STEVEN GROSKLAUS (EXECUTIVE VP): $260,000 total reported compensation
  • PETER BREEN (EXECUTIVE VP): $253,333 total reported compensation
  • ANDREW M BATH (EXECUTIVE VP): $242,813 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The primary exempt purpose of the organization is to operate as a public interest law firm for the purpose of advancing and protecting public interest, basic human rights, and fundamental civil and constitutional rights. Conducts ongoing public awareness campaigns to report on the status of court cases being handled by thomas more society attorneys and related legal developments affecting public's interest in pro-life and religious liberty in the united states.

What it reported doing in 2025

Advancing and protecting public interest, basic human rights, and fundamental civil, and constitutional rights through the practice of law. Conducts ongoing public awareness campaigns to report on the status of court cases being handled by thomas more society attorneys and related legal developments affecting public's interest in pro-life and religious liberty in the united states.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 87% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 75
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.3%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 78%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 57.1%; rating input score 57; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 9%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.49; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.3%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.9% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.8% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.3% of revenue deployed · 78% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 7 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $8.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $260K · 10 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.8M reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 57/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 12/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.