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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: June 2026 Expires: June 2028

Mountain States Legal Foundation

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
6 7 9 14 16
(303) 292-2021
2596 South Lewis Way
Lakewood, CO, 80227
https://mslegal.org
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Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Mountain States Legal Foundation does not meet the following 5 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 6 (Board Policy on Effectiveness)
Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

MSLF does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least Every 2 Years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

MSLF does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the last two years.

Standard 9 (Fund Raising Expense Ratio)
Spending should be no more than 35% of related contributions on fund raising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and other gifts received as a result of fund raising efforts.

MSLF does not meet this Standard because:

  • According to the organization's 2024 audited financial statements, MSLF's fundraising costs were 38% ($1,198,625) of related contributions, which totaled $3,133,405.

Standard 14 (Budget)
Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.

MSLF does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided 2026 budget information, it indicated that the budget:

  • Did not identify total projected program service expenses.
  • Did not identify total projected administrative expenses.

Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

MSLF does not meet this Standard because the 2025 annual report did not include:

  • A roster of the board of directors.
  • Total end of year net assets.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information from the organization and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard(s) for Charity Accountability: 3, 13

Mountain States Legal Foundation meets the remaining 13 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to protect and restore those rights enshrined in the Constitution of the United States of America, through pro bono litigation."

Year, State Incorporated:
1977, CO

Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) is a non-profit law firm that reports it is dedicated to restoring those rights enshrined in the Constitution, at zero legal fees to its clients. The organization focuses on protecting property rights and economic liberty, defending the right to keep and bear arms, championing free speech and association, and upholding the principle of equal protection. Some ($295,465 or 8%) of MSLF's program activities are carried out in conjunction with fundraising appeals.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, Mountain States Legal Foundation's program expenses were:

Legal $2,764,428
Communication and education $974,251
Total Program Expenses $3,738,679

Chief Executive
Cristen Wohlgemuth, President and Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*
$255,085

Chair of the Board
Russ Hendricks

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Vice President - Governmental Affairs, Agra-PAC Coordinator, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

Board Size
17

Paid Staff Size
12

*2024 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Telephone appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Membership appeals

MSLF incurred joint costs of $590,930 for informational materials and activities that included fundraising materials. Of those costs $295,465 was allocated to program expenses and $295,465 was allocated to fundraising expenses.

Fundraising costs were 38% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $3,133,305, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Mountain States Legal Foundation's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Source of Funds
Contributions $3,133,405
Other income $761,689
Investment return, net $578,953
Total Income $4,474,047

Programs: 70% Fundraising: 23% Administrative: 7%

Total Income $4,474,047
Total expenses: $5,309,294
  Program expenses $3,738,679
  Fundraising expenses $1,198,625
  Administrative expenses $371,990
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-835,247
Beginning Net Assets $7,300,168
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $6,464,921
Total Liabilities $554,656
Total Assets $7,019,577

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

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Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance