The National Organization for Marriage
(NOM), the nation's most vociferous opponent of gay marriage, ended
2012 with a $1 million deficit, tax records released this week show.
NOM publicly released its Form 990 tax
returns as required by law on its website. However, NOM's website
offers no navigation to its Financial
Reports page.
NOM is best known for its involvement
in Proposition 8, California's now-defunct constitutional amendment
limiting marriage to heterosexual couples, approved by voters in 2008.
Passage of Proposition 8 propelled NOM to the national spotlight and
fueled the group's growth as it became involved in similar battles
throughout the nation.
NOM racked up loses in 2012 as voters
in four states – Maine, Maryland, Washington and Minnesota –
approved ballot measures allowing gay couples in those states to
marry. NOM contributed to each of the state campaigns working
against marriage equality.
The group's political advocacy arm
ended 2012 more than $2.7 million in the red, while its education arm
was in the black with just over $1.6 million.
Unnamed donors gave NOM more than $14.5
million in 2012, $9.4 million of which went to the group's political
arm.
On Monday, the Human Rights Campaign
(HRC) filed a compliant after it was unable to obtain a copy of the
group's Form 990.
“Federal law requires organizations
to publicly release their 990s the same day an in-person request is
made,” HRC wrote in a
blog post. “As a result, HRC has filed a complaint with the
IRS in order to compel NOM to abide by the law.”
Fred Karger of Rights
Equal Rights made a similar claim, saying that a representative
from his group was turned away on Friday.
NOM President Brian Brown responded in a
blog post, calling HRC's complaint “frivolous.”
“NOM fully complies with federal law
regarding the public availability of our Form 990 tax return,”
Brown said.
“Our 2012 Form 990 was mailed to the IRS on November 15th
as required by law. It is available for public inspection on the NOM
website.”