Greater Boston Legal Services
Greater Boston Legal Services reported $34.8 million in revenue and $27.1 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $86.17 went to program services, $9.63 to management and general costs and $4.20 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 85.6% of the total. Government grants made up 56.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $265,884 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 38 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 78% between 2019 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $27MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $35MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 86.2% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 9.6% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.2% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.04 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 85.6% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 56.5% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.9% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $265,884 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.98% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 38 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 25.8 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 85 of 85 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseGreater Boston Legal Services (gbls) is the primary provider of free civil (non-criminal) legal assistance for the almost 339,000 low-income persons living in metropolitan boston to help them secure some of the most basic necessities of life. Our clients are homeless families seeking access to emergency shelter or permanent housing, women and children escaping abuse, families facing destitution, poor individuals and families facing illegal or inappropriate eviction, low-income homeowners exploited by mortgage scams, elders inappropriately denied medical and prescription drug benefits…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $251,196 | $0 | $14,688 | $265,884 |
| DIRECTOR OF FINANCE/CLERK Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $208,044 | $0 | $0 | $208,044 |
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $148,333 | $0 | $49,425 | $197,758 |
| CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $146,084 | $0 | $48,751 | $194,835 |
| LEAD ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $157,093 | $0 | $14,688 | $171,781 |
| CONSULTANT Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $156,896 | $0 | $14,688 | $171,584 |
| SENIOR ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $142,560 | $0 | $14,688 | $157,248 |
38 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Greater Boston Legal Services (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $455K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b85 · 85 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5244
- Volunteers Part I, line 6236
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| THE CROSSLAND GROUP LTD Strategic and organization consultant | $194,239 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 2 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
25 private foundations reported grants to Greater Boston Legal Services totaling $862K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Greater Boston Legal Services's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Greater Boston Legal Services, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Greater Boston Legal Services spent in FY2025, $86.17 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All unclassified charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts
Questions people ask
How much of Greater Boston Legal Services's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Greater Boston Legal Services reported that 86.2% of its $27.1 million in expenses went to program services, 9.6% to management and general and 4.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Greater Boston Legal Services pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Greater Boston Legal Services reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $265,884, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Greater Boston Legal Services get its money?
Of $34.8 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 85.6% came from contributions and grants (including 56.5% from government grants) and 0.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Greater Boston Legal Services a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 04-2103907 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202630579349300718 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202423419349301112 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202410889349300826 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202241679349301379 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202141379349304429 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202012939349300766 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 04-2103907: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.