Home › Civil rights, social action & advocacy
Brooklyn Defender Services
Brooklyn Defender Services reported $92.8 million in revenue and $89.4 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $87.97 went to program services, $11.92 to management and general costs and $0.11 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.6% of the total. Government grants made up 97.7%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $428,330 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 207 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 51% between FY2020 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 $89MFor context, the median across 132 covered civil rights, social action & advocacy charities: $84.11 programs, $11.40 management, $4.49 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 $93MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 88.0% | 82.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.1% | 4.4% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.05 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.6% | 94.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 97.7% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $428,330 | $321,771 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.48% | 1.81% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 207 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 0.7 | 10.5 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 6 of 8 | 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 expenseIn FY25, Brooklyn Defender Services (bds) provided comprehensive legal representation to 28,695 low-income brooklyn and queens residents who were arrested, 1,610 parents in family court proceedings, 513 clients in detained immigration removal proceedings, and 2,543 clients facing barriers to civil justice. Bds employs a large staff of highly dedicated and talented attorneys, social workers, investigators and support staff to provide multidisciplinary client representation in our core areas of criminal, family and immigration defense to people facing the dire consequences of imprisonment, loss…
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 Director/trustee, officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $390,198 | $0 | $38,132 | $428,330 |
| DEPUTY ED, MD CRIMINAL DEFENSE Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $300,578 | $0 | $31,470 | $332,048 |
| MD OF FAMILY DEFENSE PRACTICE Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $254,606 | $0 | $22,665 | $277,271 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $242,778 | $0 | $28,740 | $271,518 |
| General Counsel Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $238,667 | $0 | $21,926 | $260,593 |
| Managing Director of Criminal Defense Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $237,478 | $0 | $14,067 | $251,545 |
| MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $217,310 | $0 | $31,604 | $248,914 |
207 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Brooklyn Defender Services (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $679K (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–1b8 · 6 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 5635
- Volunteers Part I, line 67
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| Anoteros LLC It services | $920,794 |
| Sagemont Tax LLC Professional Services | $482,862 |
| Nyasa L Steger Professional Services | $149,251 |
| Forvis Mazars LLP Accounting services | $126,260 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 9 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
9 private foundations reported grants to Brooklyn Defender Services totaling $135K 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 Brooklyn Defender 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 Brooklyn Defender Services, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Brooklyn Defender Services spent in FY2025, $87.97 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Trevor ProjectWest Hollywood, CA · revenue $85M · programs 82.0% · FY2025
- Our American Future FoundationWashington, DC · revenue $104M · programs 99.7% · FY2025
- Equal Justice InitiativeMontgomery, AL · revenue $73M · programs 95.4% · FY2025
- Alliance Defending FreedomScottsdale, AZ · revenue $120M · programs 77.9% · FY2025
- NAACP Legal Defense & Educ FundNew York, NY · revenue $68M · programs 67.3% · FY2025
All civil rights, social action & advocacy charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of Brooklyn Defender Services's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Brooklyn Defender Services reported that 88.0% of its $89.4 million in expenses went to program services, 11.9% to management and general and 0.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Brooklyn Defender Services pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Brooklyn Defender Services reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $428,330, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Brooklyn Defender Services get its money?
Of $92.8 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 99.6% came from contributions and grants (including 97.7% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Brooklyn Defender Services a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 11-3305406 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 202621279349301697 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521289349303047 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401369349303135 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022 (amended), object 202302499349300105 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202221339349304642 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202101339349305480 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 11-3305406: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.