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NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund reported $68.5 million in revenue and $63.8 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $67.26 went to program services, $17.10 to management and general costs and $15.64 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 65.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $654,993 (PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR-COUNSEL). 119 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 54% 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 $64MFor 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 $68M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$65.58 $45M
- Program service revenue$2.88 $2.0M
- Investment income$31.54 $22M
Other revenue was negative: −$346K. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 67.3% | 82.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 17.1% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 15.6% | 4.4% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.22 | $0.05 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 65.9% | 94.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 2.9% | 0.3% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $654,993 | $321,771 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.03% | 1.81% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 119 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 79.7 | 10.5 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 24 of 25 | 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 expenseThe legal and advocacy programs, which include litigation, policy advocacy, and community organizing, provide legal assistance and engage in advocacy and organizing work in connection with political participation, education, civil economic justice, and criminal justice
The thurgood marshall institute is a multidisciplinary center within the Naacp Legal Defense and educational fund, inc. The institute complements ldf's traditional litigation strengths and brings critical capabilities to the fight for racial justice
The herbert lehman program offers grants, generally of $3,000 annually to U.S. Citizen undergraduates and $15,000 annually to U.S. Citizen law students. Preference is given to persons who are entering the first year of full-time study. This scholarship can be renewed three times for undergrad law student and two times for graduate law students. The marshall-motley scholarship program offers law students' full tuition, internship opportunities and bar exam preparation
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR-COUNSEL Director/trustee, officer, 59.00 hrs/week | $577,181 | $0 | $77,812 | $654,993 |
| ASSOC. DIR. COUNSEL UNTIL DEC. 2024 Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $388,729 | $0 | $43,945 | $432,674 |
| CHIEF DEVEL. OFFICER UNTIL AUG. 2025 Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $365,441 | $0 | $33,819 | $399,260 |
| DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $293,713 | $0 | $73,805 | $367,518 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 39.50 hrs/week | $276,874 | $0 | $63,918 | $340,792 |
| DIR. OF STRATEGIC INT. Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $250,696 | $0 | $74,002 | $324,698 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER-UNTIL MAR. 2025 Key employee, 39.50 hrs/week | $271,970 | $0 | $28,585 | $300,555 |
| CHIEF COMMS AND MKTG OFF Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $251,641 | $0 | $26,072 | $277,713 |
119 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $3.3M (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–1b25 · 24 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 2No
- 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 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5259
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,599
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| KALEIDOSCOPE GROUP PBC Consultant | $3,905,625 |
| DURABLE DIGITAL INC Website consulting | $1,199,787 |
| IDLEWILD VENTURES LLC Branding consultation | $879,818 |
| SKADDEN ARPS SLATE MEAGHER Real estate management/leasing | $844,247 |
| CHAPMAN CUBINE AND HUSSEY Professional fundraiser | $828,058 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 56 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
149 private foundations reported grants to NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund totaling $22M 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 NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund spent in FY2025, $67.26 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Individual Advocacy GroupRomeoville, IL · revenue $68M · programs 89.2% · FY2025
- Equal Justice InitiativeMontgomery, AL · revenue $73M · programs 95.4% · FY2025
- Christian Advocates Serving EvangelismBrentwood, TN · revenue $67M · programs 92.9% · 2025
- Trevor ProjectWest Hollywood, CA · revenue $85M · programs 82.0% · FY2025
- NAACP Empowerment ProgramsBaltimore, MD · revenue $61M · programs 66.9% · 2024
All civil rights, social action & advocacy charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund reported that 67.3% of its $63.8 million in expenses went to program services, 17.1% to management and general and 15.6% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $654,993, for the role of PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR-COUNSEL (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund get its money?
Of $68.5 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 65.9% came from contributions and grants and 2.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 13-1655255 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 202601319349306670 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202511359349311586 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401359349307415 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202341359349310444 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202211199349302451 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202141329349304289 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 13-1655255: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.