Vera Institute of Justice
Vera Institute of Justice reported $40.2 million in revenue and $50.1 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $73.74 went to program services, $19.61 to management and general costs and $6.65 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 71.5% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $663,165 (PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR). 111 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 77% 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 $50MFor context, the median across 274 covered crime & legal-related charities: $87.85 programs, $11.30 management, $0.85 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 $40MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 73.7% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 19.6% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 6.7% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.12 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 71.5% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 3.0% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $663,165 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.32% | 1.41% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 111 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 27.0 | 6.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 19 of 19 | 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 expenseCommunications & external affairscommunications & external affairs advances vera's mission as a national organization. The function provides strategic, accurate, and values driven communication that reflects vera's policy, research, and advocacy efforts to end the overcriminalization and mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty. It ensures that all internal and external communications are transparent, consistent, and aligned with vera's organizational priorities, while strengthening engagement with stakeholders and supporting the organization's public…
Advancing universal representation:the advancing universal representation initiative is driving a national movement for universal representation. Our goal is to establish a federal right to representation for all immigrants facing deportation. By fighting for universal representation, the initiative and its partners are keeping families together; disrupting the criminalization and deportation of immigrants and their families; and protecting people from the deplorable conditions of immigration detention
Restoring promiserestoring promise is an initiative of the Vera Institute of Justice that seeks to transform prison cultures, climates, and spaces by partnering with correctional leaders to reimagine housing units for young adults and realign corrections policies and practices with a commitment to human dignity
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 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $596,633 | $0 | $66,532 | $663,165 |
| VP, INITIATIVES Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $352,475 | $0 | $61,206 | $413,681 |
| VP, ADVOCACY & PARTNERSHIP Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $355,153 | $0 | $31,594 | $386,747 |
| VP, COMMS. & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $304,825 | $0 | $30,740 | $335,565 |
| VP, CHIEF OF STAFF Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $299,190 | $0 | $33,827 | $333,017 |
| CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $302,356 | $0 | $30,025 | $332,381 |
| VP, CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $264,853 | $0 | $59,012 | $323,865 |
| VP, DEVELOPMENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $274,802 | $0 | $32,562 | $307,364 |
111 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Vera Institute of Justice (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $3.1M (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–1b19 · 19 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 11aNo
- 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 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5342
- Volunteers Part I, line 621
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| HONOR CODE CREATIVE LLC Marketing services | $477,400 |
| BLUE STATE DIGITAL LLC Marketing services | $417,738 |
| PERRY UNDEM LLC Research & communication services | $283,106 |
| LIVELY LAW FIRM Legal services | $272,040 |
| CAMINO PUBLIC RELATIONS Public relations services | $268,642 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 17 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
48 private foundations reported grants to Vera Institute of Justice totaling $11M 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 Vera Institute of Justice's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Vera Institute of Justice, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Vera Institute of Justice spent in FY2025, $73.74 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of Vera Institute of Justice's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Vera Institute of Justice reported that 73.7% of its $50.1 million in expenses went to program services, 19.6% to management and general and 6.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Vera Institute of Justice pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Vera Institute of Justice reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $663,165, for the role of PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Vera Institute of Justice get its money?
Of $40.2 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 71.5% came from contributions and grants (including 3.0% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Vera Institute of Justice a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 13-1941627 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), 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 202631359349314463 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501359349314985 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202411369349319281 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202331359349319408 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202241339349302114 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202131379349310058 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 13-1941627: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.