The Legal Aid Society
The Legal Aid Society reported $439.7 million in revenue and $431.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $91.04 went to program services, $8.23 to management and general costs and $0.73 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.5% of the total. Government grants made up 93.8%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $404,385 (GENERAL COUNSEL & SECRETARY). 1,148 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 33% 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 $431MFor 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 $440MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 91.0% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.01 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.5% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 93.8% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $404,385 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.09% | 1.41% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 1,148 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 0.4 | 6.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 61 of 61 | 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 expenseCriminal practice - represented nyc indigent clients involving criminal defense trial, appellate, post-conviction and parole revocation defense matters. It is estimated that the criminal practice worked on approximately 136,575 client matters this year
Civil practice - provided civil legal assistance to low-income new yorkers and worked on approximately 59,500 client matters this year
Juvenile rights practice - represented children and young adults who are the subject of abuse and neglect, delinquency and other matters in the nyc family court. It is estimated that the juvenile rights practice worked on approximately 26,180 ongoing client matters this year
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GENERAL COUNSEL & SECRETARY Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $287,717 | $0 | $116,668 | $404,385 |
| CHIEF ATTORNEY - JRP Key employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $289,478 | $0 | $94,311 | $383,789 |
| CHIEF ATTORNEY - CDP Key employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $289,516 | $0 | $91,721 | $381,237 |
| ATTORNEY-IN-CHIEF/CEO Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $322,150 | $0 | $52,700 | $374,850 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $291,835 | $0 | $73,886 | $365,721 |
| CHIEF ATTORNEY - CIVIL Key employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $294,948 | $0 | $49,095 | $344,043 |
| CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $229,884 | $0 | $85,905 | $315,789 |
| ATTORNEY-IN-CHARGE Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $223,536 | $0 | $78,403 | $301,939 |
1,148 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Legal Aid Society (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.7M (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–1b61 · 61 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 52,621
- Volunteers Part I, line 62,983
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| STEPTOE LLP Legal services | $2,860,911 |
| GREEN KEY SOLUTIONS LLC Temporary services | $1,257,134 |
| FINGROW PARTNERS LLC Consulting/temporary services | $981,435 |
| TANDYM GROUP LLC Temporary services | $781,668 |
| 1330 CONSULTING LLC Consulting/temporary services | $755,730 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 34 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
42 private foundations reported grants to The Legal Aid Society totaling $2.0M 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 The Legal Aid Society's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Legal Aid Society, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 The Legal Aid Society spent in FY2025, $91.04 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Justice Resource InstituteNeedham, MA · revenue $279M · programs 90.8% · FY2025
- Legal Services CorporationWashington, DC · revenue $573M · programs 97.0% · FY2025
- The Florida Bar FoundationMaitland, FL · revenue $273M · programs 97.5% · FY2025
- American Arbitration AssociationNew York, NY · revenue $189M · programs 93.8% · 2025
- The 85 FundFort Worth, TX · revenue $169M · programs 96.1% · 2024
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of The Legal Aid Society's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Legal Aid Society reported that 91.0% of its $431.3 million in expenses went to program services, 8.2% to management and general and 0.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Legal Aid Society pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Legal Aid Society reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $404,385, for the role of GENERAL COUNSEL & SECRETARY (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Legal Aid Society get its money?
Of $439.7 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 99.5% came from contributions and grants (including 93.8% from government grants) and 0.1% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Legal Aid Society a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 13-5562265 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 202631269349301388 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202541329349305114 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202411359349303991 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202341329349303649 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202221229349302152 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202141249349301734 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 13-5562265: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.