Community Legal Services
Community Legal Services reported $28.5 million in revenue and $28.8 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $90.01 went to program services, $6.15 to management and general costs and $3.84 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 98.4% of the total. Government grants made up 81.4%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $218,164 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 7 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 90% 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 $29MFor 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 $28MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 90.0% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.1% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.8% | 0.8% |
| 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 | 98.4% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 81.4% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $218,164 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.76% | 1.41% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 9.3 | 6.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 27 of 27 | 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 expenseCommunity Legal Services (cls) is nationally recognized as a model Legal Services program. Cls assists clients when they face the threat of losing their homes, incomes, health care, and even their families. Cls attorneys and other staff provide a full range of Legal Services, from individual representation to administrative advocacy to class action litigation, as well as community education and social work. In the past year, cls helped 13,600 philadelphians, including seniors facing foreclosure, victims of consumer fraud, young families at risk of homelessness and hunger, people facing…
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 | $185,750 | $0 | $32,414 | $218,164 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $169,458 | $0 | $31,464 | $200,922 |
| SENIOR ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $166,458 | $0 | $31,100 | $197,558 |
| SENIOR ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $162,933 | $0 | $31,198 | $194,131 |
| SENIOR ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $162,433 | $0 | $31,523 | $193,956 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $161,458 | $0 | $32,104 | $193,562 |
| LITIGATION DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $162,042 | $0 | $13,018 | $175,060 |
7 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Community Legal Services (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $236K (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–1b27 · 27 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 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5390
- Volunteers Part I, line 656
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| SENIOR LAW CENTER Legal consulting | $945,791 |
| LEGAL CLINIC FOR THE DISABLED Legal consulting | $795,917 |
| TENANT UNION REPRESENTATION NETWORK Legal consulting | $550,335 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 3 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
21 private foundations reported grants to Community Legal Services totaling $1.4M 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 Community 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 Community Legal Services, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Community Legal Services spent in FY2025, $90.01 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Erie County Bar Association Aid to Indigent Prisoners SocietyBuffalo, NY · revenue $28M · programs 95.4% · 2024
- Legal Aid Society of Suffolk CountyCentral Islip, NY · revenue $29M · programs 92.3% · 2024
- Legal Aid Services of OklahomaOklahoma City, OK · revenue $28M · programs 89.9% · 2025
- National Association of Chronic Disease DirectorsDecatur, GA · revenue $29M · programs 76.3% · FY2025
- Salt Lake Legal Defender AssociationSalt Lake City, UT · revenue $28M · programs 95.8% · 2024
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in Pennsylvania
Questions people ask
How much of Community Legal Services's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Community Legal Services reported that 90.0% of its $28.8 million in expenses went to program services, 6.1% to management and general and 3.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Community Legal Services pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Community Legal Services reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $218,164, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Community Legal Services get its money?
Of $28.5 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 98.4% came from contributions and grants (including 81.4% from government grants) and 0.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Community Legal Services a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 23-1671562 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 202543449349301029 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202412819349300641 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202410389349300226 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202213159349301966 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202113069349302021 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202100139349300410 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 23-1671562: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.