Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
Also known as Able
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality reported $14.3 million in revenue and $11.7 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $85.81 went to program services, $11.43 to management and general costs and $2.76 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 95.5% of the total. Government grants made up 18.4%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $174,464 (DEPUTY DIRECTOR). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 61% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $12MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $14M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$75.98 $11M
- Government grants$18.10 $2.6M
- Program service revenue$5.21 $755K
- Other revenue$0.71 $103K
Investment income was negative: −$216K. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 85.8% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 11.4% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.8% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.02 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 95.5% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 18.4% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 5.3% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $174,464 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.49% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 14.5 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 25 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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseHousing justice and community economic development: neighborhood stabilization, racial justice, business transactional legal services, entrepreneur legal support, cooperative law, land trust law, shared equity development models, food equity, fair housing, environmental justice, tenants rights, eviction defense, housing subsidy preservation, affordable housing preservation and location, foreclosure defense, lead poisoning prevention, returning citizens, mental health and housing, consumer rights.agricultural worker and immigrant rights: protecting and expanding the legal rights of…
Highest reported compensation
2024 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR Officer, 48.00 hrs/week | $147,336 | $0 | $27,128 | $174,464 |
| DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $127,549 | $0 | $24,006 | $151,555 |
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (FROM 3/24) Officer, 42.00 hrs/week | $134,613 | $0 | $13,661 | $148,274 |
| MANAGING ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 42.00 hrs/week | $108,268 | $0 | $34,173 | $142,441 |
| MANAGING ATTORNEY (THRU 12/24) Highest compensated employee, 38.00 hrs/week | $132,999 | $0 | $7,277 | $140,276 |
| MANAGING ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 44.00 hrs/week | $115,717 | $0 | $15,775 | $131,492 |
| SENIOR ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 41.00 hrs/week | $120,397 | $0 | $6,588 | $126,985 |
| MANAGING ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 36.00 hrs/week | $119,364 | $0 | $6,532 | $125,896 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $474K (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
2024 · 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 · 25 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 5103
- Volunteers Part I, line 625
Private foundation grants it received
5 private foundations reported grants to Advocates for Basic Legal Equality totaling $54,556 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 Advocates for Basic Legal Equality's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Advocates for Basic Legal Equality spent in 2024, $85.81 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Advocates for Basic Legal Equality's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality reported that 85.8% of its $11.7 million in expenses went to program services, 11.4% to management and general and 2.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Advocates for Basic Legal Equality pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Advocates for Basic Legal Equality reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $174,464, for the role of DEPUTY DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Advocates for Basic Legal Equality get its money?
Of $14.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 95.5% came from contributions and grants (including 18.4% from government grants) and 5.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Advocates for Basic Legal Equality a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 23-7376131 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
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202503219349308185 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202412749349301261 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202343049349302674 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202213149349302276 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202133019349300403 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202043179349305179 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 23-7376131: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.