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Northeast Legal Aid

Lawrence, MA · EIN 23-7381007 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for calendar year 2024 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Northeast Legal Aid reported $12.9 million in revenue and $11.7 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $87.78 went to program services, $11.55 to management and general costs and $0.67 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 95.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $288,691 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 9 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 128% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.

Where $100 of spending went

Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $12M

For 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

Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $13M

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

2024 filing. Median across 274 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure2024Median
Program services
Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)
87.8%86.7%
Management & general
Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)
11.5%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
95.6%94.8%
Government grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1e ÷ 12
0.0%50.1%
Program service revenue share
Part VIII 2g ÷ 12
1.4%0.7%
Highest reported compensation
Part VII-A, columns D–F
$288,691$245,814
Highest compensation as share of expenses
Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)
2.47%1.41%
People paid over $100,000
Part VII, line 2
98
Net assets, in months of expenses
Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses
12.46.4
Independent voting board members
Part VI 1a–1b
14 of 14100.0%

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 expense
$10M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · revenue $13M

Provided assistance in non criminal proceedings to those who can not afford private legal services. In addition, donated services were used for program services

Highest reported compensation

2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here
RoleFrom this orgFrom related orgsOtherTotal
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week
$279,549$0$9,142$288,691
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week
$176,650$0$43,776$220,426
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week
$180,570$0$20,990$201,560
FISCAL DIRECTOR
Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week
$150,750$0$34,472$185,222
ATTORNEY
Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week
$147,650$0$652$148,302

9 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Northeast Legal Aid (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $935K (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked
RevenueExpenses
$0$5.0M$10M$15M$20M201920202021202220232024$13M$12M
FilingRevenueExpensesProgramsNet assetsTop pay
2024 ⓘ$13M$12M87.8%$12M$288,691
2023 ⓘ$14M$10M87.9%$11M$286,079
2022 ⓘ$9.0M$8.5M85.9%$7.2M$226,751
2021 ⓘ$9.6M$8.3M86.4%$6.7M$206,580
2020 ⓘ$7.3M$5.8M88.2%$5.3M$193,531
2019 ⓘ$5.6M$5.1M86.2%$3.8M$184,600

Governance 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–1b14 · 14 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 5105
  • Volunteers Part I, line 690

Largest outside contractors

2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only
LAW OFFICE OF JOHN WESSLER
Legal services
$118,526

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 1 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

3 private foundations reported grants to Northeast Legal Aid totaling $96,687 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 Northeast Legal Aid's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Northeast Legal Aid, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Similar-sized charities in this cause

All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts

Questions people ask

How much of Northeast Legal Aid's spending goes to programs?

In calendar year 2024, Northeast Legal Aid reported that 87.8% of its $11.7 million in expenses went to program services, 11.5% to management and general and 0.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Northeast Legal Aid pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Northeast Legal Aid reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $288,691, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Northeast Legal Aid get its money?

Of $12.9 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 95.6% came from contributions and grants and 1.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Northeast Legal Aid a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 23-7381007 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 202523189349308927 · read the filing · XML
  • 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202423169349302592 · read the filing
  • 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202323059349300347 · read the filing
  • 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202213209349301926 · read the filing
  • 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202143089349300139 · read the filing
  • 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202012959349300011 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 23-7381007: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.