Legal Aid of North Carolina
Legal Aid of North Carolina reported $48.0 million in revenue and $49.2 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $86.41 went to program services, $12.90 to management and general costs and $0.69 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 96.6% of the total. Government grants made up 70.9%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $241,672 (EXECUTIVE DI). 20 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 66% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $49MFor 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 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $48MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 86.4% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 12.9% | 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 | 96.6% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 70.9% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 2.3% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $241,672 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.49% | 1.41% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 20 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 2.0 | 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
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseLegal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Lanc focuses its advocacy on cases that affect its clients' basic human needs - safety from violence, shelter and income - and cases involving systemic and structural injustices and inequalities that broadly affect low-income north carolinians. Lanc's core cases involve domestic violence, housing, public benefits, consumer rights, employment, education, health…
Highest reported compensation
2025 · 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 DI Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $240,000 | $0 | $1,672 | $241,672 |
| CHIEF TECH O Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $153,901 | $0 | $2,916 | $156,817 |
| FINANCE Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $140,359 | $0 | $2,916 | $143,275 |
| MANAGING ATT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $141,149 | $0 | $1,563 | $142,712 |
| CHIEF REGION Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $135,843 | $0 | $1,580 | $137,423 |
| CHIEF LEGAL Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $129,607 | $0 | $2,916 | $132,523 |
| CHIEF OPERAT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $124,457 | $0 | $2,916 | $127,373 |
20 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Legal Aid of North Carolina (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $380K (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2025 · 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 4No
- 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 5522
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,901
Private foundation grants it received
8 private foundations reported grants to Legal Aid of North Carolina totaling $461K 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 Legal Aid of North Carolina's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Legal Aid of North Carolina, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Legal Aid of North Carolina spent in 2025, $86.41 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Legal Aid BureauBaltimore, MD · revenue $46M · programs 85.4% · 2024
- Texas Riogrande Legal AidMercedes, TX · revenue $49M · programs 91.9% · FY2025
- The District of Columbia Bar FoundationWashington, DC · revenue $44M · programs 97.1% · FY2025
- Pennsylvania Legal Aid NetworkHarrisburg, PA · revenue $50M · programs 96.2% · FY2025
- Criminal Justice Reform FoundationNew York, NY · revenue $44M · programs 71.8% · 2024
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in North Carolina
Questions people ask
How much of Legal Aid of North Carolina's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Legal Aid of North Carolina reported that 86.4% of its $49.2 million in expenses went to program services, 12.9% to management and general and 0.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Legal Aid of North Carolina pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Legal Aid of North Carolina reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $241,672, for the role of EXECUTIVE DI (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Legal Aid of North Carolina get its money?
Of $48.0 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 96.6% came from contributions and grants (including 70.9% from government grants) and 2.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Legal Aid of North Carolina a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 31-1784161 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, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202602119349301800 · read the filing
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202512889349303166 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202520889349300107 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202313189349300611 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202203199349329865 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202123199349302367 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202013129349300501 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 31-1784161: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.