The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies
The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies reported $30.1 million in revenue and $31.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $87.80 went to program services, $10.01 to management and general costs and $2.19 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 71.2% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $824,145 (DIR./PRES & CEO (THRU 1/2025)). 20 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 48% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $32MFor 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
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $30MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 87.8% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 10.0% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.2% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.03 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 71.2% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 6.7% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $824,145 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.60% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 20 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 12.9 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 10 of 13 | 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 expenseStudent activities: student activities are the cornerstone of the society. The society maintains a chapter at nearly every law school in the nation. Each chapter is committed to sparking discussion of critical issues through high-quality debates and lectures featuring a thorough analysis of conservative and libertarian thought. The chapters host more than 1,000 events each academic year
Symposium and conferences - - the society's student symposium has been one of its keystone events for more than forty years. In addition to the student symposium, the society hosts a program of seminars, conferences, and meetings at which distinguished legal scholars engage in debate and public discussion about legal issues of national importance
Practice groups and networks - - the practice groups and networks host more than 200 programs each year and connect the organization's members along areas of legal practice and interest. The practice groups and networks provide programming that is based upon the most recent and noteworthy developments in the law
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIR./PRES & CEO (THRU 1/2025) Director/trustee, officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $753,528 | $0 | $70,617 | $824,145 |
| DIRECTOR/SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Director/trustee, officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $463,500 | $0 | $25,530 | $489,030 |
| DIRECTOR OF PRACTICE GROUPS Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $411,000 | $0 | $65,708 | $476,708 |
| DIRECTOR OF STUDENT DIVISION Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $290,000 | $0 | $62,498 | $352,498 |
| DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $250,000 | $0 | $56,398 | $306,398 |
| VP/DIR,LAWYERS CH(THRU 7/2025) Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $245,000 | $0 | $43,355 | $288,355 |
| VP & DIR, REGUL. TRANSPARENCY Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $232,000 | $0 | $55,167 | $287,167 |
| VP & DIRECTOR (THRU 3/2025) Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $230,000 | $0 | $16,564 | $246,564 |
20 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.4M (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–1b13 · 10 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 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 568
- Volunteers Part I, line 66,125
Private foundation grants it received
21 private foundations reported grants to The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies totaling $3.6M 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 Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies'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 Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies spent in FY2025, $87.80 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All unclassified charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies reported that 87.8% of its $31.7 million in expenses went to program services, 10.0% to management and general and 2.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $824,145, for the role of DIR./PRES & CEO (THRU 1/2025) (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies get its money?
Of $30.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 71.2% came from contributions and grants and 6.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 36-3235550 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 September 30, 2025, object 202612299349302331 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202522279349303677 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202432289349303298 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202302279349302715 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202211039349300521 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202101099349301500 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 36-3235550: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.