Iowa Legal Aid
Iowa Legal Aid reported $14.3 million in revenue and $15.1 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $85.36 went to program services, $10.16 to management and general costs and $4.48 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 98.1% of the total. Government grants made up 76.1%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $184,765 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 7 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 22% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $15MFor 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 $14MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 85.4% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.5% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.05 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 98.1% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 76.1% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $184,765 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.22% | 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 | 10.3 | 6.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 18 of 18 | 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 expenseIowa Legal Aid has strengthened iowa families through vital support in housing, domestic violence, and income-related issues. We don't just provide legal assistance - we help solve problems, offering a hand up, not a handout, to iowans working to build better lives. This stability ripples outward, supporting stronger communities and a stronger iowa. Through our 10 regional offices, we serve approximately 32,000 iowans in every iowa county
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 DIRECTOR Officer, 46.0 hrs/week | $144,409 | $0 | $40,356 | $184,765 |
| LITIGATION DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $126,307 | $0 | $29,364 | $155,671 |
| INTERIM DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION & ADVOCACY Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $112,204 | $0 | $32,656 | $144,860 |
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $133,350 | $0 | $9,906 | $143,256 |
| CFO END 08/25 Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $109,459 | $0 | $21,999 | $131,458 |
| DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $113,580 | $0 | $17,841 | $131,421 |
| REGIONAL MANAGER Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $112,049 | $0 | $9,251 | $121,300 |
| CFO BEG 10/25 Officer, 46.0 hrs/week | $29,426 | $0 | $3,959 | $33,385 |
7 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Iowa Legal Aid (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $350K (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–1b18 · 18 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 5198
- Volunteers Part I, line 6275
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| PRO CIRRUS TECHNOLOGIES INC Cloud desktop support | $280,567 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 1 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
16 private foundations reported grants to Iowa Legal Aid totaling $669K 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 Iowa 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 Iowa Legal Aid, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Iowa Legal Aid spent in 2025, $85.36 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Maine Children's TrustAugusta, ME · revenue $14M · programs 98.0% · FY2025
- Legal Aid Services of OregonPortland, OR · revenue $15M · programs 85.9% · 2024
- Immigrant Legal DefenseOakland, CA · revenue $14M · programs 87.8% · 2025
- Central Jersey Legal ServicesNew Brunswick, NJ · revenue $15M · programs 87.4% · FY2025
- Northside Achievement ZoneMinneapolis, MN · revenue $14M · programs 73.9% · FY2025
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in Iowa
Questions people ask
How much of Iowa Legal Aid's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Iowa Legal Aid reported that 85.4% of its $15.1 million in expenses went to program services, 10.2% to management and general and 4.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Iowa Legal Aid pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Iowa Legal Aid reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $184,765, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Iowa Legal Aid get its money?
Of $14.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 98.1% came from contributions and grants (including 76.1% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Iowa Legal Aid a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 42-1079227 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 202612519349302001 · read the filing
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202543209349301064 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202443179349303009 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202303119349301900 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202233189349315608 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202122379349301602 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202012559349300131 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 42-1079227: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.