Children's Law Center
Children's Law Center reported $15.1 million in revenue and $13.6 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $74.76 went to program services, $15.37 to management and general costs and $9.87 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 49.8% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $228,043 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 40% between 2020 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $14MFor 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 $15MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 74.8% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 9.9% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.18 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 49.8% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 45.2% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $228,043 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.67% | 1.41% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 11.8 | 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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseGuardian ad litem program - children's Law Center's attorneys are appointed by judges within the dc superior court to represent approximately half the children involved with the dc child and family services agency - several hundred children in foster care and protective supervision each year. We make sure their perspectives and wishes are heard and their best interests are prioritized. Our representation a multi-disciplinary team of attorneys, social workers, investigators and education attorneys who advocate for the support children need to heal from the traumas that brought them into the…
Healthy together - unsafe housing, inadequate education, exposure to violence, lack of good health care and other problems related to poverty, trauma and racism can harm children's physical and behavioral health. Through our healthy together program, children's Law Center partners with pediatricians throughout eight community health centers and clinics to find and fix the root causes of a child's health problem such as advocating for landlords to repair water damage that led to mold which exacerbates a child's asthma. And because health and education are inextricably linked, children's Law…
Systemic advocacy - our systemic advocacy is grounded in our experience working with more than 50,000 district children and families since our founding in 1996. We use this expertise to partner with the mayor, district agencies, the dc council, other advocates, parents, and youth to find and implement city-wide solutions that better serve children's needs. We work to change laws, policies and practice and appellate case law. We also secure media coverage to raise awareness about the district's successes and failures in meeting children's needs. Whether it is ensuring appellate caselaw…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $201,536 | $0 | $26,507 | $228,043 |
| CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $192,940 | $0 | $33,659 | $226,599 |
| LEGAL DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $177,842 | $0 | $38,242 | $216,084 |
| POLICY DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $165,286 | $0 | $38,570 | $203,856 |
| CHIEF TALENT AND EQUITY OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $166,154 | $0 | $29,615 | $195,769 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $148,472 | $0 | $37,912 | $186,384 |
| DIRECTOR, GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $145,752 | $0 | $27,089 | $172,841 |
| DIRECTOR, HEALTHY TOGETHER PROGRAM Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $129,849 | $0 | $26,566 | $156,415 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Children's Law Center (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $650K (Part IX, line 5).
5 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–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 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5129
- Volunteers Part I, line 6500
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses onlyIndividuals listed as contractors are left out. 21 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to Children's Law Center totaling $1,500 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 Children's Law Center's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Children's Law Center, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Children's Law Center spent in 2024, $74.76 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Central Jersey Legal ServicesNew Brunswick, NJ · revenue $15M · programs 87.4% · FY2025
- Caring People AlliancePhiladelphia, PA · revenue $15M · programs 85.9% · FY2025
- Legal Aid Services of OregonPortland, OR · revenue $15M · programs 85.9% · 2024
- Utah County Public Defender AssociationProvo, UT · revenue $15M · programs 93.1% · 2025
- Iowa Legal AidDes Moines, IA · revenue $14M · programs 85.4% · 2025
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of Children's Law Center's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Children's Law Center reported that 74.8% of its $13.6 million in expenses went to program services, 15.4% to management and general and 9.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Children's Law Center pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Children's Law Center reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $228,043, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Children's Law Center get its money?
Of $15.1 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 49.8% came from contributions and grants and 45.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Children's Law Center a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 52-1961588 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 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 202532339349301423 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202402759349301610 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202321599349301467 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202231759349300533 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202142779349301609 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 52-1961588: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.