South Carolina Legal Services
South Carolina Legal Services reported $13.3 million in revenue and $13.1 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $90.45 went to program services, $9.13 to management and general costs and $0.42 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 97.3% of the total. Government grants made up 81.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $211,756 (Executive Director). 14 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 13% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $13MFor 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 $13MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 90.4% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 9.1% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 97.3% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 81.5% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $211,756 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.61% | 1.41% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 14 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 9.8 | 6.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 24 of 24 | 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 expenseSouth Carolina Legal Services (SCLS) provides free legal services to protect the rights and represent the interests of low income South Carolinians. South Carolina Legal Services provides free legal services in a wide variety of civil (non-criminal) legal matters to eligible low income residents of South Carolina. SCLS is a non-profit corporation, funded by grants from the federally funded Legal Services Corporation, the South Carolina Bar Foundation, local United Ways, State court filing fees, Foundations and other federal, state and local funding. SCLS serves residents of all areas of the…
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, 37.5 hrs/week | $189,250 | $0 | $22,506 | $211,756 |
| Chief Financial Officer Officer, 37.5 hrs/week | $165,467 | $0 | $21,853 | $187,320 |
| Deputy Director of Grants and Compliance Key employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $174,060 | $0 | $11,871 | $185,931 |
| Managing Attorney Highest compensated employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $160,024 | $0 | $21,589 | $181,613 |
| Upstate MLP Managing Attorney Highest compensated employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $148,083 | $0 | $20,936 | $169,019 |
| Managing Attorney Highest compensated employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $124,191 | $0 | $19,502 | $143,693 |
| Managing Attorney Highest compensated employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $120,121 | $0 | $19,131 | $139,252 |
| Deputy Director of Litigation and Training/Housing Law Unit Head Highest compensated employee, 37.5 hrs/week | $116,533 | $0 | $19,043 | $135,576 |
14 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from South Carolina Legal Services (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $585K (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–1b24 · 24 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 5132
- Volunteers Part I, line 617
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses onlyIndividuals listed as contractors are left out. 2 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
2 private foundations reported grants to South Carolina Legal Services totaling $88,531 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 South Carolina Legal Services's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for South Carolina Legal Services, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 South Carolina Legal Services spent in 2025, $90.45 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Legal Aid at WorkSan Francisco, CA · revenue $13M · programs 65.5% · 2024
- Center for Appellate LitigationNew York, NY · revenue $13M · programs 81.4% · FY2025
- Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual AssaultKansas City, MO · revenue $13M · programs 68.3% · 2024
- Community Legal Aid SocietyWilmington, DE · revenue $13M · programs 78.3% · 2025
- Legal Services AlabamaMontgomery, AL · revenue $13M · programs 77.1% · 2025
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in South Carolina
Questions people ask
How much of South Carolina Legal Services's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, South Carolina Legal Services reported that 90.4% of its $13.1 million in expenses went to program services, 9.1% to management and general and 0.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does South Carolina Legal Services pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation South Carolina Legal Services reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $211,756, for the role of Executive Director (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does South Carolina Legal Services get its money?
Of $13.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 97.3% came from contributions and grants (including 81.5% from government grants) and 0.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is South Carolina Legal Services a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 57-0485205 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 202641889349300519 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202532829349300413 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202423189349305842 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202332779349300303 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202202639349300220 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202142849349301159 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202012659349301326 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 57-0485205: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.