Community Legal Services
Community Legal Services reported $11.3 million in revenue and $11.3 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $80.39 went to program services, $16.63 to management and general costs and $2.98 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 98.0% of the total. Government grants made up 82.7%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $179,738 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 52% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $11MFor 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 $11MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 80.4% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 16.6% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.0% | 0.8% |
| 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 | 98.0% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 82.7% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $179,738 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.59% | 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 | 4.0 | 6.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 22 of 22 | 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 expenseIn 2025, Community Legal Services (cls) provided civil Legal Services to 5,385 individual clients, which directly impacted 12,895 family/household members. Left unresolved, these civil issues would result in homelessness, continued abuse and domestic violence, loss of limited income due to consumer fraud and illegal employment practices, lack of health care and the right to public school education for children with disabilities would have escalated. Cls also shared information and resources with approximately 25,000 persons through community outreach and education opportunities throughout our…
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, 43.10 hrs/week | $155,505 | $0 | $24,233 | $179,738 |
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR Officer, 41.80 hrs/week | $137,013 | $0 | $24,233 | $161,246 |
| LITIGATION DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 41.90 hrs/week | $147,640 | $0 | $10,405 | $158,045 |
| MANAGING ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 41.60 hrs/week | $124,437 | $0 | $31,844 | $156,281 |
| FINANCE DIRECTOR Officer, 41.60 hrs/week | $132,952 | $0 | $22,556 | $155,508 |
| MANAGING ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 40.10 hrs/week | $131,318 | $0 | $22,351 | $153,669 |
| MANAGING ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 40.50 hrs/week | $130,537 | $0 | $22,249 | $152,786 |
| MANAGING ATTORNEY Highest compensated employee, 41.50 hrs/week | $145,540 | $0 | $5,828 | $151,368 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Community Legal Services (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $512K (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–1b22 · 22 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 598
- Volunteers Part I, line 6252
Private foundation grants it received
3 private foundations reported grants to Community Legal Services totaling $10,261 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 Community 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 Community Legal Services, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Community Legal Services spent in 2025, $80.39 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Advocates for Children of New YorkNew York, NY · revenue $11M · programs 80.8% · FY2025
- Kalamazoo County DefenderKalamazoo, MI · revenue $11M · programs 94.1% · FY2025
- The Children's Law CenterBrooklyn, NY · revenue $11M · programs 87.1% · FY2025
- New York City Police FoundationNew York, NY · revenue $11M · programs 76.6% · FY2025
- Wayne County Neighborhood Legal ServicesDetroit, MI · revenue $11M · programs 88.0% · 2024
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in Arizona
Questions people ask
How much of Community Legal Services's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Community Legal Services reported that 80.4% of its $11.3 million in expenses went to program services, 16.6% to management and general and 3.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Community Legal Services pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Community Legal Services reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $179,738, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Community Legal Services get its money?
Of $11.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 98.0% came from contributions and grants (including 82.7% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Community Legal Services a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 86-0166615 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 (amended), object 202631359349307293 · read the filing
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202501349349312470 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202421369349305022 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202321359349305067 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202231619349300918 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202111359349301586 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202032679349300923 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 86-0166615: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.