Lawfare Defense Fund
Lawfare Defense Fund reported $26.1 million in revenue and $844,412 in expenses for the 8-month short period ending December 31, 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $82.90 went to program services, $17.10 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.6% of the total. Source: Form 990, FY2024 (8 mo.).
Where $100 of spending went
The 8-month short period ending December 31, 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $844KFor 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
The 8-month short period ending December 31, 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $26MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2024 (8 mo.) | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 82.9% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 17.1% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 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 | 99.6% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | Not reported | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | Not reported | 1.41% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 358.8 | 6.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 3 of 3 | 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
FY2024 (8 mo.) · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense1 filings since FY2024 (8 mo.)
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked| Filing | Revenue | Expenses | Programs | Net assets | Top pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 (8 mo.) ⓘ | $26M | $844K | 82.9% | $25M | — |
Governance answers, as filed
FY2024 (8 mo.) · 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–1b3 · 3 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bNo
- 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 15aNo
- 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 4Not answered
- 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 50
- Volunteers Part I, line 63
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Lawfare Defense Fund's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Lawfare Defense Fund, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Lawfare Defense Fund spent in FY2024 (8 mo.), $82.90 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Legal Assistance of Western New YorkGeneva, NY · revenue $26M · programs 93.5% · 2025
- Safe PassagesOakland, CA · revenue $27M · programs 93.7% · FY2025
- ZerovFrankfort, KY · revenue $26M · programs 99.0% · FY2025
- Michigan Advocacy ProgramYpsilanti, MI · revenue $28M · programs 89.0% · 2024
- Michigan State Bar FoundationLansing, MI · revenue $26M · programs 98.2% · FY2025
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in Florida
Questions people ask
How much of Lawfare Defense Fund's spending goes to programs?
In the 8-month short period ending December 31, 2024, Lawfare Defense Fund reported that 82.9% of its $844,412 in expenses went to program services, 17.1% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
Where does Lawfare Defense Fund get its money?
Of $26.1 million in revenue in the 8-month short period ending December 31, 2024, 99.6% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Lawfare Defense Fund a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 99-2814162 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 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2024 (8 mo.): Form 990 for the 8-month short period ending December 31, 2024, object 202503199349301230 · read the filing · XML
All filings for EIN 99-2814162: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.