Public Counsel FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Los Angeles, CA501(c)(3)Since 1970Crime & LegalEIN 23-7105149Revenue $22.6M in FY2021

On file with the IRSpubliccounsel.org610 S Ardmore Ave, 90005-2322 · Los Angeles, CATax-exempt since Jun 1971Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Public Counsel is a nonprofit Public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. (see sch o for continuation)founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond los angeles.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$1.5M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.9M a year · 9% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
79%
of spending
Looks good: 79% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$1.5M
to officers and key staff · 10% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 10% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $48K
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$6.1M
20% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 20% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
87
of 87 voting members
Looks good: 87 of 87 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$22.6M
+61% vs prior year
Spent
$15.5M
To programs
79%
Net assets
$24.5M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$22.6M
FY2021▲ +61%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$14.1M
FY2021$22.6M
FY2022$17.5M
FY2023$17.3M
FY2024$25.8M
FY2025$23.8M
Expenses
$15.5M
FY2021▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$14.1M
FY2021$15.5M
FY2022$16.4M
FY2023$18.7M
FY2024$21.5M
FY2025$23.6M
Net assets
$24.5M
FY2021▲ +47%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$16.7M
FY2021$24.5M
FY2022$24.2M
FY2023$23.4M
FY2024$29.1M
FY2025$30.0M

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending August 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 1971.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 79% · $12.2M Management & general 12% · $1.8M Fundraising 9% · $1.5M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

97 people listed on the 990; $1.5M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
President & CEO
$247,388Pt VII · Sec A
Directing Attorney
$228,629Pt VII · Sec A
VP Development & Cdo
$190,844Pt VII · Sec A
VP Finance & CFO
$183,829Pt VII · Sec A
VP Chief Program Officer
$146,242Pt VII · Sec A
Directing Attorney
$140,300Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Philanthropy
$128,911Pt VII · Sec A
Supervising Staff Attorney
$128,837Pt VII · Sec A

Mark Rosenbaum’s $266K as SR. Special Counsel for Strat. Lit. is at the 72nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 247 $10–100M crime & legal nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Mark Rosenbaum$265,540$251,435$243,692$237,023$228,629$224,632
Margaret Morrow————$247,388$255,800
Tracy Rice$248,627$212,981$209,768$201,609$190,844$188,471
Kristen Jackson$246,840$140,519————
Monica Ramirez Almadani—$240,208$239,587$133,233——
Kathryn a Eidmann$223,340$162,118————
Elizabeth Bluestein—————$210,539
Steven Godoy$207,723$121,478————

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Provides free legal services, impact litigation, and policy advocacy to fight systemic poverty and protect civil rights using a network of volunteer attorneys.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $7.1M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Immigrants' Rights Project

Irp envisions a world where all (im)migrants live with dignity, power, and opportunity. Irp's team of advocates collaborates with clients and communities to fight fearlessly for legal protections and a just immigration system.

$2.7Mprogram expense
02

Children's Rights Project

CRP serves children, youth, and their families on a variety of legal issues, including adoption, probate legal guardianship, public benefits, special education and school push-out issues, and issues impacting transition age youth.

$2.4Mprogram expense
03

Homelessness Prevention Law Project

The project's staff and volunteers contribute to the creation of a strong social safety net in our local communities through services such as tenant counseling, eviction defense, fighting fines for quality-of-life infractions and misdemeanors, and government benefits advocacy.

$2.0Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
See all 5 funders →
Grants paid · 20 grants · $2.0M · 2019–2024
Acce InstituteCA · FY2024$108,989
Unitemized GrantFY2024$91,906
Acce InstituteCA · FY2023$131,684
Unitemized GrantFY2023$55,000
Bet TzedekCA · FY2023$22,380
Acce InstituteCA · FY2022$157,068
Bet TzedekCA · FY2022$89,047
Unitemized GrantFY2022$71,053
Unitemized GrantFY2021$32,500
Unitemized GrantFY2020$15,000
See all 20 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$22.6M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$20.8M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.7M
Investment incomeLn 3$194K
Money outPt IX
$15.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$12.2M
Managementcol C$1.8M
Fundraisingcol D$1.5M
Owns and owesPt X
$24.5M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$8.4M
Total assetsLn 16$30.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$6.1M
PeoplePt VI, VII
97
listed · VII A
PaidVII A9
Voting boardVI 1a87
IndependentVI 1b87
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$20.8M
Government grantsLn 1e$5.1M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$48K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$2.5M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.7M
Investment incomeLn 3$194K
Gains on assetsLn 7$164K
Total revenueLn 12$22.6M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$4.9M
SavingsLn 2$3.5M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$8.4M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$11.8M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$4.9M
Total assetsLn 16$30.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$6.1M
Net assetsLn 32$24.5M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5196
VolunteersI 64,000
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$7.9M$8.4M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$6.8M$11.8M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$5.0M$4.9M
Total assetsLn 16$23.8M$30.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$7.1M$6.1M
Net assetsLn 32$16.7M$24.5M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$15K$15K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$987K$381K$264K$342K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$10.4M$9.0M$745K$674K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$430K$365K$38K$27K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$1.1M$953K$89K$90K
Payroll taxesLn 10$811K$669K$71K$71K
Legal feesLn 11b$79K$79K
Accounting feesLn 11c$77K$77K
Investment management feesLn 11f$22K$22K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$545K$160K$284K$101K
Office expensesLn 13$111K$54K$8K$49K
OccupancyLn 16$303K$250K$26K$26K
TravelLn 17$12K$12K$611
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$147K$121K$13K$13K
InsuranceLn 23$82K$68K$7K$7K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$246K$152K$75K$19K
All other expensesLn 24e$44K$6K$8K$31K
Total functional expensesLn 25$15.5M$12.2M$1.8M$1.5M

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $23.8M$23.6M$256K$30.0M 990 PDF
FY2024 $25.8M$21.5M$4.4M$29.1M 990 PDF
FY2023 $17.3M$18.7M−$1.4M$23.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $17.5M$16.4M$1.1M$24.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $22.6M$15.5M$7.2M$24.5M 990 PDF
FY2020 $14.1M$14.1M−$67K$16.7M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $22,640,331 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $11,924,971$20,765,191
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,794,583$1,747,528
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $491,985$193,920
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$159,862−$66,308
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $14,051,677$22,640,331
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $70,000$15,000
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $12,385,386$13,795,685
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,663,048$1,669,453
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $14,118,434$15,480,138
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$66,757$7,160,193
Part VI · Governance 87 of 87 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body87
VI-1b Independent voting members87
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $22,640,331 across 12 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$2,486,094
VIII-1e Government grants$5,142,314
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$13,136,783
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$48,024
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$20,765,191
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,747,528$1,747,528
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $29,426$29,426
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $11,326$11,326
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $164,494$164,494
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$103,576−$103,576
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $25,942$25,942
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,747,528 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $127,612$22,640,331
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $15,480,138 across 17 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $15,000$15,000
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $381,313 · Management $263,668 · Fundraising $342,451$987,432
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $9,016,347 · Management $745,267 · Fundraising $673,983$10,435,597
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $364,962 · Management $38,192 · Fundraising $27,114$430,268
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $953,361 · Management $88,812 · Fundraising $89,634$1,131,807
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $668,934 · Management $70,910 · Fundraising $70,737$810,581
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $79,125$79,125
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $77,070$77,070
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $22,322$22,322
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $159,552 · Management $284,334 · Fundraising $101,155$545,041
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $54,188 · Management $8,380 · Fundraising $48,855$111,423
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $249,976 · Management $26,497 · Fundraising $26,434$302,907
IX-17 TravelPrograms $11,759 · Management $611$12,370
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $121,333 · Management $12,862 · Fundraising $12,831$147,026
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $67,605 · Management $7,165 · Fundraising $7,149$81,919
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $152,270 · Management $74,935 · Fundraising $18,569$245,774
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $5,501 · Management $7,723 · Fundraising $31,252$44,476
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $12,222,101 · Management $1,807,873 · Fundraising $1,450,164$15,480,138
Part X · Balance sheet $30,574,529 assets, 17 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $4,833,398$4,857,578
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $3,103,398$3,498,005
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $3,046,230$3,955,469
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $855,761$1,345,016
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $176,751$209,717
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $4,962,308$4,917,182
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $4,552,765$7,005,059
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $2,282,703$4,786,503
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $23,813,314$30,574,529
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,297,707$2,649,413
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $2,670,633$2,439,421
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $2,146,540$997,479
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $7,114,880$6,086,313
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $11,658,480$20,300,224
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $5,039,954$4,187,992
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $16,698,434$24,488,216
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $23,813,314$30,574,529
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $24,488,216 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$22,640,331
XI-2 Total expenses$15,480,138
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$7,160,193
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$16,698,434
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$629,589
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$24,488,216

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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