Public defense corporation providing civil and criminal Legal services to the indigent population

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
74¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 7 volunteers and 4 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $36K a year · 8% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
74%
of spending
Fine: 74% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$87K
to officers and key staff · 17% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 17% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $171K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$442
0.2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$509K
+1% vs prior year
Spent
$521K
To programs
74%
Net assets
$235K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$509K
FY2025▲ +1%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$381K
FY2022$542K
FY2023$406K
FY2024$503K
FY2025$509K
Expenses
$521K
FY2025▲ +13%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$389K
FY2022$392K
FY2023$397K
FY2024$459K
FY2025$521K
Net assets
$235K
FY2025▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$44K
FY2022$194K
FY2023$203K
FY2024$247K
FY2025$235K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 1976.

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

Where the money goes

74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 74% · $386K Management & general 23% · $118K Fundraising 3% · $17K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $87K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Di
$87,200Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Secret
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Acting Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Wesley Martins’s $87K as Executive Di is at the 68th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1404 $100K–1M 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 · 7 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Wesley Martins$87,200$87,200$90,554$87,200$87,200
Joyce Laporte—$150$150——
John Morin—$150$150——
Travis Morrison—$150$150——
Les Northup—$150$150——
Keith Shaw—$150$150——
Melanie Benjamin——$150——

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.

See Indian Legal Assistance Program executive salaries →

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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 help to low-income people facing civil or criminal cases.

Questions for Indian Legal Assistance Program

Tap to ask. Indian Legal Assistance Program sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Indian Legal Assistance Program answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $386K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

To provide legal services to income-eligible individuals throughout the five counties and four indian reservations in northeastern minnesota indian legal assistance program provides civil representation in ST louis county and adult and juvenile criminal representation throughout the five- county region.

$386Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2022
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$171K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$509K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$508K
Other incomeLn 4–11$337
Investment incomeLn 3$111
Money outPt IX
$521K
Ln 25
Programscol B$386K
Managementcol C$118K
Fundraisingcol D$17K
Owns and owesPt X
$235K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$198K
Total assetsLn 16$235K
LiabilitiesLn 26$442
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$508K
Government grantsLn 1e$508K
Investment incomeLn 3$111
Other incomeLn 4–11$337
Total revenueLn 12$509K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$19K
SavingsLn 2$179K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$198K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$14K
Total assetsLn 16$235K
LiabilitiesLn 26$442
Net assetsLn 32$235K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 67
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$224K$198K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$8K$14K
Total assetsLn 16$261K$235K
LiabilitiesLn 26$13K$442
Net assetsLn 32$247K$235K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$87K$70K$9K$9K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$254K$184K$66K$4K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$60K$40K$17K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$27K$20K$6K$1K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$4K$4K
Office expensesLn 13$18K$15K$2K$437
Information technologyLn 14$36$36
OccupancyLn 16$34K$30K$3K
TravelLn 17$15K$15K$522
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$1K$1K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$5K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$4K$4K$213
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$9K$9K$85
Total functional expensesLn 25$521K$386K$118K$17K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $509K$521K−$13K$235K 990 PDF
FY2024 $503K$459K$44K$247K 990 PDF
FY2023 $406K$397K$9K$203K 990 PDF
FY2022 $542K$392K$150K$194K 990 PDF
FY2021 $381K$389K−$8K$44K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $508,568 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $491,210$508,120
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $100$111
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $11,974$337
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $503,284$508,568
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $388,274$428,025
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $70,999$93,113
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $459,273$521,138
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $44,011−$12,570
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $508,568 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$508,120
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$508,120
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $111$111
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $337$337
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $337 · Excluded from tax $111$508,568
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $521,138 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $69,760 · Management $8,720 · Fundraising $8,720$87,200
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $183,697 · Management $65,735 · Fundraising $4,469$253,901
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $40,458 · Management $17,299 · Fundraising $2,107$59,864
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $20,108 · Management $5,905 · Fundraising $1,047$27,060
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $3,000$3,000
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $4,225$4,225
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $14,626 · Management $2,445 · Fundraising $437$17,508
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $36$36
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $30,253 · Management $3,362$33,615
IX-17 TravelPrograms $14,686 · Management $522$15,208
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsManagement $1,362$1,362
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $5,145$5,145
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,971 · Management $213$4,184
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $8,745 · Management $85$8,830
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $386,340 · Management $118,018 · Fundraising $16,780$521,138
Part X · Balance sheet $235,335 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $67,053$18,650
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $156,828$178,939
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $18,420$13,775
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $10,657$10,292
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $7,999$13,679
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $260,957$235,335
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $13,157$442
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $13,494$442
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $247,463$234,893
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $247,463$234,893
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $260,957$235,335
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $234,893 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$508,568
XI-2 Total expenses$521,138
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$12,570
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$247,463
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$234,893

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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