Is it real?
Yes. Exemption reinstated (2018-05-15). Per the IRS revocation list. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 2019.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
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
24 people listed on the 990; $162K paid to officers and key staff.
Wendell Robinson’s $87K as Executive Director is at the 17th percentile of top reported officer pay among 797 $1–10M civil rights & advocacy 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joanna Cates | — | — | $95,468 | $92,500 | $87,286 |
| Wendell Robinson | $87,183 | $15,300 | — | — | — |
| Alice Swan | $75,875 | $63,500 | $41,174 | — | — |
| Jennifer Soble | — | — | — | $73,340 | $75,000 |
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 2Yes
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Advocates for humane criminal justice reform in Illinois, focusing on youth sentencing and policy education.
Questions for Restore Justice Foundation
Your first name shows with your question. Restore Justice Foundation answers here, for everyone.
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Legal Representation
Provided legal representation to 342 incarcerated people, with the goal of securing release from prison; 47 clients were released. Representation includes administrative advocacy before the prisoner review board, department of corrections, and governor's office, as well as litigation in court.
Education and Training
Restore justice operates a training program for community members and partner groups to better prepare them to engage with legislative advocacy and speak more confidently about criminal justice issues. The program trains about 250 individuals per calendar year and trainings are free and open to the public.
Policy Development and Advocacy
Research and development of state-level policies to address extreme sentencing of youth, create meaningful opportunities for release, and allow for humane conditions within illinois correctional facilities.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $296K | $479K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $296K | $479K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $296K | $479K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $159K | $121K | $21K | $17K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $609K | $463K | $79K | $67K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $53K | $41K | $7K | $6K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $56K | $43K | $7K | $6K |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $2K | $1K | $30 | $90 |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $11K | $10K | $213 | $639 |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $119K | $111K | $2K | $6K |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $2K | $2K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $37K | $32K | $4K | $374 |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $29K | $12K | $17K | $589 |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $12K | $10K | $1K | $119 |
| TravelLn 17 | $2K | $2K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $8K | $6K | $1K | $719 |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $102K | $102K | $0 | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $1.2M | $954K | $143K | $105K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $1.8M | $1.0M | $814K | $955K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $718K | $1.2M | −$482K | $140K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $3.3M | $2.4M | $902K | $604K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $2.4M | $2.3M | $129K | $608K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 Viewing | $1.4M | $1.2M | $202K | $479K | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,403,802 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 22 of 22 board members independent, 2 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,403,802 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,202,053 across 14 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $479,089 assets, 7 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $479,089 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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