Equal Justice Works EIN 52-1469738

Equal Justice Works

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Mobilizes public service leaders by providing fellowships, training, and advocacy programs to help law students and attorneys launch careers in public interest law. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $23.4M in revenue, $24.0M in expenses, and $31.7M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
1986
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Crime & Legal
Location
Washington, DC
Website
www.equaljusticeworks.org
Filings
5 on file (2020–2024)
Revenue
$23.4MFY2024
Expenses
$24.0M
Net assets
$31.7M
People
35
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  52-1469738 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Washington, DC Founded 1986
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/9/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Mobilizes public service leaders by providing fellowships, training, and advocacy programs to help law students and attorneys launch careers in public interest law.
Leadership
Verna Williams · Chief Executive Officer · $365K
Money in and out
$23.4M revenue, $24.0M expenses
Bottom line
72% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$23.4M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$24.0M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$31.7M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$580K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.72 Management & general $0.15 Fundraising $0.12
Program efficiency
72%
of spending reaches programs▼ -6% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
15.0mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +56% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-2%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +44% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$23.4M
FY2024▼ -2%
Expenses
$24.0M
FY2024▼ -4%
Total assets
$41.0M
FY2024▼ -2%
Total liabilities
$9.3M
FY2024▼ -3%
Total revenue
$23.4M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$24.0M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$31.7M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$580K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$41.0M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B72%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 327
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 427
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

2 program services account for $17.3M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Legal Fellowships in the Public Interest

Equal justice works supported 181 design your own fellows serving in two-year fellowships at 82 host organizations across 47 cities in 22 states. Through the dyo fellowship, fellows design and lead innovative legal service projects that address unmet legal needs in their communities while launching long-term careers in public interest…

$16.0Mprogram expense
02

Law School Engagement and Advocacy

Equal justice works also offers programs to increase the number of law students and lawyers dedicating all or part of their careers to public service by engaging and collaborating with law schools, students, and attorneys.

$1.3Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CEqual Justice Works
EINHdr · item D52-1469738
Principal addressHdr · item CWashington, DC
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.equaljusticeworks.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1986
State of legal domicileHdr · item MDC
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFCrime & Legal (I110)
Ruling yearIRS BMFSep 1986

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a27
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b27
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Chief Executive Officer
$364,866Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Development Officer
$324,512Pt VII · Sec A
Senior VP of Network Engagement
$233,027Pt VII · Sec A
VP and Chief Operating Officer
$206,274Pt VII · Sec A
Director for Public Programs
$204,054Pt VII · Sec A
$195,262Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Verna Williams’s $365K as Chief Executive Officer is at the 85th 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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
David Stern$475,753$312,161$493,103
David Stern Executive$465,756
Verna Williams$364,866$345,499$173,453
Timothy S Wierzbicki$324,512$295,951$294,814$283,485$284,652$266,125
Sara Morello$182,481$288,768$292,058$271,910
Mia Sussman SR VP$233,027$235,151$212,236
Sarah Lackritz$212,951$217,078$143,571
Kristen Uhler-Mckeown$204,054$212,771$210,066

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$21.9M · 94%
Investment income$1.3M · 5%
Program service revenue$134K · 1%
Contributions & grants94%$21.9M
Investment income5%$1.3M
Program service revenue1%$134K
Other revenue$90K
— government grantsLn 1e$1.1M
Total revenueLn 12$23.4M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.72 Management & general $0.15 Fundraising $0.12
Program services72%$17.3M
Management & general15%$3.7M
Fundraising12%$3.0M
Total functional expensesLn 25$24.0M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$9.9M
Total assetsLn 16$41.0M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$9.3M
Total net assetsLn 32$31.7M
Months of cash on handcomputed4.9

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $24.5M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $24.0M · Less non-cash grants $4.3M · Cash operating expenses/yr $19.7M
15.0 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $17.3M · Total expenses $24.0M
72%
Management & General
Management & general $3.7M · Total expenses $24.0M
15%
Fundraising
Fundraising $3.0M · Total expenses $24.0M
12%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $2.7M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $20.5M
$0.13 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $21.9M · Total revenue $23.4M
94%
Government reliance
Government grants $1.1M · Total revenue $23.4M
5%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $134K · Total revenue $23.4M
0.6%
Investment reliance
Investment income $1.3M · Total revenue $23.4M
+5%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $134K · Total expenses $24.0M
0.6%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $23.4M · Prior year $24.0M
-2%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $33.5M · FY2024 $23.4M
-7%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $31.7M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $23.4M · Expenses $24.0M
-2%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $41.0M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $31.7M · Total assets $41.0M
77%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $14.7M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $41.0M
36%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Verna Williams · Reported title CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER · Highest reported compensation $365K · Total expenses $24.0M
2%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $6.4M · Total expenses $24.0M
27%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 72%
Overhead ratio 15%
Fundraising cost ratio 14%
Revenue growth -2%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
See all 4 funders →
Grants paid · 907 grants · $56.0M · 2019–2024
See all 907 grants →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024$24.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$21.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$23.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$18.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$33.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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