To achieve justice for the low income communities of Oregon by providing a full range of the highest quality civil legal services.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
90¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 50 volunteers and 125 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
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $389K a year · 3% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
90%
of spending
Looks good: 90% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$858K
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.6 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
8
named funders · $2.0M
Looks good: 8 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$4.8M
43% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 43% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
14
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 14 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$15.8M
+8% vs prior year
Spent
$15.3M
To programs
90%
Net assets
$6.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$15.8M
FY2025▲ +8%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$10.3M
FY2021$11.4M
FY2022$12.3M
FY2023$14.4M
FY2024$14.7M
FY2025$15.8M
Expenses
$15.3M
FY2025▲ +7%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$10.2M
FY2021$10.6M
FY2022$12.9M
FY2023$13.3M
FY2024$14.3M
FY2025$15.3M
Net assets
$6.3M
FY2025▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$4.1M
FY2021$4.9M
FY2022$4.3M
FY2023$5.4M
FY2024$5.7M
FY2025$6.3M

From the FY2025 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 1997.

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

Where the money goes

90 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 90% · $13.7M Management & general 10% · $1.5M Fundraising 0% · $33K

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

21 people listed on the 990; $858K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$139,093Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Litigation
$122,233Pt VII · Sec A
Deputy Director
$122,163Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Farmworker Program
$121,733Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Finance
$119,510Pt VII · Sec A
Operations/HR Manager
$116,872Pt VII · Sec A
State Support Unit Attorney
$116,625Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Erika Hente’s $139K as Executive Director is at the 8th 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
Erika Hente$139,093$123,451————
Monica Goracke—$79,807$129,100$114,100$110,454$97,375
Edward Johnson$122,233$121,912$116,060$111,360——
Heather Kemper$122,163$118,496————
Nargess Shadbeh$121,733$122,012$116,310$118,504——
Kristy Wood——$121,563———
Jorge Lara—$120,403$114,998$108,832——
Sarah Demartino$119,510$116,443$102,794$95,596$91,344$88,931

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 Oregon Law Center 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

Offers free legal help to people who can't afford it.

Questions for Oregon Law Center

Tap to ask. Oregon Law Center sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Oregon Law Center answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $13.7M · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

The oregon law center (olc) provides free civil legal assistance to low-income people (those living at and below 125% of the national poverty guidelines); advocates to support the interests of low-income oregonians before judicial, administrative and legislative bodies; provides community education to low-income people; and maintains a…

$13.7Mprogram 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 · FY2024
See all 8 funders →
Grants paid · 10 grants · $2.4M · 2022–2025
Legal Aid Services of OregonOR · FY2025$339,675
Unitemized GrantFY2025$24,702
Legal Aid Services of OregonOR · FY2024$544,234
Legal Aid Services of OregonOR · FY2023$515,652
Unitemized GrantFY2023$36,477
Unitemized GrantFY2022$545,858
Legal Aid Services of OregonOR · FY2022$309,637
Unitemized GrantFY2022$27,577

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$15.8M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$15.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$556K
Investment incomeLn 3$134K
Money outPt IX
$15.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$13.7M
Managementcol C$1.5M
Fundraisingcol D$33K
Owns and owesPt X
$6.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$3.4M
Total assetsLn 16$11.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.8M
PeoplePt VI, VII
21
listed · VII A
PaidVII A7
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b14
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$15.1M
Government grantsLn 1e$2.8M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$556K
Investment incomeLn 3$134K
Other incomeLn 4–11$53K
Total revenueLn 12$15.8M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$3.2M
SavingsLn 2$209K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$3.4M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$3.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$278K
Other assetsLn 15$3.7M
Total assetsLn 16$11.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.8M
Net assetsLn 32$6.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5125
VolunteersI 650
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$3.2M$3.4M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$2.3M$3.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$276K$278K
Total assetsLn 16$10.4M$11.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.7M$4.8M
Net assetsLn 32$5.7M$6.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$340K$340K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$25K$25K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$320K$165K$153K$2K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$9.3M$8.5M$807K$22K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$557K$508K$48K$1K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$1.6M$1.5M$139K$4K
Payroll taxesLn 10$855K$770K$83K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$15K$12K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$44K$44K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$72K$60K$12K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$266K$257K$9K
Office expensesLn 13$170K$153K$17K$411
Information technologyLn 14$219K$182K$38K
OccupancyLn 16$753K$678K$73K$2K
TravelLn 17$66K$59K$6K$160
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$15K$9K$6K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$105K$95K$10K$254
InsuranceLn 23$64K$57K$6K$154
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$338K$316K$22K
All other expensesLn 24e$92K$58K$34K
Total functional expensesLn 25$15.3M$13.7M$1.5M$33K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $15.8M$15.3M$543K$6.3M 990 PDF
FY2024 $14.7M$14.3M$356K$5.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $14.4M$13.3M$1.1M$5.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $12.3M$12.9M−$613K$4.3M 990 PDF
FY2021 $11.4M$10.6M$812K$4.9M 990 PDF
FY2020 $10.3M$10.2M$168K$4.1M 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 $15,795,139 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $13,897,893$15,052,142
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $640,133$555,865
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $36,702$134,110
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $78,787$53,022
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $14,653,515$15,795,139
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $544,234$364,377
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $11,555,956$12,668,720
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,197,556$2,218,938
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $14,297,746$15,252,035
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $355,769$543,104
Part VI · Governance 14 of 14 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14
VI-1b Independent voting members14
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 $15,795,139 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$2,783,550
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$12,268,592
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$15,052,142
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $555,865$555,865
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $134,110$134,110
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $53,022$53,022
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $555,865 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $187,132$15,795,139
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $15,252,035 across 20 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $339,675$339,675
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $24,702$24,702
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $165,242 · Management $152,925 · Fundraising $1,739$319,906
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $8,514,592 · Management $807,431 · Fundraising $21,837$9,343,860
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $507,924 · Management $47,943 · Fundraising $1,302$557,169
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,450,232 · Management $138,953 · Fundraising $3,699$1,592,884
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $769,813 · Management $83,020 · Fundraising $2,068$854,901
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $12,270 · Management $2,560$14,830
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $44,500$44,500
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $59,571 · Management $12,429$72,000
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $256,914 · Management $9,101$266,015
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $153,049 · Management $16,505 · Fundraising $411$169,965
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $181,555 · Management $37,880$219,435
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $678,071 · Management $73,126 · Fundraising $1,822$753,019
IX-17 TravelPrograms $59,435 · Management $6,410 · Fundraising $160$66,005
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $8,905 · Management $5,743$14,648
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $94,569 · Management $10,199 · Fundraising $254$105,022
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $57,454 · Management $6,196 · Fundraising $154$63,804
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $315,564 · Management $22,352$337,916
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $58,169 · Management $33,610$91,779
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $13,707,706 · Management $1,510,883 · Fundraising $33,446$15,252,035
Part X · Balance sheet $11,124,846 assets, 18 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $3,226,078$3,155,608
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $18,053$208,809
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $620,247$626,647
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $71,799$57,231
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $154,201$132,109
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $275,833$278,463
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $1,803,417$1,929,086
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $536,039$1,026,134
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $3,679,803$3,710,759
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $10,385,470$11,124,846
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $720,520$723,720
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $117,336$0
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $3,810,374$3,896,679
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $4,666,283$4,829,203
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,523,362$6,121,901
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $195,825$173,742
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $5,719,187$6,295,643
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $10,385,470$11,124,846
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $6,295,643 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$15,795,139
XI-2 Total expenses$15,252,035
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$543,104
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$5,719,187
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$33,352
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$6,295,643

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

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