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Nonprofiteer
← CALIFORNIA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES INC

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by CALIFORNIA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$4,924,569
Total expenses
$4,828,326
Contributions and grants received
$3,794,709
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$972,717
Investment income
$153,907
Other revenue
$3,236
Total assets, end of year
$6,631,272
Total liabilities, end of year
$2,223,944
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$4,407,328
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$4,484,681
Management and general expenses
$343,645
Fundraising expenses
$0
Program service expenses (Part III)
$4,484,681

Program services were 92.9% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $2,257,859

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,536,850

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Tribal contracts

    total $972,717 · related or exempt $972,717

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $153,907 · excluded $153,907

  • 11a · Other revenue: Other income

    total $3,236 · excluded $3,236

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $3,236

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $794,822 · program services $507,969 · management and general $286,853

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $2,384,788 · program services $2,384,788

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $110,991 · program services $110,991

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $423,670 · program services $423,670

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $221,968 · program services $189,410 · management and general $32,558

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $3,279 · program services $1,681 · management and general $1,598

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $28,500 · program services $27,523 · management and general $977

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $55,292 · program services $53,349 · management and general $1,943

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $38,894 · program services $36,842 · management and general $2,052

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $170,087 · program services $167,942 · management and general $2,145

  • 17 · Travel

    total $41,825 · program services $41,208 · management and general $617

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $35,596 · program services $34,922 · management and general $674

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $30,150 · program services $30,150

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $33,560 · program services $31,259 · management and general $2,301

  • 24a · Other expenses: Contract services

    total $167,303 · program services $161,686 · management and general $5,617

  • 24b · Other expenses: Miscellaneous

    total $86,173 · program services $86,173

  • 24c · Other expenses: Training

    total $74,591 · program services $70,604 · management and general $3,987

  • 24d · Other expenses: Dues and subscriptions

    total $71,458 · program services $69,270 · management and general $2,188

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $55,379 · program services $55,244 · management and general $135

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $586,710 · end of year $1,491,402

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $110,869 · end of year $366,063

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $190,244 · end of year $454,948

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $179,701 · end of year $269,825

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $65,199 · end of year $73,820

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $773,406

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $553,371

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $236,832 · end of year $220,035

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $2,325,632 · end of year $2,578,189

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $985,433 · end of year $801,407

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $420,081 · end of year $375,583

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $300,344 · end of year $370,019

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $252,721 · end of year $1,463,980

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $424,050 · end of year $389,945

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $4,123,586 · end of year $4,407,328

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

To provide free and low cost legal services to individuals, tribes, and tribal organizations.

  • Community Education: We provide tailored virtual and in-person training as well as other educational services to communities, tribes, and other organizations in a wide range of topics and specialties.

    Expenses $2,244,841

  • California Indian Legal Services, Inc. ("CILS") focuses on the legal needs of the Native American community. We seek to advance Native American rights through highly efficient and effective legal services. Everything we do is informed by our history of working on behalf of Native American communities for over 50 years and our experiences as Indian people. Our team provides individuals and tribes with legal services pertaining to federal Indian law.

    Expenses $1,395,932 · Revenue $972,717

  • CILS focuses on the legal needs of the Native American community: providing access to legal services to address federal Indian law, policy and legislation; and to protect the rights of California Tribes, tribal organizations and the tribal community. We handle services on a variety of issues addressing the needs of tribes on everything from human resources to contract negotiation to ICWA legal representation and law enforcement. Our team is dedicated to delivering effective, high-quality services that uniquely respond to the needs of tribes.

    Expenses $843,908

As filed on the 2025 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Mark Romero

    Board Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Victorio Shaw

    Board Vice Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Joe Ayala

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Janet Bill

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Norma Contreras

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Robert Gonzalez

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Nicole Grigg

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • John Hueston

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ashley Jo Pomona

    Board Member (start 4/25)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • JoAnne Lee

    Board Member (end 9/25)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Judge Christine Williams

    Board Member (end 9/25)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Dorothy Alther

    VP/Legal Director

    Total calculated
    $242,056
    From this org
    $198,793
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $43,263
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $187,793
    Bonus
    $11,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $43,263
    Filer's total
    $242,056
  • Heather Hostler

    President/Executive Director

    Total calculated
    $223,332
    From this org
    $193,809
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $29,523
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $180,809
    Bonus
    $13,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $8,719
    Nontaxable benefits
    $20,804
    Filer's total
    $223,332
  • Florberta Ferry

    Secretary/Dir. of HR & Admin.

    Total calculated
    $176,806
    From this org
    $113,550
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $63,256
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $113,550
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $16,744
    Nontaxable benefits
    $46,512
    Filer's total
    $176,806
  • Michael Selland

    Treasurer/Dir. of Finance & Ops.

    Total calculated
    $152,628
    From this org
    $129,848
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,780
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $119,348
    Bonus
    $10,500
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $3,533
    Nontaxable benefits
    $19,247
    Filer's total
    $152,628
  • Sheila Quinlan

    Directing Attorney

    Total calculated
    $167,935
    From this org
    $124,266
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $43,669
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $124,266
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $15,385
    Nontaxable benefits
    $28,284
    Filer's total
    $167,935
  • Veronika Brown

    Dir. of Compliance of Legal Tech

    Total calculated
    $136,166
    From this org
    $112,753
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $23,413
    Hours/week
    40
  • Michael Godbe

    Directing Attorney

    Total calculated
    $142,894
    From this org
    $116,245
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $26,649
    Hours/week
    40
  • Jay Petersen

    Senior Staff Attorney

    Total calculated
    $114,868
    From this org
    $114,868
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    30
  • Simon Gertler

    Directing Attorney

    Total calculated
    $127,999
    From this org
    $106,945
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,054
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Written employment contract
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

Part I, Line 7
Incentive payments are calculated based on the performance of the individual, their tenure, and the amount of funding available.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
11 May 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.1
Source object
202611319349304381

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