Skip to content
Nonprofiteer
← ILLINOIS LEGAL AID ONLINE

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by ILLINOIS LEGAL AID ONLINE.

Totals

Total revenue
$3,619,953
Total expenses
$3,086,560
Contributions and grants received
$3,328,722
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$274,667
Investment income
$65,663
Other revenue
-$49,099
Total assets, end of year
$3,309,647
Total liabilities, end of year
$196,026
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$3,113,621
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,528,044
Management and general expenses
$429,318
Fundraising expenses
$129,198
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,528,044

Program services were 81.9% 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.

  • 1c · Fundraising events

    $535,928

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $2,792,794

  • 2a · Program service revenue: CONTRACT SERVICE REVENUE

    total $274,667 · related or exempt $274,667

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $65,663 · excluded $65,663

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $53,455

  • 8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c

    $535,928

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $102,581

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total -$49,126

  • 11a · Other revenue: OTHER INCOME

    total $27 · related or exempt $27

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $27

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $179,164 · management and general $179,164

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,581,102 · program services $1,385,830 · management and general $102,845 · fundraising $92,427

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $62,272 · program services $49,326 · management and general $9,373 · fundraising $3,573

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $191,609 · program services $158,513 · management and general $28,928 · fundraising $4,168

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $152,113 · program services $121,930 · management and general $22,889 · fundraising $7,294

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $17,801 · management and general $17,801

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $534,211 · program services $509,970 · management and general $15,070 · fundraising $9,171

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $13,184 · program services $13,184

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $14,594 · program services $13,473 · management and general $702 · fundraising $419

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $26,290 · program services $22,012 · management and general $3,146 · fundraising $1,132

  • 17 · Travel

    total $33,290 · program services $28,842 · management and general $2,817 · fundraising $1,631

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $48,348 · program services $46,489 · management and general $1,394 · fundraising $465

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $17,970 · program services $14,773 · management and general $2,424 · fundraising $773

  • 24a · Other expenses: DUES & SUBSCRIPTIONS

    total $139,733 · program services $128,316 · management and general $6,454 · fundraising $4,963

  • 24b · Other expenses: TRAINING & EDUCATION

    total $26,729 · program services $22,410 · management and general $3,256 · fundraising $1,063

  • 24c · Other expenses: PAYROLL SERVICES

    total $14,231 · management and general $14,231

  • 24d · Other expenses: MEETINGS

    total $11,068 · program services $2,363 · management and general $8,705

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $22,851 · program services $10,613 · management and general $10,119 · fundraising $2,119

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $59,245 · end of year $105,012

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $788,045 · end of year $546,432

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $1,197,334 · end of year $1,219,780

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $53,205 · end of year $105,900

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $109,685 · end of year $70,384

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

    $51,603

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

    $36,699

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $16,817 · end of year $14,904

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    end of year $990,000

  • 14 · Intangible assets

    beginning of year $59,956 · end of year $238,820

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $585,875 · end of year $18,415

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $121,971 · end of year $173,301

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $125,000 · end of year $15,000

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $42,963 · end of year $7,725

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $1,288,195 · end of year $1,992,710

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $1,292,033 · end of year $1,120,911

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

ILLINOIS LEGAL AID ONLINE (ILAO) OPENS OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUSTICE BY EDUCATING ILLINOISANS ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AND CONNECTING THEM TO LAWYERS, SOLUTIONS, AND EACH OTHER, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE FOR WHOM THE LEGAL SYSTEM WAS NOT DESIGNED. THROUGH INNOVATION AND ALLYSHIP, WE MAKE THE LAW ACTIONABLE AND ACCESSIBLE. IN THE U.S., PEOPLE FACING CIVIL LEGAL CHALLENGES, SUCH AS EVICTION, DEBT, DOMESTIC ABUSE, AND CHILD SUPPORT, DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO A LAWYER. JUSTICE IS SCARCE FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST. WE BELIEVE THAT, WITH THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE AND GUIDANCE, PEOPLE CAN BE THEIR OWN BEST ADVOCATES. WE MOBILIZE PEOPLE WITH PLAIN-LANGUAGE, 24/7 TOOLS AND SERVICES - IN TWO LANGUAGES - SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND AND ASSERT THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS. ILAO HELPS PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO FIND OR AFFORD LAWYERS OPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUSTICE. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2001, ILAO HAS USED TECHNOLOGY AND PARTNERSHIPS TO LOWER BARRIERS TO THE LAW SO THAT PEOPLE FACING BARRIERS TO JUSTICE CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR OPTIONS, MAKE

Activities or mission (Part I)

ILLINOIS LEGAL AID ONLINE (ILAO) OPENS OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUSTICE BY EDUCATING ILLINOISANS ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AND CONNECTING THEM TO LAWYERS, SOLUTIONS, AND EACH OTHER. ILAO ACHIEVES THIS MISSION BY PAIRING DIGITAL INNOVATION, VIA ILLINOISLEGALAID.ORG, SMS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER CHANNELS, WITH COMMUNITY PARTNESHIPS SUCH AS LOCAL COURTS, LEGAL AID, HUMAN SERVICES, AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES.

  • TO PEOPLE LYING AWAKE AT NIGHT, WITH NOWHERE TO TURN EXCEPT THEIR MOBILE, ILAO OFFERS A LIGHT IN THE NIGHT. OVER HALF OF THOSE WE SERVE COME FROM THEIR MOBILE PHONES, AND BETWEEN 5PM-9AM OR ON WEEKENDS, WHEN TRADITIONAL LEGAL OFFICES ARE CLOSED. ILAO PARTNERS WITH ILLINOISANS FACING INJUSTICES BY PROVIDING 24/7 FREE, ACCESSIBLE, PLAIN-LANGUAGE LEGAL TOOLS AND DIRECTION, INCLUDING PLAIN-LANGUAGE SELF-HELP GUIDES, INTERACTIVE LEGAL FORMS, TRIAGE AND ELIGIBILITY SCREENING FOR FREE LEGAL AID SERVICES, AND KNOW-YOUR-RIGHTS EDUCATION. IN FY25, 2 MILLION ILLINOISANSAPPROXIMATELY 15% OF THE STATES POPULATION SOUGHT ILLINOISLEGALAID.ORG FOR GUIDANCE AND HELP WITH OVER 600 LEGAL ISSUES, SUCH AS EVICTION, FOOD INSECURITY, DOMESTIC ABUSE, CRIMINAL RECORDS, DIVORCE, CHILD SUPPORT, DEPORTATION, DISCRIMINATION, AND DEBT. OUR HIGHEST VOLUME OF SERVICES RELATES TO FAMILY LAW, WHERE PEOPLE WITHOUT LAWYERS MOST COMMONLY ENCOUNTER OUR COMPLEX LEGAL SYSTEM, AND WHERE THEY ARE LEAST LIKELY TO FIND A LEGAL AID LAWYER TO ASSIST THEM. IN ADDITION TO ITS LIBRARY OF CIVIL LEGAL EDUCATION AND SOLUTIONS, ILAO PROVIDES OTHER IMPORTANT SERVICES. FIRST, INTERACTIVE APPS CALLED EASY FORMS, SIMILAR TO TURBOTAX, HELP PEOPLE WITHOUT LAWYERS CREATE FREE, PERSONALIZED, ACCURATE COURT FORMS AND LEGAL PAPERS, USING A SIMPLE QUESTION-AND-ANSWER FORMAT. IN FY25, 88,636 PEOPLE CUSTOMIZED MORE THAN 160,000 LEGAL DOCUMENTS (A 54% INCREASE OVER FY24). SECOND, A TRIAGE, INTAKE, AND REFERRAL SYSTEM (GET LEGAL HELP) DIRECTS PEOPLEVIA INTERNET OR SMSTO THE BEST AVAILABLE RESOURCES: FORMS, SELF- HELP GUIDES, LAWYERS, AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS. FOR PEOPLE SEEKING A LAWYERS HELP, ILAO MATCHES THEM WITH LOCAL SERVICES BASED ON AN INDIVIDUALS LEGAL ISSUE, ZIP CODE, AND GENERAL INCOME. IN FY25, ILAO MATCHED ALMOST 12,000 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS TO 12 LEGAL PROVIDERS.

    Expenses $1,696,666

  • SECOND, ILAOS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EXTENDS AND DEEPENS THE REACH OF ITS DIGITAL TOOLS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH PUBLIC LIBRARIES, WORKFORCE AGENCIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM ADVOCATES, LEGAL AID, AND HUMAN SERVICES. ILAO OPERATES COMMUNITY-BASED NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS IN SPANISH- SPEAKING AND INCARCERATION-IMPACTED NEIGHBORHOODS IN ELGIN, AURORA, WEST CHICAGO, EAST ST. LOUIS, DECATUR, AND CHAMPAIGN-URBANA. NAVIGATORS ARE LOCAL GRASSROOTS LEADERS WHO ARE TRAINED TO EDUCATE THEIR COMMUNITIES ABOUT THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS. IN FY25, ILAO TRAINED 45 NAVIGATORS AND EDUCATED 5,071 ILLINOISANS (AN 18% INCREASE OVER FY24).

    Expenses $524,474

  • DEBT HELP ILLINOIS IS A NEWLY RELEASED, FREE, INTERACTIVE SERVICE THAT DIAGNOSES A PERSONS DEBT PROBLEMS, TAILORS A PLAN TO THEIR SPECIFIC FACTS AND LOCATION, AND CONNECTS THEM TO HUMAN ASSISTANCE WHEN NEEDED. CONSUMERS FACING DEBT CHALLENGES START BY ANSWERING QUESTIONS THAT GUIDE THEM TO PERSONALIZED OPTIONS FOR THEIR DEBT PROBLEM. A STRUCTURED KNOWLEDGE BASE (GLOSSARY, COURT LOCATIONS, AND CREDITOR LIST), COMBINED WITH AN AI- AUTHORING TOOL, GENERATES PLAIN-LANGUAGE INFORMATION AND ACTION STEPS TAILORED TO THE USERS DEBT PROFILE AND LOCATION. DEBT HELP ILLINOIS GOES BEYOND A STATIC WEBSITE BY GUIDING CONSUMERS THROUGH THE NEXT STEPS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THEIR SPECIFIC SITUATION, TRACKING THEIR PROGRESS, AND CONNECTING THEM TO HELPFUL RESOURCESSO THEY MOVE FROM CONFUSION TO CONCRETE ACTION.

    Expenses $306,904

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Gwendelyn Daniels

    DEPUTY DIREC

    Total calculated
    $147,447
    From this org
    $131,094
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $16,353
    Hours/week
    40
  • Teresa Ross

    EXECUTIVE DR

    Total calculated
    $143,963
    From this org
    $124,617
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,346
    Hours/week
    40
  • Jessica Gavlin

    CHIEF FISCAL

    Total calculated
    $59,169
    From this org
    $54,548
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $4,621
    Hours/week
    20
  • Cdavid Ader

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kourtney Baltzer

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Karim Basaria

    VICE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Benjamin Bradford

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Christopher Comerford

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • David Hambourger

    PAST CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kristina Hendricks

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kenneth Jennings

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Elizabeth Kahill

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Sean Kruskol

    FORMER CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Anand Mathew

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jacqueline McLaughlin

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Renee McMahon

    CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Chris Petrini-Poli

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Heather Russell

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Timothy Smith

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Elysia Solomon

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jennifer Woods

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

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.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
26 February 2026
IRS schema version
2024v5.0
Source object
202630579349300928

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.