Totals
- Total revenue
- $4,114,959
- Total expenses
- $2,662,744
- Contributions and grants received
- $3,477,529
- Grants paid
- $0
- Program service revenue
- $345,720
- Investment income
- $288,260
- Other revenue
- $3,450
- Total assets, end of year
- $12,052,041
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $945,716
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $11,106,325
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $1,952,527
- Management and general expenses
- $475,991
- Fundraising expenses
- $234,226
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $1,952,527
Program services were 73.3% 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
$671,741
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$2,805,788
-
2a · Program service revenue: ATTORNEY FEES
total $345,720 · related or exempt $345,720
-
3 · Investment income
total $264,287 · excluded $264,287
-
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds
total $0
-
5 · Royalties
total $0
-
6c · Rental income or loss
real property $0 · personal property $0
-
6d · Net rental income or loss
total $0
-
7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory
securities $4,076,436
-
7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses
securities $4,052,463
-
7c · Gain or loss
securities $23,973
-
7d · Net gain or loss
total $23,973 · excluded $23,973
-
8a · Fundraising events: gross income
$105,983
-
8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c
$671,741
-
8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses
$105,983
-
8c · Net income from fundraising events
total $0 · excluded $0
-
9a · Gaming: gross income
$0
-
9b · Gaming: direct expenses
$0
-
9c · Net income from gaming
total $0
-
10a · Gross sales of inventory
$0
-
10b · Cost of goods sold
$0
-
10c · Net income from sales of inventory
total $0
-
11a · Other revenue: OTHER INCOME
total $3,450 · excluded $3,450
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$3,450
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $0
-
2 · Grants to domestic individuals
total $0
-
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals
total $0
-
4 · Benefits paid to or for members
total $0
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $344,884 · program services $258,929 · management and general $63,115 · fundraising $22,840
-
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons
total $0
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $1,357,497 · program services $1,032,809 · management and general $233,841 · fundraising $90,847
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $31,500 · program services $21,924 · management and general $6,804 · fundraising $2,772
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $174,802 · program services $122,426 · management and general $41,939 · fundraising $10,437
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $126,173 · program services $95,995 · management and general $21,734 · fundraising $8,444
-
11a · Fees: management
total $0
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $13,815 · program services $13,815
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $50,358 · management and general $50,358
-
11d · Fees: lobbying
total $0
-
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services
total $79,380 · fundraising $79,380
-
11f · Fees: investment management
total $0
-
11g · Fees: other
total $185,199 · program services $179,907 · management and general $5,292 · fundraising $0
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $0
-
13 · Office expenses
total $32,425 · program services $24,416 · management and general $5,852 · fundraising $2,157
-
14 · Information technology
total $0
-
15 · Royalties
total $0
-
16 · Occupancy
total $155,489 · program services $117,088 · management and general $28,057 · fundraising $10,344
-
17 · Travel
total $12,972 · program services $9,768 · management and general $2,341 · fundraising $863
-
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials
total $0
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $0
-
20 · Interest
total $0
-
21 · Payments to affiliates
total $0
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $4,250 · program services $3,201 · management and general $767 · fundraising $282
-
23 · Insurance
total $18,155 · program services $13,671 · management and general $3,276 · fundraising $1,208
-
24a · Other expenses: BOOKS, SUBS & RESOURCES
total $60,462 · program services $46,994 · management and general $9,840 · fundraising $3,628
-
24b · Other expenses: MISCELLANEOUS
total $15,383 · program services $11,584 · management and general $2,775 · fundraising $1,024
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $131,608 · end of year $127,037
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
beginning of year $1,964,237 · end of year $2,542,885
-
3 · Pledges and grants receivable
beginning of year $1,330,490 · end of year $1,377,571
-
4 · Accounts receivable
beginning of year $194,277 · end of year $342,569
-
5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
7 · Other notes and loans receivable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
8 · Inventories for sale or use
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $48,555 · end of year $40,615
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$109,395
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$89,717
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $23,928 · end of year $19,678
-
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities
beginning of year $5,944,328 · end of year $7,077,233
-
12 · Investments: other securities
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
13 · Investments: program-related
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
14 · Intangible assets
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
15 · Other assets
beginning of year $617,296 · end of year $524,453
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $224,914 · end of year $275,003
-
18 · Grants payable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
19 · Deferred revenue
beginning of year $85,569 · end of year $80,842
-
20 · Tax-exempt bond liabilities
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
21 · Escrow or custodial account liability
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable
beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $694,004 · end of year $589,871
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $7,367,112 · end of year $8,615,706
-
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions
beginning of year $1,883,120 · end of year $2,490,619
Mission and programs · 2024
Mission
THE EDUCATION LAW CENTER'S (ELC) MISSION IS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO A QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN IN PENNSYLVANIA. OUR PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES INCLUDE DIRECT REPRESENTATION, IMPACT LITIGATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, POLICY ADVOCACY AT LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS, AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS. OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS, ELC HAS BEEN A KNOWN RESOURCE FOR PARENTS, CHILD-SERVING PROFESSIONALS, AND ADVOCATES IN PENNSYLVANIA TO CALL FOR RIGHTS-BASED INFORMATION AND ADVICE REGARDING PUBLIC EDUCATION MATTERS. WE ARE ALSO A LEADER IN PUBLIC EDUCATION ADVOCACY, SECURING POLICY CHANGES ALONGSIDE LOCAL AND STATEWIDE PARTNERS.
Activities or mission (Part I)
TO ENSURE ACCESS TO A QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN IN PENNSYLVANIA
-
The Education Law Center-PA's (ELC-PA) mission is to ensure access to a quality public education for all children in Pennsylvania. Over the past 50 years, ELC-PA has been a known resource for parents, child-serving professionals, and advocates in Pennsylvania. Our principal strategies include direct representation, impact litigation, policy advocacy, community engagement, and strategic communications. With offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, we work statewide to provide immediate relief to individual students while also advancing systems-level reforms that benefit thousands of underserved students, guided by our three priority areas: 1) Ensuring Equal Access to Quality Public Schools: ELC-PA addresses real-time educational barriers and systemic concerns impacting the educational experiences of underserved student populations. Our focus is improving education access for children living in poverty, children with disabilities, children of color, children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, children experiencing homelessness, multilingual learners, LGBTQ+ youth, and children at the intersection of multiple underserved identities. Our Helpline is the only free legal service solely focused on helping students access a quality public education in Pennsylvania, providing information, advice, referrals, legal consultation, and direct representation. We also produce publications and conduct trainings to help parents, caregivers, and child-serving professionals advocate on behalf of the children in their care. 2) Advocating for Fair Education Funding: ELC-PA works with statewide and local partners to push for the changes needed to address Pennsylvania's school funding crisis. We filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth over a decade ago for failure to fund public education under the state constitution. We won this case in a decisive 2023 victory in Commonwealth Court, in an order and opinion finding education is a fundamental right and deeming the state's current funding system unconstitutional and discriminatory. Now, we are focused on the remedy. Our litigation is complemented by policy advocacy, including budget advocacy through the PA Schools Work (PASW) coalition, as well as educating policymakers on the state's education funding system, our lawsuit, and the necessary funding increases to ensure the state is adequately and equitably funding public education. 3) Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline: ELC-PA aims to end school pushout by eliminating exclusionary discipline policies that disproportionately harm Black and Brown youth, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive youth, with a focus on advancing the rights of Black girls. In addition to confronting discriminatory policies, we advocate for schools to adopt research-based interventions that will improve school climates and build inclusive, antiracist, and affirming schools. In the juvenile justice system, we aim to ensure that children can access the full range of public education programs, in part by advocating for the structures necessary to improve oversight of education in residential facilities. We also provide individual representation when students are excluded from the classroom without due process. OUR IMPACT We have seen monumental wins for students across Pennsylvania as a result of ELC-PA's 50 years of advocacy. Recent wins include: Secured a second year of historic new investments in Pennsylvania's most underfunded schools, bringing us closer to an equitable and constitutionally compliant school funding system mandated by the landmark decision in our Commonwealth Court case. Pushed back on federal efforts to undermine public education, including efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, deprive public schools of essential funding that supports our most underserved students, and drastically reduce federal enforcement of anti-discrimination laws. ELC-PA partners with organizations across the country to fight back through advocacy, federal comments, and amicus briefs, while providing critical Pennsylvania-specific context and demonstrating the real impact these federal threats have on local students and schools. Educated communities and school officials statewide on the rights of immigrant students in our public schools and provided model policies and protocols to ensure continued access to safe learning environments. Advocated for the passage of Pennsylvania's CROWN Act, helping secure new statutory protections that protect public school students against racial hair discrimination based on hair type, hair texture, or protective hairstyles like braids, twists, knows and locs. Public school students are specifically protected by this law. Released a report, along with Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, that analyzed statewide data and identified education barriers impacting children and youth in foster care based on ELC-PA's representation. The report relies on statewide data not previously disclosed and breaks new ground by detailing the educational outcomes and glaring inequities for students in care. Assisted children experiencing homelessness, in foster care, and in the juvenile justice system to receive the education they need and deserve. Represented more than 90 families to secure early intervention services for their young children with disabilities and advocated for new systemic policies to ensure effective transition from preschool to kindergarten. Supported parent advocacy in 38 school districts, countering harmful, extremist school board policies that exclude transgender students and create hostile school environments for Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ students. Remedied special education deficiencies through state complaints that led to new policies expanding access to education for youth in detention centers in Philadelphia and Allegheny County. Through ELC-PA's Helpline, annually support more than 1,000 students and families - primarily those who are most marginalized by our education system at the intersection of race, gender, and disability.
Expenses $1,952,527 · Revenue $345,720
As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.
Listed in Part VII
-
Deborah Gordon KlehrDEBORAH GORDON KLEHR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- Total calculated
- $199,778
- From this org
- $170,944
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $28,834
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $156,444
- Bonus
- $14,500
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $3,000
- Nontaxable benefits
- $25,834
- Filer's total
- $199,778
-
Maura I McInerneyMAURA I MCINERNEY
Legal Director
- Total calculated
- $175,907
- From this org
- $151,740
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $24,167
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $141,740
- Bonus
- $10,000
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $3,000
- Nontaxable benefits
- $21,167
- Filer's total
- $175,907
-
Michael D McClaryMICHAEL D MCCLARY
Dir. of Finance & Operations
- Total calculated
- $132,532
- From this org
- $107,825
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $24,707
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Margaret M WakelinMARGARET M WAKELIN
SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY
- Total calculated
- $118,099
- From this org
- $103,687
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $14,412
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Hetal S DhagatHETAL S DHAGAT
SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY
- Total calculated
- $113,158
- From this org
- $108,889
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $4,269
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Adam Borrelli
TREASURER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Geneva Campbell Brown
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Deb Carlos
Secretary
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Rotonya Carr
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Brian Downey
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
W John Lee
Vice President
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Lynne N Leonard
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Lezlie Madden
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Fred Magaziner
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Amy Malen
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Edwin Mayorga
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Danielle Moseley
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Al Motley
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Dorothy Novick
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Kathryn Potalivo
President
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Lisa Silverman
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
John S Summers
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Neha Vapiwala Plastaras
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Courtney Marello
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
David Buckman
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. 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 survey or study
- 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
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
- 7 · Other non-fixed payments
- 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception
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
- 2024
- Filed
- 11 August 2026
- IRS schema version
- 2024v5.2
- Source object
- 202622239349302412
Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.
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