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Nonprofiteer
← ILLINOIS EQUAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by ILLINOIS EQUAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION.

Totals

Total revenue
$15,525,459
Total expenses
$14,966,757
Contributions and grants received
$15,414,061
Grants paid
$13,892,637
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$86,987
Other revenue
$24,411
Total assets, end of year
$11,284,574
Total liabilities, end of year
$3,220,773
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$8,063,801
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$14,682,825
Management and general expenses
$111,512
Fundraising expenses
$172,420
Program service expenses (Part III)
$14,682,825

Program services were 98.1% 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

    $34,129

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $14,607,723

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $772,209

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $86,987 · excluded $86,987

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $42,500

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

    $34,129

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $18,089

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $24,411 · excluded $24,411

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $13,892,637 · program services $13,892,637

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $142,620 · program services $112,168 · management and general $14,323 · fundraising $16,129

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $293,547 · program services $230,869 · management and general $29,480 · fundraising $33,198

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $12,035 · program services $9,428 · management and general $1,260 · fundraising $1,347

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $66,855 · program services $52,374 · management and general $7,001 · fundraising $7,480

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $33,254 · program services $26,051 · management and general $3,482 · fundraising $3,721

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $2,000 · program services $1,439 · management and general $208 · fundraising $353

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $100,951 · program services $72,641 · management and general $10,492 · fundraising $17,818

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $284,023 · program services $217,391 · management and general $31,399 · fundraising $35,233

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $42,753 · program services $30,367 · management and general $3,786 · fundraising $8,600

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $27,842 · program services $24,003 · management and general $1,773 · fundraising $2,066

  • 17 · Travel

    total $2,637 · program services $706 · management and general $31 · fundraising $1,900

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $56,648 · program services $6,556 · management and general $7,130 · fundraising $42,962

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $8,955 · program services $6,195 · management and general $1,147 · fundraising $1,613

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $455,268 · end of year $1,390,767

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $2,332,151 · end of year $2,147,888

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $7,769,728 · end of year $7,677,151

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $24,806 · end of year $34,736

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

    $4,578

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

    $4,578

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $52,306 · end of year $34,032

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $67,453 · end of year $183,787

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $3,009,254 · end of year $3,002,860

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $52,453 · end of year $34,126

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $154,406 · end of year $912,009

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $7,350,693 · end of year $7,151,792

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE ILLINOIS EQUAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION FUNDS CIVIL LEGAL AID IN ILLINOIS TO CHAMPION THE RIGHTS OF THOSE BURDENED BY BARRIERS TO JUSTICE. WE ENVISION EQUITABLE ACCESS TO AND NAVIGATION OF THE ILLINOIS CIVIL LEGAL SYSTEM.

  • THE ILLINOIS EQUAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS INNOVATIVE, COST-EFFECTIVE CIVIL LEGAL AID PROGRAMS THAT HELP PEOPLE IN CRISIS ADDRESS LIFE-CHANGING PROBLEMS AND IMPROVE THEIR LIVES. THESE PROGRAMS OFFER: - LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD A LAWYER - EASY TO UNDERSTAND LEGAL FORMS AND INFORMATION - ACCESS TO LEGAL AID HOTLINES - LEGAL SELF-HELP CENTER THAT HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEIR RIGHTS - MEDIATION SERVICES THAT HELP PEOPLE RESOLVE CONFLICTS AND AVOID COURTTO MAXIMIZE OUR IMPACT, WE FUND BOTH LARGE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE A BREADTH OF LEGAL AID SERVICES, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY BASED GROUPS WHO BRING THE LAW TO WHERE PEOPLE LIVE.THE IEJF CURRENTLY MANAGES FOUR APPROPRIATIONS AND ONE STATE CONTRACT.

    Expenses $14,682,825 · Grants $13,892,637

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

Listed in Part VII

  • Keith E Emmons

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Tobin Taylor

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Karim Basaria

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Hon Patti Bellock

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Suheily Natal Davis

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Shanin Farmer

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Lydia Bueschel

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Lauren Meachum

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Nannette Fosen

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Nathan B Hinch

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Kenneth M Kirkwood

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Sook Lee

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Hon Viviana Martinez

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Gray Mateo-Harris

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Faiq Mihlar

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Lisbeth Leanos

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • William S Meckes

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Hon Jeffrey Schoenberg

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Michael Ruiz

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Tyrone Thomas

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Leslie Corbett Chenoweth

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $145,000
    From this org
    $142,620
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $2,380
    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.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Written employment contract
  • 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

  • LAND OF LINCOLN LEGAL AID

    $4,068,346

    TO PROVIDE LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE IN 65 SOUTHERN/CENTRAL COUNTIES INCLUDING VETERANS, PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINALIZATION OF CANNABIS AND THOSE IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSTABILITY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

  • PRAIRIE STATE LEGAL SERVICES

    $3,295,960

    TO PROVIDE LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE IN 36 NORTHERN/CENTRAL COUNTIES INCLUDING VETERANS, PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINALIZATION OF CANNABIS AND THOSE IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSTABILITY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

  • COORDINATED ADVICE & REFERRAL PROGRAM FOR LEGAL SERVICES

    $1,026,020

    TO PROVIDE COORDINATED LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE AND REFERRALS TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE IN COOK COUNTY AND TO VETERANS AND PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINALIZATION OF CANNABIS STATEWIDE. TO PROVIDE TECH EXPERTISE ON LEGAL AID NETWORKS PROGRAMS.

  • LEGAL AID CHICAGO

    $743,289

    TO PROVIDE LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE, VETERANS AND PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINIALIZATION OF CANNABIS AND FORECLOSURE IN COOK COUNTY.

  • DISPUTE RESOLUTION INSTITUTE

    $579,013

    TO PROVIDE MEDIATION SERVICES FOR FAMILIIES IN THE 1ST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT AND TO TENANTS, LANDLORDS AND HOMEOWNERS IN HOUSING DISPUTES DUE TO THE PANDEMIC IN THE 1ST, 6TH AND 20TH JUDICIAL CIRCUITS.

  • METROPOLITAN FAMILY SERVICESLEGAL AID SOCIETY

    $347,968

    TO PROVIDE LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSTABILITY AND PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINIALIZATION OF CANNABIS IN COOK COUNTY.

  • IL LEGAL AID ONLINE

    $327,500

    TO PROVIDE LEGAL INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC STATEWIDE VIA A WEBSITE; TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED LEGAL INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE FOR PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINLIZATION OF CANNABIS AS WELL AS HOUSING INSTABILITY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

  • CHICAGO VOLUNTEER LEGAL SERVICES

    $269,284

    TO PROVIDE LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE AND VETERANS IN COOK COUNTY.

  • GREATER CHICAGO LEGAL CLINIC

    $264,946

    TO PROVIDE LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE AND PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINIALIZATION OF CANNABIS IN COOK COUNTY.

  • NORTH SUBURBAN LEGAL AID CLINIC

    $237,522

    TO PROVIDE LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION TO THOSE IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSTABILITY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
14 February 2026
IRS schema version
2024v5.5
Source object
202630459349300413

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

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