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← PHILADELPHIA LAWYERS FOR SOCIAL EQUITY

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by PHILADELPHIA LAWYERS FOR SOCIAL EQUITY.

Totals

Total revenue
$1,306,724
Total expenses
$1,219,502
Contributions and grants received
$1,225,724
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$81,000
Investment income
$0
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$275,981
Total liabilities, end of year
$299,528
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
-$23,547
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,037,613
Management and general expenses
$125,432
Fundraising expenses
$56,457
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,037,613

Program services were 85.1% 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.

  • 1a · Federated campaigns

    $0

  • 1b · Membership dues

    $0

  • 1c · Fundraising events

    $22,239

  • 1d · Related organizations

    $0

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $120,695

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,082,790

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $24,615

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Legal Services

    total $81,000 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 2b · Program service revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 2c · Program service revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 2d · Program service revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 2e · Program service revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 2f · All other program service revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 5 · Royalties

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 6a · Gross rents

    real property $0 · personal property $0

  • 6b · Less rental expenses

    real property $0 · personal property $0

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $0 · personal property $0

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $0 · other assets $0

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $0 · other assets $0

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $0 · other assets $0

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $0

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

    $0

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $0

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 9a · Gaming: gross income

    $0

  • 9b · Gaming: direct expenses

    $0

  • 9c · Net income from gaming

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $0

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $0

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 11a · Other revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 11b · Other revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 11c · Other revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 11d · All other revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $0

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $0 · program services $0

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $0 · program services $0

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $0 · program services $0

  • 4 · Benefits paid to or for members

    total $0 · program services $0

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $115,705 · program services $34,712 · management and general $30,525 · fundraising $50,468

  • 6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $753,805 · program services $732,725 · management and general $21,080 · fundraising $0

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $72,035 · program services $69,759 · management and general $2,276 · fundraising $0

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $67,788 · program services $61,151 · management and general $3,342 · fundraising $3,295

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $26,551 · program services $0 · management and general $26,551 · fundraising $0

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $0 · fundraising $0

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $6,293 · program services $0 · management and general $6,293 · fundraising $0

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $30,945 · program services $28,064 · management and general $1,922 · fundraising $959

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $38,540 · program services $38,540 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 15 · Royalties

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $48,491 · program services $43,977 · management and general $3,011 · fundraising $1,503

  • 17 · Travel

    total $2,473 · program services $2,473 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 20 · Interest

    total $23,453 · program services $0 · management and general $23,453 · fundraising $0

  • 21 · Payments to affiliates

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $7,498 · program services $6,800 · management and general $466 · fundraising $232

  • 24a · Other expenses: Dues/Registrations

    total $2,279 · program services $2,279 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 24b · Other expenses: PPSC Service

    total $15,828 · program services $15,828 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 24c · Other expenses: Distance Learning

    total $180 · program services $180 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 24d · Other expenses: Fellowship Support

    total $1,000 · program services $1,000 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $6,638 · program services $125 · management and general $6,513 · fundraising $0

  • 26 · Joint costs (an allocation of the lines above)

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $28,659 · end of year $37,985

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $50,275

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 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 $15,938 · end of year $10,597

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

    $0

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

    $0

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 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 $142,015 · end of year $177,124

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $100,615 · end of year $68,601

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $29,305

  • 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 $50,938 · end of year $16,155

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $145,828 · end of year $185,467

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year -$140,270 · end of year -$23,547

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $29,501 · end of year $0

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

PLSE seeks a more equitable social environment for those with criminal records through individual representation strategic litigation community education research and advocacy. PLSE does this by seeking expungements in criminal court and pardons from the Governor educating elected business and community leaders; empowering and organizing under-resourced communities; and leading legislative administrative and systemic reform.

Activities or mission (Part I)

PLSE provides education to the public about the creation dissemination and destruction of criminal history records and the inter-generational harm those records cause; and partners with community organizations to help low-income individuals obtain expungements and pardons.

  • Criminal Records Expungement Project - Employers landlords financial and academic institutions professional associations licensing boards and others frequently use past criminal record histories to deny opportunities to qualified applicants. This happens even when the event occurred decades earlier or did not result in a conviction. This prevents many qualified individuals from achieving financial and social stability and negatively affects their families and communities. This is especially true for low-income individuals. In Pennsylvania only judges can expunge delete or seal remove from the public record criminal record information and many individuals cannot afford an attorney to assist with a process to which they are legally entitled. The Criminal Record Expungement Project addresses this inequality by providing pro bono legal assistance to low-income Philadelphians with criminal records. In FY2025 PLSE assisted 1,851 low-income individuals from all 47 residential zip codes in Philadelphia. We primarily use a community-based clinic model to engage new clients. We provided brief service information or referral and for those not income eligible for 416 people. And of the 1,851 individuals who came to us 1,435 became new clients. We filed a total of 6,973 expungement petitions. Approximately 96% of all such petitions are granted by the court.

    Expenses $304,970 · Revenue $343,862

  • Pardon Project - With few exceptions expunging a conviction first requires a pardon from the Governor. PLSE began the Pardon Project in 2018 when the process cost money and resulted in failure for over 90% of all applicants . Today thanks to reforms driven by PLSE the application is free online and written mostly in Plain English. PLSE accepted 310 new clients for pardon services in FY25. Its Pardon Project Steering Committee all with lived experience in the criminal justice system continues to thrive and serve as a source of community support for pardon applicants both PLSE clients and others. All participants completing an intake for the Criminal Record Expungement Project are also screened for pardon eligibility.

    Expenses $464,348 · Revenue $485,009

  • Community Education - PLSE conducted 15 training sessions for individuals interested in volunteering as Pardon Coaches. PLSE manages the website www.PardonMePA.org offering information to individuals and community groups statewide. The organization also expanded its Video Library to assist individuals seeking record-clearing volunteers and communities looking to establish Pardon Projects.

    Expenses $268,295 · Revenue $296,701

As filed on the 2024 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Ana Pujols McKee MD

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Reverend Dr Michelle Anne Simmons

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Hillary Weinstein

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Glenn D Barnes Esq

    Board Vice Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Jeffrey N Brown

    Board Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Nicole Hunt

    Board Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Reverend Dr Leslie Callahan

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ryan Hancock Esq

    Board Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Kathleen Lee

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Jeffrey Rosenthal Esq

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Taylor Pacheco

    Executive Director

    Total calculated
    $91,090
    From this org
    $91,090
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    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.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
15 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.1
Source object
202543199349301319

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