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N A A C P LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND INC

EIN 13-1655255 NEW YORK, NY

Revenue 2024
$68,473,100
Expenses 2024
$63,767,502

Program services were 67.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
R220
Classification
1200
Street
40 RECTOR STREET 5TH FLOOR

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUC. FUND. INC. (LEGAL DEFENSE FUND - LDF) IS AMERICA'S PREMIER LEGAL ORGANIZATION FIGHTING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE. USING THE POWER OF LAW, NARRATIVE, RESEARCH, AND PEOPLE, WE DEFEND AND ADVANCE THE FULL DIGNITY AND CITIZENSHIP OF BLACK PEOPLE IN AMERICA.

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND (LDF) IS AMERICA'S PREMIER LEGAL ORGANIZATION FIGHTING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE.

  • THE LEGAL AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE LITIGATION, POLICY ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, PROVIDE LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND ENGAGE IN ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING WORK IN CONNECTION WITH POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, EDUCATION, CIVIL ECONOMIC JUSTICE, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

    Expenses $29,292,544 · Grants $147,856

  • THE THURGOOD MARSHALL INSTITUTE IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CENTER WITHIN THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. THE INSTITUTE COMPLEMENTS LDF'S TRADITIONAL LITIGATION STRENGTHS AND BRINGS CRITICAL CAPABILITIES TO THE FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE.

    Expenses $7,938,513

  • THE HERBERT LEHMAN PROGRAM OFFERS GRANTS, GENERALLY OF $3,000 ANNUALLY TO U.S. CITIZEN UNDERGRADUATES AND $15,000 ANNUALLY TO U.S. CITIZEN LAW STUDENTS. PREFERENCE IS GIVEN TO PERSONS WHO ARE ENTERING THE FIRST YEAR OF FULL-TIME STUDY. THIS SCHOLARSHIP CAN BE RENEWED THREE TIMES FOR UNDERGRAD LAW STUDENT AND TWO TIMES FOR GRADUATE LAW STUDENTS. THE MARSHALL-MOTLEY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM OFFERS LAW STUDENTS' FULL TUITION, INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND BAR EXAM PREPARATION.

    Expenses $5,661,762 · Grants $4,634,560

As filed on the 2024 return.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • WILLIAM J BYNUM

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • JAMES E CASTILLO

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4 + 1 related

  • ROBYN COLES

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • LESLIE CORNFIELD

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • GREGORY H EVANS

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • COLLEEN FOSTER

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • LISA GILFORD

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • DAVID E KENDALL

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • RONALD KIRK

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • MICHAEL R KLEIN

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • KIM KOOPERSMITH

    CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    8 + 1 related

  • WILLIAM E LIGHTEN

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • CECILIA L MARSHALL

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • JANAI NELSON

    PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR-COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $654,993
    From this org
    $577,181
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $77,812
    Hours/week
    59 + 1 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $577,181
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $43,270
    Nontaxable benefits
    $34,542
    Filer's total
    $654,993

  • CYNTHIA PATTON

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • LUIS R PENALVER

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • STEVEN B PFEIFFER

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4 + 1 related

  • ANNE K SMALL

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • JONATHAN SOROS

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • JOHN R STEPHENS

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • ANGELA VALLOT

    CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    8 + 1 related

  • ANN CLAIRE WILLIAMS

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • RON WILSON

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • KENJI YOSHINO

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

  • TONY WEST

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 0.5 related

The first 25 listed. 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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $68,473,100
    Expenses
    $63,767,502
    Contributions
    $45,129,800
    Grants paid
    $4,782,416
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $75,675,969
    Expenses
    $58,450,816
    Contributions
    $56,260,716
    Grants paid
    $4,927,508
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $29,467,489
    Expenses
    $51,723,153
    Contributions
    $54,542,710
    Grants paid
    $3,581,027

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $83,799,759
    Expenses
    $48,705,015
    Assets (EOY)
    $371,736,467

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $174,184,879
    Expenses
    $42,477,407
    Assets (EOY)
    $346,901,089

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $150,001,178
    Expenses
    $26,839,473
    Assets (EOY)
    $209,550,791

  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $37,292,472
    Expenses
    $23,195,480
    Assets (EOY)
    $85,457,508

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $22,366,879
    Expenses
    $18,776,127
    Assets (EOY)
    $70,682,817

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $22,366,879
    Expenses
    $18,776,127
    Assets (EOY)
    $70,682,817

  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $33,949,413
    Expenses
    $17,005,637
    Assets (EOY)
    $69,880,450

  • 2015 · 990

    Revenue
    $12,106,218
    Expenses
    $15,225,262
    Assets (EOY)
    $52,266,314

  • 2014 · 990

    Revenue
    $18,480,121
    Expenses
    $14,892,538
    Assets (EOY)
    $54,303,424

  • 2013 · 990

    Revenue
    $12,911,115
    Expenses
    $13,084,487
    Assets (EOY)
    $51,965,428

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

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

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

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

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Declared on its 2024 return

Declared as related by

California fundraising campaigns

Campaigns run by paid fundraisers, commercial coventurers and thrift stores naming this organization, as California published them. Both figures are as filed, and what the first one counts depends on the campaign type — a coventurer or a thrift store files its own sales rather than money collected for the charity. The 990 reports this only as a yearly total, never per campaign.

  • CREATIVE GENIUS LLC

    $62,596 in sales

    2022 Commercial Coventurer

    $3,135 to charity

  • CREATIVE GENIUS LLC

    $163,662 in sales

    2021 Commercial Coventurer

    $9,366 to charity

Amounts are as filed and do not add up: a commercial coventurer reports one promotion's whole gross once for each charity that shared in it. A campaign may also name more than one registered charity, in which case it appears on each.

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 26 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.