Crime and legal charities, by the numbers.
4,045 of them filed a full Form 990 and spent $12.8B between them.
- 4,045
- charities filing a full Form 990, 1,544 spending $1M+
- $12.8B
- spent in their latest year, with $11.0B coming in as gifts and grants
- 17%
- of all that spending by the 10 biggest
The biggest 399 crime and legal charities.
| # | Charity | Spending | Program share | Cost to raise $1 | Savings | CEO pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal ServicesOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2025 | $585.4M | 97% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $260K |
| 2 | The Legal Aid SocietyOur file New York, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $431.3M | 91% | 1¢ | 0 mo | $322K |
| 3 | Justice Resource InstituteOur file Needham, MA · Other · FY 2025 | $263.1M | 91% | 0¢ | 7 mo | $538K |
| 4 | The 85 FundOur file Fort Worth, TX · Other · FY 2024 | $169.7M | 96% | 0¢ | 0 mo | – |
| 5 | Southern Poverty Law CenterOur file Montgomery, AL · Other · FY 2025 | $127.9M | 70% 65% CPA view | 15¢ 20¢ CPA view | 83 mo | $473K |
| 6 | Justice InnovationOur file New York, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $126.6M | 84% | 0¢ | 5 mo | $365K |
| 7 | Native American Heritage AssociationOur file Black Hawk, VA · Other · FY 2025 | $108.1M | 98% | 1¢ | 3 mo | $140K |
| 8 | National Center for State CourtsOur file Williamsburg, VA · Other · FY 2024 | $105.8M | 89% | 1¢ | 4 mo | $368K |
| 9 | Defender Association of PhiladelphiaOur file Philadelphia, PA · Other · FY 2025 | $102.4M | 94% | 0¢ | 1 mo | – |
| 10 | American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education Chicago, IL · Other · FY 2025 | $100.9M | 80% | 1¢ | 4 mo | $774K |
| 11 | The Community FirmOur file Denver, CO · Other · FY 2024 | $99.6M | 97% | 0¢ | 1 mo | $189K |
| 12 | The Florida Bar FoundationOur file Maitland, FL · Other · FY 2025 | $97.7M | 98% | 0¢ | 64 mo | $221K |
| 13 | Nexus Family Healing Plymouth, MN · Other · FY 2024 | $96.4M | 81% | 53¢ | 4 mo | $614K |
| 14 | Legal Services of New JerseyOur file Edison, NJ · Other · FY 2024 | $93.5M | 95% | 0¢ | 8 mo | $265K |
| 15 | Community Resources for JusticeOur file Boston, MA · Other · FY 2025 | $92.4M | 87% | 0¢ | 5 mo | $450K |
| 16 | Children's Advocacy Centers of TexasOur file Austin, TX · Other · FY 2025 | $85.4M | 97% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $378K |
| 17 | KindOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $79.6M | 81% | 5¢ | 5 mo | $600K |
| 18 | Massachusetts Legal AssistanceOur file Boston, MA · Other · FY 2025 | $78.3M | 97% | 0¢ | 3 mo | $245K |
| 19 | Oriana House Akron, OH · Other · FY 2024 | $73.7M | 95% | 0¢ | -2 mo | $513K |
| 20 | Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Other · FY 2025 | $73.3M | 89% | 0¢ | 8 mo | $278K |
| 21 | The Bronx Defenders Bronx, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $68.5M | 88% | 1¢ | 1 mo | $96K |
| 22 | Prison Fellowship Ministries Lansdowne, VA · Other · FY 2025 | $67.7M | 69% 65% CPA view | 24¢ 27¢ CPA view | 5 mo | $349K |
| 23 | The Village Network Wooster, OH · Other · FY 2025 | $64.5M | 85% | 17¢ | 7 mo | $586K |
| 24 | The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Alexandria, VA · Other · FY 2025 | $62.8M | 92% | 3¢ | 16 mo | $522K |
| 25 | Maryland Legal Services Baltimore, MD · Other · FY 2025 | $61.9M | 99% | 0¢ | 9 mo | $166K |
Program share = program expenses ÷ total expenses (Part IX, line 25). Cost to raise $1 = fundraising expenses ÷ contributions (Part IX, Part VIII line 1h). Savings = net assets ÷ annual spending × 12, which includes buildings, endowments and restricted gifts, so zoos and aquariums run high. CEO pay is reportable compensation from the charity (Part VII). “CPA view” moves joint fundraising costs reported on line 26 out of programs. Names link to our file where we have one, otherwise to the filing on ProPublica.
Benchmarks for crime and legal.
Medians across 1,544 charities spending $1M or more. Use them to judge any charity in this cause.
- 84%
- median program share, as reported
- 2¢
- median cost to raise $1, among charities taking in $100K+ in gifts
- 8 mo
- median net assets, in months of spending
| Annual spending | Charities | Median CEO pay | Median program share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1–5M | 1,086 | $129K | 83% |
| $5–25M | 376 | $196K | 85% |
| $25–100M | 71 | $293K | 88% |
| $100M+ | 11 | $368K | 91% |
The yes-or-no answers.
Counts of crime and legal charities answering “yes” (or failing a basic check) in their latest Form 990. The charities answer these themselves.
charities told the IRS they discovered a significant diversion of assets (theft, embezzlement or misuse).
charities reported a paid fundraiser that kept half or more of what it raised.
charities reported an excess benefit transaction with an insider.
charities had $2M+ in revenue and no audited financial statements.
charities had $1M+ in revenue and no conflict-of-interest policy.
charities reported loans to or from officers or directors.
A “yes” is a reason to read the filing, not a verdict. Learn what each answer means in how to check a charity, and see how we read a 990.
Every crime and legal charity we cover.
- Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas
- Community Resources for Justice
- Defender Association of Philadelphia
- Justice Innovation
- Justice Resource Institute
- Kind
- Legal Services
- Legal Services of New Jersey
- Massachusetts Legal Assistance
- National Center for State Courts
- Native American Heritage Association
- Southern Poverty Law Center
- The 85 Fund
- The Community Firm
- The Florida Bar Foundation
- The Legal Aid Society
Questions about crime and legal charities.
What is the largest crime and legal charity?
By spending, Legal Services (DC), at $585.4M in its fiscal year ending 2025, per its Form 990.
How much do crime and legal charity CEOs make?
The median CEO of a crime and legal charity spending $1–5M a year was paid $129K. At charities spending $100M or more, the median was $368K. Figures are reportable compensation from the charity, Form 990 Part VII.
What percentage of donations to crime and legal charities goes to programs?
The median crime and legal charity spending $1M or more reported 84% of its spending on programs, on Form 990 Part IX. That is the charity's own split. Some charities count part of their fundraising mail as program work; our pages show the number both ways.
How many crime and legal charities are there?
4,045 crime and legal organizations filed a full Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, 1,544 of them spending $1 million or more. Thousands more file the short 990-EZ or the 990-N postcard.
Where this comes from.
Each charity's latest Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, joined to the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File for its NTEE cause code. Organizations that file as charities but aren't funded like one (research contractors, sports bodies and similar) are left out of the comparison table. Charities that file a 990-EZ or 990-N aren't included. Figures are as filed; we haven't reviewed each one, except where a charity has our full file.
Charity Math, “Crime and legal charities, by the numbers,” data as of 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/causes/crime-and-legal/