American Bar Association
501(c)(6)
Only null% goes to programs Strong reserves Growing revenue
American Bar Association is a 501(c)(6) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 1994, with $166,167,244 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A.
321 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL, 60654 EIN 36-0723150 Since 1994
Revenue (FY2024)
$166.2M
▲ 39.6% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2024)
$138.6M
Net assets
$148.5M
Employees
489
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
—Program efficiency40% of the ratingNo expense breakdown in filings
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. Not scored for American Bar Association— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating13 mo reserves · +17% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For American Bar Association: 13 mo reserves · +17% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For American Bar Association: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
BTransparency10% of the rating3 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For American Bar Association: 3 of 5 disclosure signals earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To serve equally the members of the legal profession and the public by defending liberty and delivering justice as the national representative of the legal profession and to promote public good.
Contact & location
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $166.6M (FY2013) to $166.2M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $159.2MNet assets $148.5M
Operating margin
16.6%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$307.7M
Total liabilities
$159.2M
Net assets
$148.5M
Salaries & benefits
$71.6M
52% of expenses
Board members
44
43 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $166,167,244▲39.6% | $138,566,608▲1.7% | $148,478,015▲3.8% | $307,695,958▼3.5% | 990 |
| 2023 | $119,070,500▲10.3% | $136,212,880▲15.1% | $143,045,118▲7.7% | $318,819,299▲1.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $107,983,462▲9.8% | $118,296,342▲3.7% | $132,874,081▼1.0% | $312,769,241▲18.2% | 990 |
| 2021 | $98,371,329▲13.6% | $114,125,516▲18.8% | $134,269,769▼29.2% | $264,609,273▼15.8% | 990 |
| 2020 | $86,583,132▼11.8% | $96,052,784▼14.7% | $189,722,713▲44.0% | $314,216,963▲12.0% | 990 |
| 2019 | $98,152,728▼22.8% | $112,651,905▼11.3% | $131,794,400▼4.4% | $280,557,499▼3.0% | 990 |
| 2018 | $127,209,750▼14.6% | $126,993,359▼21.5% | $137,892,285▼11.9% | $289,089,239▼7.1% | 990 |
| 2017 | $149,018,016▲1.1% | $161,757,292▲5.3% | $156,528,527▲1.2% | $311,233,827▼2.4% | 990 |
| 2016 | $147,448,428▼1.2% | $153,619,131▼3.7% | $154,740,685▲10.9% | $319,040,810▲0.1% | 990 |
| 2015 | $149,226,613▼1.7% | $159,582,100▲0.3% | $139,543,495▼10.3% | $318,580,024▼1.5% | 990 |
| 2014 | $151,735,300▼8.9% | $159,154,688▲11.4% | $155,653,378▼22.9% | $323,522,431▼9.3% | 990 |
| 2013 | $166,581,100 | $142,867,706▲3.6% | $201,905,556▲13.6% | $356,575,456▲8.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $137,940,641▲0.5% | $177,714,431▲66.1% | $329,776,848▲10.6% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $137,186,541▲5.7% | $106,999,503▼10.1% | $298,105,242▲24.2% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $129,770,486▼5.1% | $119,052,385▲28.8% | $239,942,508 | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $136,726,133 | $92,461,901 | $239,961,299 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Alpha M Brady — $774,253 (0.56% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha M Brady | Executive Director | 45 | $774,253 |
| Holly O Cook | Sr Assoc Exec Dir-govt Affairs and Pil | 50 | $417,550 |
| William K Phelan | Sr Assoc. Executive Director and Cfo | 36 | $385,545 |
| Amy B Eggert | Sr Assoc Exec Dir and Chief of Staff | 55 | $362,639 |
| Carol Stevens | Assoc Exec Director-media Relations and Strategic Comm | 38 | $357,197 |
| Annaliese Fleming | Sr Assoc Exec Dir and General Counsel | 33 | $338,120 |
| Joshua Poje | Chief Product Officer-chief Member Experience Officer | 40 | $320,923 |
| Ken Zinn | Chief Membership and Marketing Officer | 38 | $295,186 |
| Katherine Pichon | Chief Information Officer | 40 | $269,240 |
| Amy E Horton-newell | Director-public Interest Law | 30 | $248,850 |
| Candace Cavalier | Division Director Human Resources | 38 | $245,251 |
| Donna Gollmer | Managing Dir Business Development Revenue Op | 38 | $237,177 |
| Janae E Leflore | Associate Executive Director and Chief Governance Officer | 38 | $230,303 |
| Beverly Pendowski | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $202,442 |
| William R Bay | President | 60 | $50,000 |
| Abre' Conner | Board of Governors | 1 | — |
| Anita M Ventrelli | Board of Governors | 4 | — |
| Ann Mcmahon Romanskaya | Board of Governors | 1 | — |
| Aurora Austriaco | Board of Governors | 7 | — |
| Beverly A Carroll | Board of Governors | 6 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Basis Global Technologies Inc | It Advertising | $2,671,762 |
| Quad Graphics Inc | Printing Services | $1,095,862 |
| Tekspressive LLC | It Services | $957,072 |
| Usps | Postage Services | $835,000 |
| Microsoft Corporation | It Services | $679,603 |
Grants received · $88.4M total
53 grants to American Bar Association totaling $88.4M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Bar Association Fund For Justice and Education | General support | 2024 | $6,686,722 |
| Freedom House Inc | Supporting human rights, democratic initiatives and/or rule of law | 2024 | $2,099,919 |
| The Seattle Foundation | Aba legal opportunity, and justice & education. | 2024 | $16,000 |
| American Bar Association Fund For Justice and Education | General support | 2023 | $11,647,540 |
| Freedom House Inc | Supporting human rights, democratic initiatives and/or rule of law | 2023 | $5,122,280 |
| International Foundation For Electoral Systems | Programmatic and technical activities | 2023 | $794,996 |
| Air Line Pilots Association International | Sponsorship | 2023 | $7,750 |
| Freedom House Inc | Supporting human rights, democratic initiatives and/or rule of law | 2022 | $7,502,882 |
| Pact Inc | Grant for peace building and judicial capacity development | 2022 | $3,550,105 |
| International Foundation For Electoral Systems | Technical electoral assistance & education | 2022 | $812,855 |
| American Bar Association Fund For Justice and Education | General support | 2022 | $412,000 |
| American Arbitration Association Inc | General support | 2022 | $85,000 |
| Freedom House Inc | Supporting human rights, democratic initiatives and/or rule of law | 2021 | $6,056,038 |
| Pact Inc | Grant for peace building and judicial capacity development | 2021 | $3,739,346 |
| Pact Inc | Grant for peace building and judicial capacity development | 2021 | $3,739,346 |
Grants made · $258K in FY2024
34 grants totaling $258K in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by American Bar Association →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of South Carolina | Awards/fellowships | $60,000 |
| Commonwealth of Virginia | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Nc Dept of Justice | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| District of Columbia Govt | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Florida Department of Legal Affairs | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Mississippi Ag's Office | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Connecticut Dept of Consumer Protection | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Nebraska Dept of Justice | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| New York State Dept of Law | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| North Dakota Office of Attorney General | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Office of the Ag Illinois | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Office of the Ag Tennessee | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Ofc of the Utah Ag | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Oklahoma Attorney General | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
| Attorney General of Texas | Awards/fellowships | $6,000 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is American Bar Association a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. American Bar Association is a 501(c)(6) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 36-0723150, based in Chicago, Illinois.
- What is American Bar Association's EIN?
- American Bar Association's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 36-0723150.
- How much revenue does American Bar Association report?
- American Bar Association reported $166,167,244 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- What financial grade does American Bar Association have?
- CharityIndex grades American Bar Association A, based on financial health (reserves and operating margin).
- How much does American Bar Association's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on American Bar Association's latest Form 990 is $774,253, paid to Alpha M Brady (Executive Director).
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Data for American Bar Association (EIN 36-0723150) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.