Massachusetts Legal Assistance
97% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Growing revenue
Massachusetts Legal Assistance is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, registered in 1984, with $82,329,617 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 97% of spending to programs.
18 Tremont St Ste 1010, Boston, MA, 02108 EIN 04-2790762 Since 1984
Revenue (FY2024)
$82.3M
▲ 1.6% vs prior year
Crime & Legal median: $309K
Expenses (FY2024)
$78.3M
Net assets
$20.4M
Employees
24
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A+
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating97% to programs · $0 to raise $100
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. For Massachusetts Legal Assistance: 97% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating3 mo reserves · +5% 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 Massachusetts Legal Assistance: 3 mo reserves · +5% 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 Massachusetts Legal Assistance: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 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 Massachusetts Legal Assistance: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The massachusetts legal assistance corporation provides leadership and support to improve civil legal services to low-income people in massachusetts through collaboration with the legal services community, the legislature, the public, the bar, and the judiciary.
What they do
Mlac was awarded, as a coordinated statewide administration of civil legal services (csal), a grant from the massachusetts office for victim assistance (mova). this is a contract that is funded through victims of crime act (voca) funding. the purposes of this grant is to implement the massachusetts civil legal aid to victims of crime initiative (clavc) to expand the capacity of legal services programs (the programs) in the state to provide legal assistance to victims of crime with civil legal aid issues related to their victimization, including in particular those crime victims referred by mova. mlac will serve as recipient for clavc grant. it will exercise appropriate oversight, implement fiscal control, carry out reporting, and make sub grants to the programs to fulfill the obligations according to the contract terms.
Mlac received funding to establish the access to counsel pilot project, aimed at expanding access to full legal representation for low-income tenants and owner-occupants facing eviction in massachusetts.
Program service initiatives - projects that advance collaboration among legal aid programs and ensure that limited resources are used as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Contact & location
- Address
- 18 Tremont St Ste 1010, Boston, MA, 02108
- City
- Boston
- State
- Massachusetts
- Category
- Crime & Legal-Related
- Subcategory
- Legal Services
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $20.0M (FY2013) to $82.3M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $3.7MNet assets $20.4M
Operating margin
4.8%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$24.2M
Total liabilities
$3.7M
Net assets
$20.4M
Salaries & benefits
$2.8M
4% of expenses
Board members
11
11 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $82,329,617▲1.6% | $78,336,874▲2.8% | $20,427,883▲24.3% | $24,151,266▼8.4% | 990 |
| 2023 | $81,070,643▲24.9% | $76,200,406▲21.5% | $16,435,140▲42.1% | $26,360,877▲41.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $64,912,581▲17.2% | $62,714,452▲19.3% | $11,564,903▲23.5% | $18,694,300▲57.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $55,367,763▲12.0% | $52,551,003▲7.1% | $9,366,774▲43.0% | $11,862,447▼15.3% | 990 |
| 2020 | $49,454,338▲25.4% | $49,068,477▲32.8% | $6,550,014▲6.3% | $14,012,121▲51.4% | 990 |
| 2019 | $39,451,968▲17.8% | $36,940,196▲12.3% | $6,164,153▲68.8% | $9,254,067▲70.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $33,499,120▲8.6% | $32,892,893▲11.7% | $3,652,381▲19.9% | $5,434,020▼16.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $30,835,995▲24.1% | $29,444,625▲2.7% | $3,046,154▲84.1% | $6,508,309▲45.1% | 990 |
| 2016 | $24,842,411▼11.6% | $28,666,129▲15.0% | $1,654,784▼69.8% | $4,485,366▼40.7% | 990 |
| 2015 | $28,088,396▲26.5% | $24,922,982▲10.6% | $5,478,502▲137% | $7,566,129▲49.7% | 990 |
| 2014 | $22,198,752▲10.8% | $22,538,547▲12.1% | $2,313,088▼12.8% | $5,053,771▲5.2% | 990 |
| 2013 | $20,041,171 | $20,109,039▲10.6% | $2,652,883▼2.5% | $4,806,101▼4.9% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $18,182,375▲16.0% | $2,720,751▲85.6% | $5,052,534▲122% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $15,678,993▲2.8% | $1,466,206▲23.6% | $2,274,541▲15.5% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $15,257,264 | $1,186,705 | $1,968,916 | 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: Lynne Parker — $245,013 (0.31% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynne Parker | Executive Director | 35 | $245,013 |
| Azim Mazagonwalla | Cfo (until 10/2024) | 35 | $177,867 |
| Tobey Johnson | Technology Director | 35 | $158,188 |
| Patricia Swansey | Program Director | 35 | $150,698 |
| Laura Booth | Program Director | 35 | $140,861 |
| Michael Raabe | Program Director | 35 | $139,902 |
| Wendy Valentine | Program Director | 35 | $118,595 |
| Tenzin Bayul | Board Secretary | 1 | $87,712 |
| Alma Woodberry | Board Member | 1 | — |
| April English Esq | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Carol Starkey Esq | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| Edward Mcintyre Esq | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Hon Geoffrey A Wilson Ret | Board Member (until 4/2025) | 1 | — |
| Hon Richard Simons | Board Member (as of 11/24) | 1 | — |
| John Casey | Board Member (until 10/24) | 1 | — |
| Livia Arzuaga Gonzalez | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Mala Rafik Esq | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Mary Jeanne Stone Esq | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Richard Vitali Esq | Chair | 1 | — |
| Thomas Bond Esq | Board Member | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2016)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Antone G Singsen III Esq | State Wide Planning | $124,984 |
Grants received · $306K total
13 grants to Massachusetts Legal Assistance totaling $306K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Foundation Inc | Operating support/annual fund | 2022 | $10,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2020 | $6,584 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2020 | $6,584 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2019 | $50,000 |
| Boston Foundation Inc | Immigrant and refugee support | 2019 | $50,000 |
| Boston Foundation Inc | Operating support/annual fund | 2019 | $11,400 |
| Boston Foundation Inc | Immigrant and refugee support | 2017 | $51,000 |
| Boston Foundation Inc | Immigrant and refugee support | 2017 | $51,000 |
| Boston Foundation Inc | Economic development | 2017 | $25,000 |
| Boston Foundation Inc | Economic development | 2017 | $25,000 |
| Boston Foundation Inc | Operating support | 2017 | $6,500 |
| Boston Foundation Inc | Operating support | 2017 | $6,500 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Social services/social benefits | 2017 | $6,000 |
Grants made · $72.6M in FY2024
21 grants totaling $72.6M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Massachusetts Legal Assistance →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Boston Legal Services Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $17,806,869 |
| Community Legal Aid Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $16,225,884 |
| South Coastal Counties Legal Services | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $10,001,652 |
| Northeast Legal Aid | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $9,143,292 |
| Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $7,959,472 |
| Metrowest Legal Services Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $3,345,061 |
| Disability Law Center Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $1,458,405 |
| Childrens Law Center of Mass Inc North Shore Childrens Law Project | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $916,066 |
| De Novo Center For Justice and Healing Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $909,722 |
| Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $865,724 |
| Center For Public Representation | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $823,615 |
| Political Asylum Immigration Representation Project Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $601,318 |
| Center For Law and Education Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $567,176 |
| National Consumer Law Center Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $478,400 |
| Massachusetts Advocates For Children Inc | To provide financial support for legal assistance programs | $442,201 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Massachusetts Legal Assistance a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Massachusetts Legal Assistance is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 04-2790762, based in Boston, Massachusetts. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Massachusetts Legal Assistance's EIN?
- Massachusetts Legal Assistance's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-2790762.
- How much revenue does Massachusetts Legal Assistance report?
- Massachusetts Legal Assistance reported $82,329,617 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Massachusetts Legal Assistance's spending goes to programs?
- Massachusetts Legal Assistance spends about 97% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Massachusetts Legal Assistance have?
- CharityIndex grades Massachusetts Legal Assistance A+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Massachusetts Legal Assistance's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Massachusetts Legal Assistance's latest Form 990 is $245,013, paid to Lynne Parker (Executive Director).
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Data for Massachusetts Legal Assistance (EIN 04-2790762) 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.