LEGAL ASSISTANCE CENTER Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

LEGAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

EIN 37-1492605 · Legal Services (I80)

What they do

A LEGAL SELF HELP CENTER, THE LEGAL ASSISTANCE CENTER WORKS to EDUCATE, EMPOWER, and EQUIP THE PEOPLE of OUR COMMUNITY to FACE and RESOLVE LEGAL CHALLENGES, to ASSURE ACCESS to JUSTICE, and to THEREBY ENHANCE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, and COMMUNITY STABILITY and PROSPERITY, BY PROVIDING LEGAL INFORMATION, FORMS, RESOURCES, GUIDANCE, and COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS to THE MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY UNABLE to ACCESS LEGAL REPRESENTATION.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $74.30 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders18 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

57.11%of revenue went to mission work74.3% of expenses · Program services

6.29%of revenue went to fundraising8.2% of expenses

$76.86spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

13.45%of revenue went to management and office costs17.5% of expenses

$4.95in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

73.3%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $100,570 for DEBORAH J HUGHES (EXECUTIVE DI). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$406,111

Mission workProgram services$231,94457.11% of revenue74.3% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$54,64213.45% of revenue17.5% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$25,5526.29% of revenue8.2% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$93,97323.14% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$312,13876.86% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 74.3% mission · 17.5% management · 8.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 76.86% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 76.4% mission · 17.6% management · 6.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 115.72% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 75.3% mission · 16.7% management · 8.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 97.98% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 75.6% mission · 17.5% management · 6.9% fundraisingTotal expenses: 91.51% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 72.1% mission · 20.1% management · 7.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 84.20% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 70.8% mission · 19.8% management · 9.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 105.70% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 71.0% mission · 19.6% management · 9.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 104.99% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 68.5% mission · 22.0% management · 9.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 93.20% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$406,111

Expenses$312,138

Annual surplus $93,973 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$231,944 · 74.3% of expenses

Management and office costs$54,642 · 17.5% of expenses

Fundraising$25,552 · 8.2% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$406,111

Expenses$312,138

Assets$1,544,508

Income$575,179

Contributions$297,629

Mission work (program services)$231,944

Fundraising$25,552

Management and general$54,642

Executive compensation (total)$79,310

Stocks and bonds$1,249,524

Accounting fees$4,900

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

DEBORAH J HUGHESEXECUTIVE DI · 40 hrs/week $100,570Base $97,641 · Other $2,929

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (18)

DEBORAH J HUGHESEXECUTIVE DI

KIRSTEN HOLZTRUSTEE

WILLIAM KELLYTRUSTEE

TRACI SCHENKELSECRETARY

TJ ACKERTTRUSTEE

STEFFANY J DUNKERTRUSTEE

SIMONE THIESSENVICE PRESIDE

PAMELA HOEKWATERTRUSTEE

PAM HOVETRUSTEE

NICHOLAS AYOUBTRUSTEE

BILL WITTLANDPRESIDENT

JOHN BOWENTRUSTEE

JEFFERY G MUTHTRUSTEE

HEIDI HUNTTRUSTEE

CRAIG PAULLTREASURER

CHLOE CUNNINGHAMTRUSTEE

BRIANNA GOHLKE-CLAUSENEX OFFICIO

BRIAN A MOLDETRUSTEE

About this charity

Recognized since: January 2005
Location: 180 OTTAWA AVE NW STE 5100, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49503-2703
County: Kent
In care of: % DEBORAH J HUGHES
Primary officer: DEBORAH J HUGHES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailinfo@legalassistancecenter.org Phone(616) 632-6007 Officer phone(006) 166-3260

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: January 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: MONROE SWEERIS & TROMP PC
NTEE classification: Legal Services (I80)
IRS tax category: Legal Services