Ascend Justice
Our mission is to empower individuals and families impacted by gender-based violence or the child welfare system to achieve safety and stability through holistic legal advocacy and systemic reform. We are working toward strong communities where people have the power to navigate fair systems and overcome violence.
Ascend Justice at a glance
- Total assets
- $3,127,907
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $5,085,230
- +21.8% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $3,717
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $4,787,322
- +11.6% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Ascend Justice funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
9 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 6 grants of 9 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $5K (2024) to $136K (2023). In 2024 it reported $5K in grants paid, as a total without an itemized list.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Safe Place Zion, IL | Support for co-located domestice violence advocate at regional dcfs office (dvclp program agency) | $77,400 |
| Safer Foundation (For Women's Justice Institute) Chicago, IL | Support for community navigator housed at women's justice institute.;technical assistance for e-filing program in jails/prisons | $51,000 |
| Illinois Legal Aid Online Chicago, IL | Technical Assistance for E-Filing Program in Jails/Prisons | $8,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,127,907 | $5,085,230 | $4,787,322 | — | — | $3,717 |
| 2024 | $3,000,673 | $4,176,124 | $4,291,228 | $4,746 | Total only | $4,002 |
| 2023 | $1,542,697 | $3,568,609 | $3,381,666 | $136,400 | 3 | $722 |
| 2022 | $1,275,996 | $2,228,766 | $2,138,798 | $117,338 | 6 | $9 |
| 2021 | $1,120,753 | $1,941,906 | $1,777,417 | — | — | $9 |
| 2020 | $1,034,773 | $1,750,321 | $1,689,265 | — | — | $21,666 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
About Ascend Justice
Based on IRS filings
Ascend Justice is a public charity, based in Chicago, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $3.1M in total assets. Net investment income was $4K.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Ascend Justice is led by Margaret Duval, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 4 of 25 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Margaret Duval
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$101K (2020) → $134K (2025)
Nathan Jenks
President
Director → Vice President, 2021
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Danielle Parisi Ruffatto
Managing Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$104K (2024) → $103K (2025)
Sara Gilloon
Managing Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$100K (2025)
Jessica Swider
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karrie L. Dowd
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paige Barr Tinkham
Director
President → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pam Munoz
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Huh
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kapil Gudivada
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leah Song
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allison Torrence
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alyssa Ramirez
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ceylan Bilgin
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miki Goodin
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra Padrul
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Humble Mohammed
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Chen
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Theresa Lechner
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Bloom
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ashley Olsen
Associate Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$106K (2024) → $104K (2025)
Karen Munoz
Immediate Past President
Vice President → President, 2021
President → Immediate Past President, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Reeves
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Quinn
Vice President
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jacqui Giannini
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Myoka Kim Goodin (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Christina Briesacher (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: William Binder (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Alex Rapoport (2021) — Director
- Former: Alex Gorbokon (2020) — Director
- Former: Katherine Rahill (2020) — Director
- Former: Kerri Reuter (2020) — Director
- Former: Laura Bishop (2020) — Director
- Former: Teresa Zagar (2020) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $134K, to Margaret Duval (Executive Director). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ascend Justice
How large is Ascend Justice?
Ascend Justice reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.1M.
Where does Ascend Justice operate?
Ascend Justice has awarded grants in Illinois.
What is Ascend Justice's EIN?
Ascend Justice's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3647731. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 28, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ascend Justice's focus areas in our free grants database
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