Montana Legal Services Association
Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) is a public charity based in Helena, Montana. It provides free civil legal information, advice, and representation to eligible low-income Montanans, serving people in all 56 Montana counties and on Tribal Reservations.
Montana Legal Services Association at a glance
In short: Montana Legal Services Association gave $1.6M across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $78K), top state Colorado. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,569,469
- +22.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $78,473
- +22.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $62,461
- Total assets
- $3,052,098
- +0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (25% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Montana Legal Services Association
- Contact
Mailing address: 616 Helena Ave Ste 100, Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406) 442-9830
Website: https://mtlsa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Montana Legal Services Association
Who Montana Legal Services Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Naicja ($356K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 59 (46%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
MLSA’s direct legal services cover all 56 Montana counties and Tribal Reservations. Its 2025 grants went to organizations in multiple states; the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Colorado (25%), South Dakota (8%), Alaska (7%), Nebraska (6%), and California (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Montana Legal Services Association open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 20 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2023–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $944K (2023) to $1.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Naicja Boulder, CO | Provide tta that will address the unique interests of tribal sovereigns as defined by the community the justice system serves | $356,425 |
| Dakota Plains Legal Services Mission, SD | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $119,309 |
| Alaska Legal Services Anchorage, AK | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $104,526 |
| Legal Aid of Nebraska Omaha, NE | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $101,028 |
| California Indian Legal Services Sacramento, CA | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $91,584 |
| Idaho Legal Aid Services Inc Boise, ID | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $85,724 |
| Texas Riogrande Legal Aid Mercedes, TX | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $81,656 |
| Michigan Indian Legal Services Traverse City, MI | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $66,239 |
| Nevada Legal Services Las Vegas, NV | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $62,553 |
| Oklahoma Indian Legal Services Oklahoma City, OK | Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts | $62,549 |
Ready to take the next step with Montana Legal Services Association?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,052,098 | $9,944,686 | $9,618,883 | $1,569,469 | 20 | $13,630 |
| 2024 | $3,027,068 | $10,338,803 | $9,886,823 | $1,280,179 | 20 | $10,563 |
| 2023 | $2,381,567 | $9,976,481 | $9,812,255 | $943,713 | 19 | $11,371 |
| 2022 | $2,522,174 | $6,487,811 | $6,507,945 | — | — | $6,944 |
| 2021 | $1,685,531 | $5,662,275 | $5,700,901 | — | — | $2,365 |
| 2020 | $2,172,402 | $5,528,622 | $5,035,408 | — | — | $3,999 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
MLSA’s mission is to protect and enhance the civil legal rights of Montanans living in poverty and promote systemic change. Its 2025 filing describes its work as providing free legal assistance in non-criminal matters to eligible people in Montana.
The organization’s website describes work on domestic violence, housing rights, public benefits, and other civil legal needs. Its 2025 grants included support for legal representation in tribal courts and technical assistance and training addressing the interests of Tribal sovereigns. Among its grantees, Dakota Plains Legal Services describes its mission as promoting equal access to justice through legal assistance for low-income clients; California Indian Legal Services describes its work as providing free and low-cost legal services to individuals, tribes, and tribal organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, MLSA reported 20 grants totaling $1,569,469. Grants ranged from $15,217 to $356,425, with a median grant of $62,461.
The largest reported grants included $356,425 to NAICJA for technical assistance and training addressing the interests of Tribal sovereigns, and $119,309 to Dakota Plains Legal Services for legal representation in tribal courts. Other notable grants were $104,526 to Alaska Legal Services, $101,028 to Legal Aid of Nebraska, $91,584 to California Indian Legal Services, and $85,724 to Idaho Legal Aid Services. Each of those grants was reported for legal representation in tribal courts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shawn Reagor as president, Morgan Dake as vice president, Professor Craig Cowie as past president, and Mary Reeves as secretary/treasurer. It also lists James Patten, Don Saunders, Hon. John Larson, Peggy Probasco, Terryl Matt, and Kathleen Johnson as trustees.
Montana Legal Services Association is led by Alison Paul, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alison Paul
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$107K (2020) → $137K (2025)
Shawn Reagor
President
Trustee → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Patten
Trustee
President → Past Predisent, 2023
Past Predisent → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Larson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Johnson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Probasco
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terryl Matt
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Riddle
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sean Morrison
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Don Saunders
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Misty Davis
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Hamilton
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Reeves
Secretary & Treasurer
Secreatary & Treasurer → Secretary & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Professor Craig Cowie
Past President
Vice President → President, 2023
President → Past President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Morgan Dake
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Craig Buehler (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Jason Holden (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: David Ragghanti (2022–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Lindsay Lorang (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Alissa L. Chambers (2020–2022) — Immediate Past President
- Former: Betty Deford (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Iola Winters (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Tara Veazey (2020–2022) — Past Predisent
- Former: Kyla Hailstone (2020) — Trustee
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 $137K, to Alison Paul (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Montana Legal Services Association
How much does Montana Legal Services Association give each year?
Montana Legal Services Association gave $1.6M across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 20 grants.
What is Montana Legal Services Association's typical grant size?
Montana Legal Services Association's median grant in 2025 was $62,461, and its average grant was $78,473, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Montana Legal Services Association give grants?
Montana Legal Services Association's top state is Colorado, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were South Dakota (8%) and Alaska (7%).
Does Montana Legal Services Association give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Montana Legal Services Association's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Provide Legal Representation in Tribal Courts" (19 grants).
Who are Montana Legal Services Association's largest grantees?
Montana Legal Services Association's largest 2025 grantees include Naicja ($356,425), Dakota Plains Legal Services ($119,309) and Alaska Legal Services ($104,526), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Montana Legal Services Association?
Montana Legal Services Association reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.9M.
What does Montana Legal Services Association fund?
MLSA’s mission is to protect and enhance the civil legal rights of Montanans living in poverty and promote systemic change. Its 2025 filing describes its work as providing free legal assistance in non-criminal matters to eligible people in Montana. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Montana Legal Services Association?
Montana Legal Services Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mtlsa.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Montana Legal Services Association's EIN?
Montana Legal Services Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0298262. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Montana Legal Services Association funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/montana-legal-services-association-morg_07cc7ad7b70d4e839e7728cc2f3cbd71
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810298262_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Montana Legal Services Association funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/montana-legal-services-association-morg_07cc7ad7b70d4e839e7728cc2f3cbd71},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Montana Legal Services Association's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Montana Legal Services Association down — hundreds of funders to go?