NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc
The naacp legal defense & educ. Fund. Inc. (legal defense fund - ldf) is America's premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Using the power of law, narrative, research, and people, we defend and advance the full dignity and citizenship of black people in America.
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc at a glance
In short: NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc gave $142K across 8 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), top state Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $141,850
- -80.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 8
- -63.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,731
- -44.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,750
- Total assets
- $433,709,975
- +1.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (39% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Justice Unity & Social ($55K). Together the top 8 received $142K.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 69 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc gives
- Giving fell 77% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2019) to $777K (2023). In 2025 it made 8 grants totaling $142K.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Unity & Social Columbus, OH | To Further Support Community Service Events | $55,000 |
| Communities Foundation Poughkeepsie, NY | Grant designated as a contribution to young black lawyers organizing coalition (YBLOC), a fiscally sponsored project of communities foundation of Texas, to be used solely charitable purposes | $30,000 |
| Charleston Area Justice Ministries Ministries North Charleston, SC | To further support restorative practices in the criminal justice and social justice areas | $20,000 |
| Advancement Project Washington, DC | Mobilizer Sponsorship for Advancement Project's 25TH Anniversary Gala | $10,000 |
| University of Mississippi University, MS | Stipend for recipient of the naacp ldf judge louis h. Pollak fellowship | $7,500 |
| Dance Theatre of Harlem New York, NY | Tickets for the 2025 Vision Gala | $6,850 |
| Tulane Law School New Orleans, LA | Stipend for recipient of the naacp ldf judge louis h. Pollak fellowship | $6,750 |
| Faulkner University Montgomery, AL | Stipend for recipient of the naacp ldf judge louis h. Pollak fellowship | $5,750 |
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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 | $433,709,975 | $68,473,100 | $63,767,502 | $141,850 | 8 | $21,709,876 |
| 2024 | $426,136,160 | $75,675,969 | $58,450,816 | $708,000 | 22 | $18,136,437 |
| 2023 | $393,392,319 | $29,467,489 | $51,723,153 | $777,000 | 16 | $-25,886,468 |
| 2022 | $371,736,467 | $83,799,759 | $48,705,015 | $606,692 | 13 | $-3,463,571 |
| 2021 | $346,901,089 | $174,184,879 | $42,477,407 | $510,000 | 10 | $3,348,571 |
| 2020 | $209,550,791 | $150,001,178 | $26,839,473 | $10,339 | Total only | $1,263,437 |
| 2019 | $85,457,508 | $37,292,472 | $23,195,480 | $8,945 | Total only | $1,850,094 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
About NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc
Based on IRS filings
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc is a public charity focused on Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, based in New York, NY. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $433.7M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 8 grants totaling $142K. Net investment income was $21.7M.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc is led by Janai Nelson, President & Director-Counsel since 2023 (on filings since 2019); 14 of 38 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Janai Nelson
President & Director-Counsel
Associate Director-Counsel → President & Director, 2022
President & Director → President & Director-Counsel, 2023
On filings since 2019
59 hrs/week
$279K (2019) → $577K (2025)
Angela Vallot
Co-Chairman of the Board
Board Member → Co-Chairman of the Board, 2022
On filings since 2019
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kim Koopersmith
Co-Chairman of the Board
Board Member → Co-Chairman of the Board, 2022
On filings since 2019
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jin Hee Lee
Director of Strategic Interim
Senior Deputy Director of Litigation → Senior Deputy Director of, 2020
Senior Deputy Director of → Director of Strategic Interim, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$154K (2019) → $251K (2025)
Samuel Spital
Director of Litigation
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$209K (2019) → $294K (2025)
Laura Fino
Exe. Director Instit Giving
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$197K (2024) → $211K (2025)
Gary Whidbee
Exe. Director of Individual Giving
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$212K (2025)
Karla McKanders
Director of Thurgood Marshall Institute
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$238K (2025)
Kevin C Thomson
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2019
39.5 hrs/week
$197K (2019) → $277K (2025)
Claude Johnson
Chief Devel. Officer
Chief Development Officer → Chief Devel. Officer, 2025
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$43K (2022) → $365K (2025)
Elisabeth North
Chief Operating Officer-
Chief Operatinf Officer → Chief Operating Officer, 2024
Chief Operating Officer → Chief Operating Officer-, 2025
On filings since 2023
39.5 hrs/week
$181K (2023) → $272K (2025)
Stuart Naifeh
Manager & Redistricting Program
Manager & Redistricting Project → Manager & Redistricting Program, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$184K (2023) → $215K (2025)
Tona Boyd
Associate Director Counsel
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$343K (2024) → $389K (2025)
Brenda Wright
Special Litigation Policy Counsel
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$211K (2025)
Natalie Thigpen
Chief Comms & Mktg Officer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$252K (2025)
Rachel M. Kleinman
Deputy Director of Litigation
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$215K (2025)
Cecilia L. Marshall
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David E. Kendall
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory H. Evans
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James E. Castillo
Treasurer
Treasurer of the Board → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Soros
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Luis R. Penalver
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael R. Klein
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robyn Coles
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven B. Pfeiffer
Secretary
Secretary of the Board → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tony West
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William E. Lighten
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William J. Bynum
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Claire Williams
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne K. Small
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Cornfield
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Gilford
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ronald Kirk
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Colleen Foster
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Patton
Board Member
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John R. Stephens
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kenji Yoshino
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ron Wilson
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (27)
- Former: Raymond Audain (2019–2024) — Senior Counsel
- Former: Rudolph Gary Spencer (2024) — Senior Counsel
- Former: Victor Genecin (2024) — Of Counsel
- Former: Adebayo Ogunlesi (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Gerald S Adolph (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Sherrilyn A Ifill (2019–2023) — Former President & Director-Counsel
- Former: John R Stephens AKA John Legend (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Leah Aden (2020–2023) — Deputy Director of Litigation
- Former: Lisa Cylar Barrett (2020–2023) — Director of Policy
- Former: Juan Martinez (2022–2023) — Chief Communications & Marketing Officer
- Former: Anne Houghtaling (2023) — Senior Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives
- Former: Christopher Kemmitt (2023) — Deputy Director of Litigation
- Former: Christine Gregory (2019–2022) — Chief Ops Officer Retired
- Former: Clifford P Case III (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Coty R Montag (2019–2022) — Tmi Project Manager & Senior
- Former: David W Mills (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Janell Byrd (2021–2022) — Director of Thurgood Marsh
- Former: Monique Dixon (2019–2021) — Deputy Director of Policy
- Former: Verlette R M Cutting (2019–2021) — Chief Development Officer - Served Till
- Former: Damien Dwin (2019–2020) — Board Member Served Till Nov.
- Former: Laurie Robinson Haden (2019–2020) — Board Member Served Till Feb.
- Former: Eric H Holder Jr. (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Judith I Byrd (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Melanie Newman (2019) — Chief Communications Officer
- Former: Michele Roberts (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Monica Madrazo (2019) — Director of Hr & Administrator
- Former: Todd Cox (2019) — Director of Operations Dc & Policy
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $577K, to Janai Nelson (President and Director-Counsel). 14 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc
How much does NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc give each year?
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc gave $142K across 8 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $708K across 22 grants.
What is NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc's typical grant size?
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc's median grant in 2025 was $8,750, and its average grant was $17,731, across 8 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc give grants?
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc's top state is Ohio, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (26%) and South Carolina (14%).
Does NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 8 grants with a stated purpose on NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc's largest grantees?
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Justice Unity & Social ($55,000), Communities Foundation ($30,000) and Charleston Area Justice Ministries Ministries ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc?
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc reported $433.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $68.5M.
What is NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc?
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc is a public charity focused on Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, based in New York, NY. It holds $433.7M in total assets as of 2025.
What is NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc's EIN?
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1655255. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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