National Center for Youth Law
The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) is a nonprofit law firm and systems-change organization headquartered in Oakland, California, with additional offices in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1978, NCYL works to transform public systems and policies affecting children and youth through impact litigation, policy advocacy, collaboration, and research. The organization employs 117 staff members and operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$22.8M
-9.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
+5.2% YoY
Grant Count
19
+5.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$61K
-0.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Center Youth through impact litigation, policy advocacy, collaboration and research that fundamentally transforms the nation's approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice.
Vision: NCYL envisions a world where children are not confined by broken government systems, but supported by communities that see their brilliance, value their contributions, and nurture their growth.
Core Focus Areas:
- Transforming public systems to replace punitive frameworks with supportive networks
- Strengthening families and communities through solutions like reproductive healthcare access and compassionate education models
- Promoting equity and dignity through racial justice, gender justice, reproductive justice, and LGBTQ+ equity initiatives
- Pursuing accountability and justice by advocating for transparency, oversight, and community-led policymaking
Program Areas:
- Compassionate Education Systems (CES): Improves social, emotional, relational, and educational outcomes for youth in foster care, the juvenile justice system, and youth experiencing homelessness. Currently operates statewide in Arizona and has demonstration sites in four California counties (Los Angeles, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and Monterey).
- Juvenile Justice: Transforms the youth justice system and works to end systemic inequities.
- Education, Health, Immigration, and Foster Care: Systemic reform across these sectors.
Grantmaking
NCYL functions primarily as a recipient of grants rather than a grantmaking foundation. However, the organization does provide limited grantmaking:
Grant Range
** $6,000–$317,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NCYL's work spans multiple states with particular concentration in:
- California: Primary operational focus with statewide and regional programs
- Arizona: Statewide foster youth program
- National: Policy advocacy and litigation work affecting federal systems
The organization maintains offices in Oakland, California and Washington, D.C.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2023):
- Total assets: $25,256,809
- Total revenues: $13,795,088
- Total expenses: $19,032,286
- Staff: 117 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $22,780,127 | $25,256,809 | $31,323,967 |
| Revenue | $18,263,729 | $13,795,088 | $23,935,846 |
| Expenses | $19,797,644 | $19,032,286 | $17,513,667 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $746,436 | $603,223 | $7,249 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Children's Law Center of California ($179,667), John Burton Foundation ($175,000), Amelia Ann Adams Whole Life Center ($150,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Advocating 4 Kids Inc Virginia Beach, VA | Education participatory research grant | $15,000 |
| Alliance for Children's Rights Los Angeles, CA | To support development of a resilient collective impact campaign and related activities that will increase access to reproductive and sexual health care and information, and in the long run, significantly reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in foster youth in Los Angeles County. | $15,000 |
| Amelia Ann Adams Whole Life Center Stockton, CA | Youth Justice Initiative sub-grant | $150,000 |
| Be Smooth Inc Stockton, CA | Youth Justice Initiative sub-grant | $100,000 |
| California Latinas for Reproductive Justice Los Angeles, CA | To support development of a resilient collective impact campaign and related activities that will increase access to reproductive and sexual health care and information, and in the long run, significantly reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in foster youth in Los Angeles County. | $11,000 |
| California Youth Connection Oakland, CA | Mental Health Sub-grant | $15,000 |
| Children's Home of Stockton Stockton, CA | Youth Justice Initiative sub-grant | $100,000 |
| Children's Law Center of California Monterey Park, CA | Collaborative Responses to Commercial Sexual Exploitation sub-grant | $179,667 |
| Community Initiatives Oakland, CA | Training and in-session coaching | $20,000 |
| Fostering Unity Davis, CA | Youth Justice Initiative sub-grant | $6,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Executive Director: Shakti Belway
- Senior Philanthropy Director: Mike Hogan (Fundraising Contact)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Bissell | President | 1 | — |
| Mona Tawatao | Vice President | 1 | — |
| Denise Forte | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Brian Rocca | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Preetha Chakrabarti | Board Member | 1 | — |
| June Dipchand | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Peter B Edelman | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Sophie Fanelli | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Frank Figgers | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Laura K Lin | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Mary E McCutcheon | Board Member (end 12/24) | 1 | — |
| Jason Okonofua | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Lori Schechter | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Sandeep Solanki | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Christopher Wu | Board Member (end 12/24) | 1 | — |
| Shakti Belway | Executive Director | 37.5 | $312,007 |
| Karla James | Dep. Dir. Finance & Operations | 37.5 | $240,774 |
| Brenda Shum | Senior Directing Attorney (end 9/24) | 37.5 | $266,038 |
| Kate Walker-Brown | Sr. Dir., Collab. Responses to CSE | 37.5 | $188,960 |
| Neha Desai | Senior Director, Immigration | 37.5 | $193,928 |
| Laura Francois | Senior Dir., Compassionate Ed. Sys. | 37.5 | $185,725 |
| Francis Guzman | Senior Director, Youth Justice | 37.5 | $185,325 |
| Rebecca Gudeman | Senior Director, Health | 37.5 | $176,517 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
NCYL successfully advocated for $30 million in state funding to support California students in foster care, demonstrating the organization's policy influence and advocacy effectiveness.
NCYL Successfully Advocates for $30 Million to Support California StudentsFrequently Asked Questions
What does National Center for Youth Law fund?
**Mission:** Center Youth through impact litigation, policy advocacy, collaboration and research that fundamentally transforms the nation's approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. **Vision:** NCYL envisions a world where children are not confined by broken government systems, but supported by communities that see their brilliance, value their contributions, and nurture their growth. **Core Focus Areas:** • Transforming public systems to replace punitive frame…
How do I apply for a grant from National Center for Youth Law?
NCYL functions primarily as a recipient of grants rather than a grantmaking foundation. However, the organization does provide limited grantmaking: • **Total giving (2024):** $1,164,953 • **Typical grant range:** $6,000–$317,000 • **Focus areas:** Education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and human services, primarily in California and Virginia
Where does National Center for Youth Law make grants?
NCYL's work spans multiple states with particular concentration in: • **California:** Primary operational focus with statewide and regional programs • **Arizona:** Statewide foster youth program • **National:** Policy advocacy and litigation work affecting federal systems The organization maintains offices in Oakland, California and Washington, D.C.
What size grants does National Center for Youth Law award?
In 2024, National Center for Youth Law awarded 19 grants totaling $1.2M — an average of about $61K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is National Center for Youth Law's EIN?
National Center for Youth Law's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2506933. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in National Center for Youth Law's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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