National Employment Law Project
The National Employment Law Project (NELP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization based in New York, NY. Founded in 1969, NELP is a labor advocacy think tank dedicated to building worker power and advancing racial and economic justice. The organization works at federal, state, and local levels to create systemic change through advocacy campaigns, policy development, research, capacity-building, and communications.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$19.7M
-24.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$695K
-74.6% YoY
Grant Count
23
-42.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$30K
-55.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To build a just and inclusive economy where all workers have expansive rights and thrive in good jobs.
NELP's core mission is to ensure that all who work in the nation or aspire to do so will achieve and sustain economic security, opportunity, and prosperity through their labor. The organization champions Black workers, immigrant workers, and other workers of color, seeking to "raise the floor" for workers who have been excluded from the rights and benefits of their labor.
Priority Issues:
- Fight workplace discrimination in all its forms
- Climate justice at work
- Strengthen contracted workers' rights and employer accountability
- Hold corporations accountable for workers' rights
- Uphold workers' rights as central to a good-jobs economy
- Make workplaces safer and healthier
- Uplift and protect the rights of all workers, regardless of immigration status
- Ensure every job pays a living wage
- Expand unemployment insurance for people out of work
- Build worker power through collective organizing
NELP's work focuses on transformative legal and policy solutions, research, and helping transform the broader narrative about workers' rights, inherent worth, and power.
Grantmaking
NELP makes grants to advance its mission through partner organizations. Recent grants documented include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NELP works at federal, state, and local levels. Geographic focus areas for grantmaking include New York, Washington, and Minnesota, with additional activity in California and Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent (2023):
- Total Revenue: $11,662,874
- Total Expenses: $15,524,881
- Total Assets: $26,189,376
- Total Liabilities: $3,930,000
- Total Giving: $695,000
Staffing: 63 employees (as of 2023)
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since August 1974; EIN 13-2758558
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $19,712,826 | $26,189,376 | $29,461,910 |
| Revenue | $6,874,119 | $11,662,874 | $8,303,395 |
| Expenses | $13,263,163 | $15,524,881 | $17,262,542 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $602,606 | $284,050 | $91,087 |
| 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
178 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Business for a Fair Minimum Wage Inc ($130,000), Minnesota Uberlyft Drivers Assn ($40,750), People's Lobby Education Institute ($40,750).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ALIGN THE ALLIANCE FOR A GREATER NEW YORK NEW YORK, NY | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $28,500 |
| ARRIBA LAS VEGAS WORKER CENTER LAS VEGAS, NV | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $20,000 |
| BUSINESS FOR A FAIR MINIMUM WAGE INC SILVER SPRINGS, MD | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $130,000 |
| CENTRO DE LOS DERECHOS DEL MIGRANTE BALTIMORE, MD | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $20,000 |
| CENTRO DE TRABAJADORES UNIDOS EN LUCHA MINNEAPOLIS, MN | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $20,000 |
| CHINESE PROGRESSIVE ASSN FOR TUWU SAN FRANCISCO, CA | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $20,000 |
| CINCINNATI INTERFAITH WORKERS CENTER CINCINNATI, OH | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $33,000 |
| COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICAL LOCAL 7777 LAKEWOOD, CO | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $25,000 |
| FAIR WORK CENTER SEATTLE, WA | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $33,000 |
| GRASSROOTS LAW AND ORGANIZING FOR WORKERS CHICAGO, IL | ADVANCING NELP'S MISSION THROUGH PARTNERS | $33,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Rebecca Dixon: President and CEO
- Erin Hawkins: Development Manager
- Michelle Natividad Rodriguez: Chief Program Officer
- Melissa Matos: Chief Operating Officer
- Michael Davidson: Chief People Officer
- Judy Conti: Government Affairs Director
- Nayantara Mehta: Strategic Partnerships Director
- Mónica L Novoa: Communications Director
- Maurice Emsellem: Director, Fair Chance Program
- Charlotte Noss: Worker Center Program Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMY MORRIS | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| AMY SUGIMORI | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| CONNIE RAZZA | CHAIR (OUTGOING) | 1 | — |
| DORIAN T WARREN | DIRECTOR (OUTGOING) | 1 | — |
| ELISSA MCBRIDE | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JENNIGER EPPS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LOLA ADEKOKUN | DIRECTOR (DECEASED) | 1 | — |
| MATT MORRISON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NAOMI WALKER | DIRECTOR (OUTGOING) | 1 | — |
| RAJESH NAYAK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RAKEEN MABUD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| YONA ROZEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HEATHER MCGREW | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 35 | $250,000 |
| REBECCA DIXON | PRESIDENT & CEO | 35 | $346,615 |
| CAITLIN CONNOLLY | CHIEF OF STRATEGY | 35 | $216,250 |
| CATHERINE RUCKELSHAUS | GENERAL COUNSEL | 35 | $247,600 |
| MELISSA MATOS | CHIEF OF STAFF | 35 | $220,000 |
| MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ | CHIEF OF PROGRAMS | 35 | $219,520 |
| XIN XIN | CHIEF OF DEVELOPMENT | 35 | $103,953 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
NELP has been active in policy advocacy and research, including work on:
Unemployment insurance system improvements and equity
U.S. DOL\u2019s Grants to States Can Improve Equity within the Unemployment\Department of Labor grant programs for workplace safety and gender-based violence prevention
US Department of Labor announces $1.4M in grants to prevent, respond to\Overtime eligibility expansion through DOL rulemaking
NELP Commends DOL\u2019s Final Rule to Expand Overtime EligibilityFederal workforce contracting practices
The organization continues to collaborate with community partners on advocacy campaigns and developing innovative policy ideas at city and state levels for national scaling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does National Employment Law Project fund?
**Mission:** To build a just and inclusive economy where all workers have expansive rights and thrive in good jobs. NELP's core mission is to ensure that all who work in the nation or aspire to do so will achieve and sustain economic security, opportunity, and prosperity through their labor. The organization champions Black workers, immigrant workers, and other workers of color, seeking to "raise the floor" for workers who have been excluded from the rights and benefits of their labor. **Priori…
How do I apply for a grant from National Employment Law Project?
NELP makes grants to advance its mission through partner organizations. Recent grants documented include: • National Legal Advocacy Network (NLAN): $217,000 (2023) • Business for A Fair Minimum Wage: $215,000 (2023) • The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois: Grant amount not specified (2023) Typical grant awards range from $10,000 to $464,500. Grant-making focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and human services.
Where does National Employment Law Project make grants?
NELP works at federal, state, and local levels. Geographic focus areas for grantmaking include New York, Washington, and Minnesota, with additional activity in California and Maryland.
What size grants does National Employment Law Project award?
In 2024, National Employment Law Project awarded 23 grants totaling $695K — an average of about $30K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is National Employment Law Project's EIN?
National Employment Law Project's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-2758558. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in National Employment Law Project'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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