Public Interest Law Initiative
Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) is a public charity based in Chicago, Illinois. It connects law students, recent law school graduates, lawyers, and other legal professionals with public interest law and pro bono opportunities, primarily through programs and partnerships in Illinois.
Key facts about Public Interest Law Initiative
In short: Public Interest Law Initiative gave $423K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Illinois. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 36-3059660
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $422,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- Average grant
- $14,083
- Median grant
- $11,375
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (5 of 30, 2025)
- Total assets
- $2,776,301
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$2.8M
+1.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$423K
+9.2% YoY
Grant Count
30
+3.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$14K
+5.6% YoY
Is Public Interest Law Initiative open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 30 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $13K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
PILI’s mission is to “engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice.” Its programs support public interest law and pro bono service, including paid law student internships and graduate fellowships at public interest law agencies.
PILI’s 2025 grants supported organizations whose missions include civil legal aid, free legal services for low-income people, disability rights, community-based legal services, and legal advocacy for people affected by illness, disability, gender-based violence, or the child welfare system. For example, Legal Aid Chicago describes its mission as providing civil legal aid to people living in poverty and other vulnerable groups; Land of Lincoln Legal Aid says it pursues justice for low-income people through free representation and education; and Equip for Equality says it advances the human and civil rights of people with disabilities in Illinois.
Grantmaking
In 2025, PILI awarded 30 grants totaling $422,500. Grants ranged from $6,500 to $39,000, with a median of $11,375. The listed grants were for law student internships, and all grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois.
The largest 2025 awards included $39,000 to Legal Aid Chicago, $32,500 to Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, and $26,000 each to National Immigrant Justice Center and Prairie State Legal Services. Other notable awards were $22,750 to Equip for Equality and $19,500 each to Greater Chicago Legal Clinic and Legal Council for Health Justice.
PILI’s filing describes a yearly selection process for grantees. Agencies must submit an annual report verifying that they are public charities and maintain an attorney on staff to supervise interns. A committee selects grantees using published criteria that include supervision quality and availability, the legal work assigned to interns, the agency’s public-interest work, the local scope of its work, and the benefits and detriments of adding the agency to PILI’s program.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Public Interest Law Initiative
Ready to take the next step with Public Interest Law Initiative?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
PILI’s programs connect participants with public interest law agencies in Illinois. Its 2025 grant dollars went entirely to Illinois recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $294K (2021) to $423K (2025). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $423K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Legal Aid Chicago ($39K). Together the top 10 received $234K.
Grant Size Distribution
142 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 142 grants of 142 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Aid Chicago Chicago, IL | Law Student Internships | $39,000 |
| Land of Lincoln Legal Aid Inc East St Louis, IL | Law Student Internships | $32,500 |
| National Immigrant Justice Center Chicago, IL | Law Student Internships | $26,000 |
| Prairie State Legal Services Rockford, IL | Law Student Internships | $26,000 |
| Equip for Equality Chicago, IL | Law Student Internships | $22,750 |
| Greater Chicago Legal Clinic Chicago, IL | Law Student Internships | $19,500 |
| Legal Council for Health Justice Chicago, IL | Law Student Internships | $19,500 |
| Ascend Justice Chicago, IL | Law Student Internships | $16,250 |
| Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Chicago, IL | Law Student Internships | $16,250 |
| Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Fdn Chicago, IL | Law Student Internships | $16,250 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,776,301 | $1,610,119 | $1,518,128 | $422,500 |
| 2024 | $2,749,492 | $1,417,774 | $1,385,251 | $386,750 |
| 2023 | $2,613,387 | $1,351,674 | $1,245,838 | $345,768 |
PILI reported 30 grants in 2025, 29 in 2024, and 29 in 2023.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,776,301 | $2,749,492 | $2,613,387 |
| Revenue | $1,610,119 | $1,417,774 | $1,351,674 |
| Expenses | $1,518,128 | $1,385,251 | $1,245,838 |
| Net Investment Income | $137,153 | $84,532 | $59,772 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 26, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 28, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Bergmann as Executive Director; Kyle Petersen as President; Lisa McCraw as Vice President; Elizabeth Lewis as Treasurer; and Mark O’Meara as Secretary. It also lists Michael Cramer as DEI Officer and Sioban Albiol, Kimberly Barton, Michael Bergmann, and Myles Berman as Members-at-Large.
Public Interest Law Initiative is led by Michael Bergmann, Executive Director & Member-At-Large since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 51 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Bergmann
Executive Director & Member-At-Large
Executive Director → Executive Director & Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
50 hrs/week
$127K (2019) → $147K (2025)
Kyle Petersen
President
Secretary → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alison C. Conlon
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher G Wells
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel B. Lange
Member-At-Large
Vice President → President, 2022
President → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David B. Sudzus
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David K. Callahan
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David T. Erie
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Lewis
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frederick Snow
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J Damian Ortiz
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John J. Bourke
Member-At-Large
President → Immediate Past President, 2022
Immediate Past President → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan S. Jennings
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joshua G. Vincent
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin M. Fee
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Barton
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa J. McCraw
Vice President
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark O'Meara
Secretary
Director → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maureen Kieffer
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael H. Cramer
Dei Officer
Director → Officer, 2023
Officer → Dei Officer, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Myles D. Berman
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Spangler
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Greenwalt
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald L. Ohren
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah M. Bernstein
Member-At-Large
Immediate Past President → Director, 2022
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen D. Libowsky
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan L. Zielke
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Traci M. Braun
Member-At-Large
Treasurer → Director, 2022
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William C. Meyers
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cuyler Robinson
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Perry J. Browder
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Rhode
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Golbert
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janelle Ibeling
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristen Rodriguez
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tracy Hannan
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Vaughn
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Essig
Member-At-Large
Director → Member-At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angel Wawrzynek
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Hall
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Lindner
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Donyelle Gray
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hari Santhanam
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hope Tone-O'Keefe
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Luczkowiak
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Furton
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Kozlowski
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Lohnes
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mitch Gilfillan
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reid Smith
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sioban Albiol
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (45)
- Former: Ann E. Pille (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Brad Lane (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: C Vincent Maloney (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: John J. Amberg (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Kimball R. Anderson (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Louis E. Fogel (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Mark P. Rotatori (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Matthew T. Furton (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Melissa O. Picciola (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Michael J. Lohnes (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Sheila Frederick (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Susan J. Curry (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Barry C. Taylor (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Lisa Y. Wilson (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Dave Callahan (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Patricia McCarthy (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Thomas Dutton (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Kevin A Thompson (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Marisa Wiesman (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Vera A. Nackovic (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Cara Hendrickson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: David A. Rodriguez (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Kathryn Shelton (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Nikki Will Stein (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Trisha M. Rich (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Juan Morado Jr. (2021) — Director
- Former: Shenna Johnson (2021) — Director
- Former: Arthur Don (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Frederico M. Rodriguez (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Kaarina Salovaara (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Kristofer K. Swanson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Phillip J. Mohr (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Christopher J. Horsch (2019) — Director
- Former: Donald B. Hilliker (2019) — Director
- Former: James A. Rolfes (2019) — Director
- Former: Jerome Gilson (2019) — Director
- Former: Lee Ann Russo (2019) — Director
- Former: Mary Ann O'Connor (2019) — Director
- Former: Maureen Mosh (2019) — Director
- Former: Nancy Felton-Elkins (2019) — Director
- Former: Richard F. O'Malley Jr. (2019) — Director
- Former: Richard J. Hess (2019) — Director
- Former: Roslyn C. Lieb (2019) — Director
- Former: Thomas B. Dorris (2019) — Director
- Former: Thomas H. Morsch (2019) — Director
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 $147K, to Michael Bergmann (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 105 West Madison St 610, Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 832-5124
Website: https://pili.org
Frequently asked questions about Public Interest Law Initiative
How much does Public Interest Law Initiative give each year?
Public Interest Law Initiative gave $423K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $387K across 29 grants.
What is Public Interest Law Initiative's typical grant size?
Public Interest Law Initiative's median grant in 2025 was $11,375, and its average grant was $14,083, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Public Interest Law Initiative that year got $7K on average.
Where does Public Interest Law Initiative give grants?
Public Interest Law Initiative gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (24 grants).
Does Public Interest Law Initiative give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Public Interest Law Initiative's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Law Student Internships" (30 grants).
Who are Public Interest Law Initiative's largest grantees?
Public Interest Law Initiative's largest 2025 grantees include Legal Aid Chicago ($39,000), Land of Lincoln Legal Aid Inc ($32,500) and National Immigrant Justice Center ($26,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Public Interest Law Initiative?
Public Interest Law Initiative reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.6M.
What does Public Interest Law Initiative fund?
PILI’s mission is to “engage, inspire and empower those advancing equal access to justice.” Its programs support public interest law and pro bono service, including paid law student internships and graduate fellowships at public interest law agencies. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Public Interest Law Initiative?
Public Interest Law Initiative has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check pili.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Public Interest Law Initiative's EIN?
Public Interest Law Initiative's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3059660. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Public Interest Law Initiative by hand.
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Public Interest Law Initiative down — hundreds of funders to go?