Rising for Justice Inc
The mission of Rising for Justice is to leverage the collective forces of law students and social work students who work along with our experienced attorneys to achieve justice for our clients. We directly represent individuals who cannot afford counsel before the District Of Columbia courts and various administrative agencies. We train law students from area law schools in trial advocacy and other lawyering skills and seek to instill in them a commitment to pro bono service. We also serve as a field placement for graduate students from msw programs who work on teams with our law students and attorneys to serve the social services needs of our clients through an interdisciplinary approach to client representation.
Rising for Justice Inc at a glance
- Total assets
- $3,746,302
- -9.0% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $2,976,518
- +71.8% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $92,134
- +55.5% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $3,054,901
- -15.1% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Rising for Justice Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
6 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 4 grants of 6 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $203K (2022) to $299K (2024). In 2024 it made 2 grants totaling $299K.
*2021: Covers 18 months (fiscal year-end changed).
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Empower DC Washington, DC | Conduct on-the-ground outreach to identify low-income dc tenants at risk of eviction or displacement and provide them with information on legal and social services. | $160,000 |
| Latino Economic Development Ctr - Ledc Baltimore, MD | Conduct on-the-ground outreach to identify low-income dc tenants at risk of eviction or displacement and provide them with information on legal and social services. | $139,479 |
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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 | $3,746,302 | $2,976,518 | $3,054,901 | — | — | $92,134 |
| 2024 | $4,117,531 | $1,732,327 | $3,598,359 | $299,479 | 2 | $59,239 |
| 2023 | $6,311,233 | $3,038,660 | $3,993,147 | $202,650 | 2 | $30,522 |
| 2022 | $7,401,975 | $5,656,447 | $3,386,860 | $202,650 | 2 | $28,419 |
| 2021* | $3,588,736 | $5,049,676 | $3,950,141 | — | — | $255,732 |
*2021: Covers 18 months (fiscal year-end changed).
About Rising for Justice Inc
Based on IRS filings
Rising for Justice Inc is a public charity, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2021 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $3.7M in total assets. Net investment income was $92K.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Rising for Justice Inc is led by Chijioke Akamigbo, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 3 of 20 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chijioke Akamigbo
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$61K (2023) → $173K (2025)
Helen Dooley
President
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chaz J. Kohlrieser
Director of Social Work
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$120K (2024) → $120K (2025)
Andrew W. Rabinowitz
Director of Tenant Justice Program
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$120K (2025)
Heather Pinckney
Director
Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan S. Jeffress
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis A. Jones
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Theodore A. Howard
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carmen Iguina Gonzlez
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ian A. Herbert
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nita S. Cumello
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tasha Hailey Hutchins
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William G. Laxton Jr.
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne Y. Lee
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeremy Merkelson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melinda Warner
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Koukios
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Stekloft
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Curtis Lu
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margarita K. Odonnell
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Barry Pollack (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Donald J. Ridings Jr. (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: John R. Penn IV (2024) — Director of Development & Communications
- Former: Darrell Mottley (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Donald Salzman (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Grace Lopes (2021–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Lucy Newton (2021–2023) — Deputy Director
- Former: Daniel M. Clark (2023) — Director Tenant Justice Program
- Former: Adam Strochak (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Abed Syed Ali (2021) — Director
- Former: Adam Hunter (2021) — Director
- Former: Alejandra Almonte (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $173K, to Chijioke Akamigbo (Executive Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Rising for Justice Inc
How large is Rising for Justice Inc?
Rising for Justice Inc reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.0M.
Where does Rising for Justice Inc operate?
Rising for Justice Inc has awarded grants in District of Columbia, Maryland.
What is Rising for Justice Inc's EIN?
Rising for Justice Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-0847160. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 14, 2026)
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