Volunteer Lawyers Project
The mission of the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the boston bar association is to increase access to justice by delivering high quality pro bono civil legal services to eligible clients in the greater boston area.
Volunteer Lawyers Project at a glance
In short: Volunteer Lawyers Project gave $56K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $56K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $56,339
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $56,339
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $56,339
- Total assets
- $4,625,025
- -0.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Volunteer Lawyers Project funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Metrowest Legal Services ($56K).
Grant Size Distribution
5 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 5 grants of 5 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Volunteer Lawyers Project gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). 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 $47K (2019) to $58K (2021). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $56K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Metrowest Legal Services Framingham, MA | Pro Bono Services | $56,339 |
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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 | $4,625,025 | $3,983,215 | $3,768,337 | $56,339 | 1 | $130,053 |
| 2024 | $4,654,604 | $4,497,506 | $3,993,402 | $56,339 | 1 | $109,345 |
| 2023 | $4,050,427 | $5,287,755 | $5,076,480 | $56,339 | 1 | $53,332 |
| 2022 | $3,581,540 | $5,165,374 | $4,822,533 | $50,718 | 1 | $1,718 |
| 2021 | $2,402,834 | $4,480,923 | $4,441,721 | $58,161 | 1 | $560 |
| 2020 | $2,323,472 | $3,733,985 | $3,217,048 | $50,718 | 1 | $1,312 |
| 2019 | $1,650,032 | $2,934,510 | $3,173,870 | $46,745 | 1 | $4,810 |
About Volunteer Lawyers Project
Based on IRS filings
Volunteer Lawyers Project is a public charity focused on Crime & Legal Related, based in Boston, MA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $4.6M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $56K. Net investment income was $130K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Volunteer Lawyers Project is led by Joanna Allison, Executive Director & Clerk on every filing since 2019; 4 of 19 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joanna Allison
Executive Director & Clerk
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$133K (2019) → $201K (2025)
Geraldine Gruvis-Pizarro
Executive Director, Clerk & Director Adv Pb
Director of Advocacy & Pro Bono → Executive Director, Clerk & Director Adv Pb, 2025
On filings since 2024
35 hrs/week
$118K (2024) → $148K (2025)
William Roberts
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew H. Cohn
Director
Chair → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Dunphy
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daphne Lopes
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Hill Bornheimer
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hantzley Audate
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Kelly
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven D. Pohl
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Bell
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dee Mullen
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Danielle Cunningham
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason H. Liss
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Lombardo
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
April Jones
Chief Finance & Operations Officer
Director of Finance & Operations → Chief Finance & Operations Officer, 2025
On filings since 2023
35 hrs/week
$119K (2023) → $171K (2025)
Ilana Zeltser
Senior Manager of Finance & Operations
New on the 2025 filing
35 hrs/week
$106K (2025)
Christopher Clark
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Ferguson
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (24)
- Former: Albert Wallis (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Joseph M. Kaigler Sr. (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Josephine McNeil (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Suzanne Small (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Barbara Siegel (2021–2024) — Director of Compliance & Tech.
- Former: Rochelle Jones (2024) — Supervising Attorney
- Former: Carla A. Reeves (2019–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Deeqo Jibril (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Lee Myers Duncan (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Mary Moore (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Michael J. Pappone (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Sarah Beigbeder Petty (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Cindy Palmquist (2020–2023) — Managing Director
- Former: Xena Robinson (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Natasha Lewis (2023) — Supervising Attorney
- Former: David Pearson (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Juanita McKoy (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Stuart Rossman (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Jose P. Sierra (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Amy Anthony (2021) — Supervising Attorney
- Former: Raymond M. Kwasnick (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Timothy Lee (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Richard J. McCarthythru (2019) — Director
- Former: Tamar Mentzel (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 419
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 $201K, to Joanna Allison (Exec. Director & Clerk (Thru 10/25)). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Volunteer Lawyers Project
How much does Volunteer Lawyers Project give each year?
Volunteer Lawyers Project gave $56K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $56K across 1 grant.
How large is Volunteer Lawyers Project?
Volunteer Lawyers Project reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.0M.
What is Volunteer Lawyers Project?
Volunteer Lawyers Project is a public charity focused on Crime & Legal Related, based in Boston, MA. It holds $4.6M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Volunteer Lawyers Project operate?
Volunteer Lawyers Project has awarded grants in Massachusetts.
What is Volunteer Lawyers Project's EIN?
Volunteer Lawyers Project's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2486215. 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Volunteer Lawyers Project funds
Crime & Legal Related Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Volunteer Lawyers Project's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from Volunteer Lawyers Project's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Volunteer Lawyers Project down — hundreds of funders to go?