THE WILLIAM J. BRENNAN, JR. CENTER FOR JUSTICE IS A NONPARTISAN LAW AND POLICY INSTITUTE THAT SEEKS TO IMPROVE THE AMERICAN SYSTEMS OF DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE.
Key facts about William J Brennan Center for
- EIN
- 13-3839293
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $120,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- Average grant
- $60,250
- Median grant
- $60,250
- Total assets
- $348,767,929
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (93% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How William J Brennan Center for gives
- Giving fell 40% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Next steps with William J Brennan Center for
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$348.8M
+11.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$121K
-57.9% YoY
Grant Count
2
-50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$60K
-15.7% YoY
About William J Brennan Center for
Based on IRS filings
William J Brennan Center for is a nonprofit organization focused on Education, based in New York, NY. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $348.8M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 2 grants totaling $121K. Net investment income was $14.2M.
Focus Areas
Ready to take the next step with William J Brennan Center for?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 2 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $348,767,929 | $313,321,773 | $288,717,846 |
| Revenue | $73,820,955 | $57,935,075 | $110,506,866 |
| Expenses | $58,143,269 | $50,635,203 | $41,731,749 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $14,243,069 | $5,883,105 | $1,568,828 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 5, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
18 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include R Street Institute ($112,500), Public Policy and Education Fund ($8,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| R STREET INSTITUTE Washington, DC | BUILDING WEBSITE AND EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH COLLABORATION ON COMMITTEE FOR SAFE AND SECURE ELECTIONS. | $112,500 |
| PUBLIC POLICY AND EDUCATION FUND Albany, NY | ORGANIZING NEW YORK-BASED GROUPS TO PROMOTE AND PRESERVE PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM | $8,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Waldman | President | 40 | $650,385 |
| Melissa Estok | Executive Director | 40 | $444,089 |
| John Anthony Butler | VP/COO | 40 | $387,921 |
| John Kowal | VP, Programs | 40 | $387,212 |
| Wendy Weiser | VP, Democracy Program | 40 | $374,013 |
| Rebecca Weitzman | VP, Communications & Strat | 40 | $332,233 |
| Christine Mellampe | Chief Human Resources Officer | 40 | $184,697 |
| Jeanine Chirlin | Chief of Staff | 40 | $363,755 |
| Jaemin Kim | VP, Development | 40 | $355,969 |
| Larry Norden | VP, Elections & Communication | 40 | $319,722 |
| Kareem Crayton | VP, Washinton D.C. | 40 | $285,931 |
| Lauren-Brooke Eisen | Sr. Dir., Justice Program | 40 | $259,776 |
| Elisa Miller | Secretary / General Counsel | 32 | $307,728 |
| Kimberley Harris | Board Co-Chair | 1 | — |
| Christine Varney | Board Co-Chair | 1 | — |
| Robert Atkins | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Leslie Bhutani | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Maggie Blackhawk | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Adam B Cox | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Kimberly Davis | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Leslie Fagen | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Sibyl Frankenburg | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Danielle Gray | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Vanita Gupta | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Helen Hershkoff | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Thomas Jorde | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Steven Kersten | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Daniel Kolb | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Ruth Lazarus | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Paul Lightfoot | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Troy McKenzie | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Trevor Morrison | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Melissa Murray | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Wendy Neu | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Franz Paasche | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Steven Reiss | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Stephen Schulhofer | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Emily Spitzer | Board Member | 1 | — |
| David Sussman | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Gerad Torres | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Adam Winkler | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Kenji Yoshino | Board Member | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is William J Brennan Center for?
William J Brennan Center for is a nonprofit organization focused on Education, based in New York, NY. It holds $348.8M in total assets as of 2025.
How large is William J Brennan Center for?
As of 2025, William J Brennan Center for holds $348.8M in total assets with $73.8M in annual revenue. It awarded 2 grants totaling $121K in 2025.
Where does William J Brennan Center for operate?
William J Brennan Center for has awarded grants in Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Texas.
What size grants does William J Brennan Center for award?
In 2025, William J Brennan Center for awarded 2 grants totaling $121K — an average of about $60K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is William J Brennan Center for's EIN?
William J Brennan Center for's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3839293. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.