irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $636APBCO CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ONLINE PROGRAMMING FOR ITS MEMBERS IN THE U.S. AND WORLDWIDE. OF PARTICULAR USE TO THE MEMBERSHIP, APBCO MAINTAINS AN ONLINE PLATFORM WHICH ALLOWS MEMBERS TO COLLABORATE DAILY, POSING REAL-LIFE QUESTIONS, GETTING REAL-TIME ANSWERS, AND GROWING TOGETHER AS AN INTERACTIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY. THROUGH FACILITATED ONLINE PARTICIPATION, APBCO CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE EXPANSION OF PRO BONO CULTURE AND WEIGH IN ON ISSUES IMPACTING THE PRO BONO PRACTICE BOTH AS A COLLECTIVE AND BY PRACTICE AREA.
- #2 $12KIN MAY 2025, APBCO HELD A HALF-DAY OF PROGRAMMING FOR APBCO MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THE ABA EQUAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. ADDITIONALLY, APBCO HOSTED A SOCIAL EVENT TO ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION BETWEEN APBCO MEMBERS AND THE LARGER LEGAL AID COMMUNITY.
named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
ABA Equal Justice Conference Programming
Hosts half-day educational and networking events for pro bono counsel during the annual ABA Equal Justice Conference, held in various cities including Dallas, Detroit, and San Francisco.
Online Programming and Community Platform
Facilitates an interactive online community where pro bono counsel members collaborate daily, share challenges, and receive real-time advice, fostering continuous professional development and peer support.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Legal Professional Development & Networking 2 activities
- Building capacity of pro bono counsel and law firm programsSupports the professional development of pro bono counsel and practice group managers through membership, collaborative platforms, and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Serves nearly 400 members from approximately 150 of the world's largest law firms.
- Organizing member programming at national legal conferencesHosts half-day events and social gatherings for members at the ABA Equal Justice Conference in multiple cities, including San Francisco, Detroit, and Dallas, to foster collaboration with the broader legal aid community.
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 2 activities
- Conducting research to improve access to justice through pro bono programsProduces reports, guidance documents, and FAQs to shape pro bono practices, including publications on eligibility criteria (Mission-Matter-Means 2.0), pandemic-era pro bono shifts, and best practices for attorney placements in public interest organizations.
- Representing law firm pro bono programs as a collective voiceAdvocates on behalf of law firm pro bono programs, serving as their unified representative in policy discussions and public forums. This includes formal engagement with bar associations and broader legal justice initiatives.
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Legal Profession Standards Advocacy 1 activity
- Advancing pro bono requirements for bar admissionProvided formal recommendations to support the implementation of a pro bono requirement for admission to the New York State Bar, advancing systemic change in legal profession standards.
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Organization Website and Online Platform Management 1 activity
- Facilitating online collaboration and information sharing among membersOperates an interactive online community and platform that enables real-time Q&A, knowledge sharing, and access to public interest information for member law firms and pro bono counsel.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$307K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$305K99%
Investment income$1030%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$237K
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead27%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$334K
Cash$319K
Investments$0
Liabilities$3K
Net assets$331K
Liquid reserves16.2 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +34.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 17
- AILEEN CROWSON — BOARD MEMBER
- DANIEL BROWN — BOARD MEMBER
- ELIZABETH LEWIS — BOARD MEMBER
- ERIN WALZEWSKI — BOARD MEMBER
- JOSH TOLL — BOARD MEMBER
- KATE NOLEN — CO-PRESIDENT
- KATHARYN VOIT — BOARD MEMBER
- MARY BENTON — BOARD MEMBER
- MORGAN DAKE — BOARD MEMBER
- NINA GLYNN — BOARD MEMBER
- RACHEL BROWN — SECRETARY
- RACHEL STRONG — PAST PRESIDE
- SARA GHADIRI — BOARD MEMBER
- SCOT FISHMAN — CO-PRESIDENT
- SHARMAINE HENG — TREASURER
- TAMARA SERWER CALDAS — BOARD MEMBER
- TIFFANY GRAVES — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- ABA Equal Justice Conference Partner — Collaborates by hosting programming and events for members attending the ABA Equal Justice Conference.
- Blackstone Partner — Launched a new pro bono initiative.
- Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Partner — Hosts Tiffany Graves, Co-President of APBCo's Board of Directors.
- DLA Piper Partner — Collaborated on securing a fix for a broken Georgia food benefit program.
- Davis Wright Tremaine LLP Partner — Hosts Rachel R. Brown, Board Member of APBCo.
- Dentons Partner — Won overhaul of Illinois prison mental health system.
- Federal Trade Commission Government — Referenced for providing information about phishing.
- Google Partner — Users may access the APBCo site through a hyperlink from Google, with personal details and behavioral patterns shared in accordance with the relationship with Google.
- Law Firm Antiracism Alliance Partner — Partnered to mobilize attorneys to help low-income tenants access emergency rental assistance programs.
- Lowenstein Partner — Secured access to bankruptcy counsel for clients in New Jersey.
- Mayer Brown Partner — Provided pro bono legal assistance to help a disabled child find a loving home and supported a girls' softball team.
- McDermott Will & Emery LLP Partner — Hosts Elizabeth P. Lewis, Co-President of APBCo's Board of Directors.
- National Legal Aid & Defender Association Partner — Collaborates with NLADA by including its 1,728 offices on the interactive map to show civil legal aid and public defender locations.
- New York State Bar Government — Engaged with the New York State Bar to provide recommendations on proposed pro bono admission requirements.
- Nixon Peabody LLP Partner — Hosts Sharmaine Heng, Treasurer of APBCo.
- Orrick Partner — Hosts Amy Grunske, Board Member of APBCo.
- Pro Bono Net Partner — Collaborates with Pro Bono Net to develop the Pro Bono Counsel & Coordinators site.
- Simpson Thacher Partner — Won a second chance for a man on death row and negotiated a $30M Peruvian remediation plan.
- TalksOnLaw Partner — Collaborated on the release of a legal explainer video titled "Disaster Relief ‒ Top 5 FEMA Mistakes to Avoid."
- Vinson & Elkins Partner — Provided virtual legal services for Texas pro bono clients.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collaborative, Multi-Firm Response Modelmethodology: coordinated_multi_firm_responseBy coordinating pro bono efforts across multiple law firms, especially during crises, the organization amplifies impact and responsiveness, because collective action leverages distributed capacity and expertise more effectively than isolated efforts.
- Institutionalization of Pro Bono Counselmethodology: institutionalized-pro-bono-counselBy embedding full-time pro bono counsel roles within law firms, the organization scales access to justice and improves service sustainability, because institutional support professionalizes the function and integrates it into core legal practice.
- Mission-Based Eligibility Frameworkmethodology: mission-based eligibilityBy using a mission-based rather than legal-structure-based criterion for eligibility, the organization expands access to justice for socially beneficial organizations, because it prioritizes societal impact over formal status, enabling broader inclusion.
- Professionalization of Pro Bono Practicemethodology: professionalization of pro bonoBy advocating for professional standards and structured support, the organization improves the quality and sustainability of pro bono services, because treating pro bono work as a disciplined legal practice enhances accountability and long-term engagement.