irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $7.94MTHE THURGOOD MARSHALL INSTITUTE IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CENTER WITHIN THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. THE INSTITUTE COMPLEMENTS LDF'S TRADITIONAL LITIGATION STRENGTHS AND BRINGS CRITICAL CAPABILITIES TO THE FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE.
- #2 $5.66MTHE HERBERT LEHMAN PROGRAM OFFERS GRANTS, GENERALLY OF $3,000 ANNUALLY TO U.S. CITIZEN UNDERGRADUATES AND $15,000 ANNUALLY TO U.S. CITIZEN LAW STUDENTS. PREFERENCE IS GIVEN TO PERSONS WHO ARE ENTERING THE FIRST YEAR OF FULL-TIME STUDY. THIS SCHOLARSHIP CAN BE RENEWED THREE TIMES FOR UNDERGRAD LAW STUDENT AND TWO TIMES FOR GRADUATE LAW STUDENTS. THE MARSHALL-MOTLEY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM OFFERS LAW STUDENTS' FULL TUITION, INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND BAR EXAM PREPARATION.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Earl Warren Legal Training Program
Offers financial support to Black law students pursuing legal careers
Equal Protection Initiative
Advances legal and policy strategies to ensure equal educational and employment opportunities, particularly in the wake of the SFFA v. Harvard/UNC Supreme Court decision
Framework for Public Safety
Research and advocacy initiative promoting community-centered models of public safety as alternatives to traditional policing
Herbert Lehman Education Fund
Provides scholarships to Black undergraduate students to increase access to higher education
Justice In Public Safety Project
Works to end racialized police violence and promote accountability through litigation, research, and policy advocacy
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Constitutional and Government Accountability Litigation 2 activities
- Direct legal representation in civil rights casesFiles lawsuits and secures settlements on behalf of individuals and communities harmed by police violence, racial profiling, and discriminatory law enforcement practices, including cases involving the NYPD, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and City of Philadelphia.
- Landmark civil rights litigationConducts high-impact litigation to challenge systemic racial discrimination, including landmark cases such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Cooper v. Aaron (1958), and Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), which established critical precedents in desegregation and race-conscious admissions policies.
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Free Expression Defense & Advocacy 1 activity
- Monitoring and countering educational censorshipDocuments and analyzes state legislative efforts to restrict teaching about race, gender, and U.S. history, tracking laws enacted in over 12 states as part of broader advocacy to protect inclusive education.
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Policy advocacy and regulatory engagementSubmits comments, letters, and briefs to federal and state agencies to influence civil rights policy, including opposing discriminatory rules in higher education, supporting diversity in law school accreditation, and advocating for equitable workforce reporting in broadcasting.
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Research and data analysis on racial justiceProduces research reports, briefs, and data tools on criminal justice, education, and structural inequities, including analysis of homicide trends, non-policing traffic safety strategies, and a database tracking federal police funding to support accountability.
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Financial Aid and Scholarship Access Programs 1 activity
- Scholarship programs for studentsProvides financial and academic support through scholarship programs to help students, particularly Black and Latino students, attend and graduate from colleges, universities, and law schools, including support for trailblazing students who integrated Southern universities.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Filing amicus briefs and legal interventionsFiles amicus briefs and legal interventions in civil rights cases nationwide to defend race-conscious policies and challenge discriminatory practices in education, employment, and public safety, including in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, Sargent v. School District of Philadelphia, and Fearless Fund litigation.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$68.47M
Contributions & grants$45.13M66%
Program service revenue$1.98M3%
Investment income$21.71M32%
Other revenue$-346K
expenses
Total expenses$63.77M
Program expenses67%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising16%
Salaries & benefits$36.04M
Grants paid out$4.78M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$433.71M
Cash$35.39M
Investments$358.92M
Liabilities$10.36M
Net assets$423.35M
Liquid reserves74.2 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -9.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 14
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JANAI NELSON | PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR-COUNSEL | 59 | $655K |
| TONA BOYD | ASSOC. DIR. COUNSEL UNTIL DEC. 2024 | 40 | $433K |
| CLAUDE JOHNSON | CHIEF DEVEL. OFFICER UNTIL AUG. 2025 | 40 | $399K |
| SAMUEL SPITAL | DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION | 40 | $368K |
| KEVIN THOMSON | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $341K |
| JIN HEE LEE | DIR. OF STRATEGIC INT. | 40 | $325K |
| ELISABETH NORTH | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER-UNTIL MAR. 2025 | 40 | $301K |
| NATALIE THIGPEN | CHIEF COMMS AND MKTG OFF | 40 | $278K |
| KARLA MCKANDERS | DIR. OF THURGOOD MARSHALL INSTITUTE | 40 | $268K |
| RACHEL M KLEINMAN | DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION | 40 | $259K |
| STUART NAIFEH | MANAGER, REDISTRICTING PRO | 40 | $252K |
| LAURA FINO | EXE. DIR. INSTIT GIVING | 40 | $248K |
| GARY WHIDBEE | EXE. DIR. OF INDIVIDUAL GIVING | 40 | $246K |
| BRENDA WRIGHT | SPECIAL LITIGATION POLICY COUNSEL | 40 | $223K |
board members · 11
- ANGELA VALLOT — CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
- ANN CLAIRE WILLIAMS — BOARD MEMBER
- ANNE K SMALL — BOARD MEMBER
- CECILIA L MARSHALL — BOARD MEMBER
- COLLEEN FOSTER — BOARD MEMBER
- CYNTHIA PATTON — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID E KENDALL — BOARD MEMBER
- GREGORY H EVANS — BOARD MEMBER
- JAMES E CASTILLO — TREASURER
- JOHN R STEPHENS — BOARD MEMBER
- JONATHAN SOROS — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- ACLU Partner — Co-filed briefs in defense of race-neutral admissions reforms in New York City specialized high schools.
- ACLU and the National Association of Black Military Women Partner — Jointly filed an amicus brief defending race-conscious admissions at U.S. military academies.
- American Bar Association Government — Submitted a comment opposing removal of race, ethnicity, and gender from law school accreditation standards.
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC Partner — Co-filed briefs in defense of race-neutral admissions reforms in Montgomery County, MD.
- Ballard Spahr LLP Partner — Co-filed briefs in defense of race-neutral admissions reforms in Montgomery County, MD.
- Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law Partner — Co-authored a report advocating for community-based responses to mental health crises instead of police intervention.
- Brown Rudnick LLP Partner — Co-filed briefs in defense of race-neutral admissions reforms in New York City specialized high schools.
- CAIR-FL Partner — Filed a lawsuit on behalf of CAIR-FL to compel disclosure of information about Pasco County’s predictive policing program.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Partner — Represented Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in legal matters related to civil rights activism.
- Earl Warren Legal Training Program Partner — Program established by LDF to support Black law students and cultivate civil rights attorneys.
- Edweek Network — Source cited for data on state legislation restricting education on race and history.
- Federal Communications Commission Government — Filed an amicus brief defending FCC’s workforce data reporting requirements.
- Herbert Lehman Education Fund Partner — Financial assistance program for Black undergraduate students, established by LDF in 1964.
- Latino Justice PRLDEF Partner — Co-filed briefs in defense of race-neutral admissions reforms in Montgomery County, MD and New York City specialized high schools.
- NYCLU Partner — Co-filed briefs in defense of race-neutral admissions reforms in New York City specialized high schools.
- U.S. Department of Commerce Government — Submitted a comment in support of proposed Business Diversity Principles.
- U.S. Department of Education Government — Submitted a comment opposing a proposed rule on college applicant data reporting.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Government — Sent a letter urging rescission of a “Dear Colleague” letter on diversity in medical education.
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Government — Submitted a letter requesting investigation of employment discrimination.
strategies · 3
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.
- Education Access as Legal Victory Continuationmethodology: education-access-through-financial-supportBy providing financial support to Black students, we secure the gains of desegregation litigation, because legal victories alone are insufficient without economic access to ensure durable integration and educational equity.
- Integrated Advocacy for Racial Justicemethodology: integrated advocacyBy combining law, research, narrative, and community engagement, we advance racial justice because this multi-tool approach sustains pressure across legal, cultural, and policy domains, creating synergistic pathways to structural change.
- Litigation as Structural Changemethodology: litigation-based advocacyBy using expert legal advocacy in courts, especially the Supreme Court, we produce racial justice and eliminate systemic disparities, because legal rulings can enforce structural changes that redistribute power and expand democracy.