irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $11KADP is working to guide the animal protection movement to a more racially equitable future by expanding the number of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)-led groups in the New York City area to which we provide free legal advice.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Fiscal Sponsorship
Offers fiscal sponsorship to aligned organizations, enabling them to receive tax-deductible donations and grants under ADP’s 501(c)(3) status.
Free Legal Services
Provides pro bono legal counsel to animal protection and plant-based advocacy nonprofits on issues including organizational formation, governance, contracts, compliance, and intellectual property.
Legal Education Programs
Delivers educational courses and workshops on legal issues facing animal protection organizations, with recorded sessions and live webinars on topics such as lobbying, data privacy, and insurance.
Resource Library
Offers a comprehensive collection of handouts, webinars, and guides on legal topics relevant to animal advocacy nonprofits, including nonprofit compliance, fundraising, and board governance.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Conflict Mediation & Resolution Services 1 activity
- Conducting conflict mediation and communication coachingOffers remote mediation services of up to 4 hours and pre-mediation coaching sessions of up to 1.5 hours to improve communication and resolve conflicts within client organizations, provided at no cost.
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Charitable Grantmaking to Specific Causes 1 activity
- Funding partner organizations through fiscal sponsorshipProvides grantmaking support via fiscal sponsorship, receiving donations and distributing grants to allied animal protection groups. In one documented case, facilitated $117,500 in grants to WE ANIMALS MEDIA to advance animal protection and plant-based advocacy.
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Legal Professional Development & Networking 1 activity
- Offering legal education and capacity-building programsConducts live courses, webinars, and educational sessions to build legal knowledge and operational capacity in animal protection and plant-based nonprofits. In 2024, delivered 21 sessions reaching 260 participants from 142 organizations, and provides on-demand resources such as handouts, videos, and toolkits on legal compliance and organizational development.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Providing pro bono legal services to animal protection and plant-based nonprofitsDelivers free legal counsel and operational support to animal protection and plant-based advocacy organizations, including campaign risk assessment, compliance guidance, contract review, and strategic advising on incorporation, governance, and fundraising. Since 2016, provided over $9.7 million in pro bono legal services to more than 470 organizations, with 5,150 billable hours donated in 2024 alone.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Rescuing and relocating big cats from exploitative facilitiesConducted operations to shut down abusive facilities and relocate big cats to sanctuaries, including the 2016 closure of a tiger mill in Colorado that resulted in the relocation of 75 tigers, and the relocation of 10 tigers from a Thai tiger farm. Since inception, relocated 496 big cats, including 349 tigers.
- Supporting wildlife crime prosecution through research collaborationPartnered with a University of California researcher to develop a forensic validation tool to aid in the prosecution of wildlife crimes and trace wildlife trade routes.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$826K
Contributions & grants$818K99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$7K1%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$676K
Program expenses91%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$612K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$718K
Cash$718K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$718K
Liquid reserves12.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +36.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JACLYN LEEDS | — | 40 | $119K |
| JENNIFER BUESSER | — | 40 | $116K |
board members · 6
- DAVID EBERT — President/Direc
- JOEL LITVIN — VP/Treasurer
- JUDITH TURKEL — Director
- KRISTEN DIEDERICH — Director
- STEPHANIE JESHIVA — Director
- VANDHANA BALA — Director
relationships · 35
Who they work with
- ADP Network — Refers to prior collaboration with ADP as a condition for reapplying to legal compliance services.
- Animal Advocacy Careers Partner — Receives legal and operational support from ADP for internal and external contracts and organizational operations.
- Animal Charity Evaluators Partner — Receives legal due diligence and decision-making support from ADP, enabling cost savings for programmatic use.
- Animal Defense Partnership Network — Provides legal resources to a network of animal protection and plant-based advocacy organizations.
- Animal Defense Partnership Partner — Provides free legal services to animal protection and plant-based nonprofits.
- Animal Equality Partner — Relies on ADP for rapid legal assessment and guidance during high-pressure campaign situations.
- Animal Grantmakers Network — Bill Nimmo, founder of Tigers in America, serves on the Board of Animal Grantmakers.
- Animal Partisan Partner — Receives ongoing legal support from ADP for nonprofit filings, litigation planning, and pro bono attorney connections.
- Blank Rome LLP Partner — Law firm; a senior counsel from the firm is a member of ADP's Advisory Council.
- Brighter Green Partner — Receives skilled, responsive legal counsel from ADP on organizational and advocacy matters.
- Compassion in World Farming Partner — Receives timely and thorough legal advice from ADP on contracts, staffing, and sector-specific issues.
- Factory Farming Awareness Coalition Partner — Client organization in the animal protection space; its executive director is a member of ADP's Advisory Council.
- Fiscally sponsored projects Partner — Provides legal services to fiscally sponsored projects advancing animal protection or plant-based eating.
- Foley & Lardner LLP Partner — Law firm; a partner from the firm is a member of ADP's Advisory Council.
- Friends of Chimps Partner — Received pro bono legal representation from ADP on IRS compliance, fund transfers, MOUs, and state registrations.
- Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries Network — Bill Nimmo, founder of Tigers in America, serves on the Board of GFAS.
- Grassroots volunteer-led groups Partner — Provides legal services to grassroots volunteer-led groups working in animal protection and plant-based advocacy.
- In Defense of Animals Partner — Receives ongoing legal and nonprofit management support from ADP across a range of animal advocacy issues.
- Mercy For Animals Partner — Client organization in the animal protection space; its senior state policy manager is a member of ADP's Advisory Council.
- Mercy for Animals Partner — Receives legal support from ADP drawing on decades of experience and specialized resources.
- National nonprofits with complex program portfolios Partner — Provides legal services to national nonprofits engaged in animal protection and plant-based advocacy.
- ProVeg International Partner — Client organization in the plant-based advocacy space; its founding president is a member of ADP's Advisory Council.
- San Francisco Bay Area law school Partner — Host institution where ADP’s mediator teaches mediation and conflict resolution.
- Scarlet Spark Partner — Receives pro bono legal support from ADP on board governance, bylaws, compliance, insurance, and contracts.
- Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development (SEED) Partner — Received incorporation and federal tax exemption application support from ADP during formation.
- Tigers in America Partner — Animal protection organization; its founder is a member of ADP's Advisory Council.
- University of California Partner — Partnered with Dr. Armstrong at the University of California on the development of a forensic validation tool for wildlife crime prosecution.
- University of Denver Partner — Academic institution; a law professor from the school is a member of ADP's Advisory Council.
- Veganuary Partner — Receives legal guidance from ADP to navigate regulatory hurdles and advance high-impact campaigns.
- WE ANIMALS MEDIA Partner — Fiscally sponsored by ANIMAL DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP INC to support animal protection and plant-based diet change initiatives.
+ 5 more
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.
- Conflict Resolution as Mission Alignmentmethodology: mission-aligned conflict resolutionBy providing neutral mediation and conflict coaching, we help animal advocacy organizations maintain functional, collaborative teams, because resolving internal disputes strengthens organizational cohesion and preserves focus on shared mission objectives.
- Pro Bono Legal Empowerment to Amplify Mission Impactmethodology: pro_bono_legal_supportBy providing free legal services to animal protection nonprofits, we enable them to redirect financial and operational resources toward mission-driven work, because removing legal cost barriers increases organizational capacity and effectiveness.
- Proactive Legal Integration for Risk Mitigation and Organizational Resiliencemethodology: proactive legal complianceBy embedding legal advising early in campaign planning and organizational development, we prevent future legal issues and ensure compliance, because proactive risk assessment strengthens governance and enables agile, sustainable advocacy.
- Stage- and Context-Specific Legal Support for Accessibilitymethodology: stage-based legal supportBy tailoring legal resources to the developmental stage and operational needs of nonprofits, we increase the accessibility and relevance of legal compliance, because organizations engage more effectively when support aligns with their current capacity and goals.