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LAWYERS ALLIANCE FOR NEW YORK

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 132666432 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · lawyersalliance.org
revenue
$3.7M
expenses
$3.5M
net assets
$8.5M
employees
25
volunteers
2,400
program ratio
72%
mission · from form 990

PROVIDE BUSINESS LAW & TRANSACTIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO NONPROFITS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Lawyers Alliance for New York provides pro bono transactional legal services to nonprofit organizations across New York City. The organization supports 700 nonprofits annually, helping them with corporate, real estate, tax, and governance matters to strengthen their operations and community impact. It serves a diverse network of social service, arts, education, and advocacy groups working in NYC neighborhoods.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Nonprofit Support Program
Offers ongoing legal counsel to help nonprofits maintain compliance, manage contracts, and strengthen organizational infrastructure
Pro Bono Legal Services
Provides transactional legal assistance in corporate law, real estate, tax exemption, and governance to NYC nonprofits
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 2 activities
    • Delivering legal education and capacity-building programs for nonprofits
      Offers webinars, virtual, and in-person training sessions for nonprofit leaders on legal topics including governance, compliance, and operations. Also produces educational publications and resources to strengthen nonprofit management and legal understanding.
    • Providing business and transactional legal services to nonprofits
      Provides corporate, tax, real estate, employment, and intellectual property legal services to nonprofit organizations and social enterprises in New York City, particularly those serving low-income communities. Annually supports over 700 to 1,000 nonprofits through staff attorneys and a network of over 2,200 pro bono volunteers from law firms and corporate legal departments, handling more than 1,400 legal matters.
  • Industry Advocacy and Regulatory Engagement 1 activity
    • Advocating for nonprofit policy compliance and reform
      Took a leading role in helping nonprofits comply with major legislative changes such as the Nonprofit Revitalization Act, providing guidance and systemic support to improve sector-wide legal adherence and governance standards.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Publishing legal research and practical guides for New York nonprofits
      Produces and publishes comprehensive legal resources for nonprofits operating under New York law, including editions of "Advising Nonprofits," "Getting Organized," "Bylaws That Work," and specialized guides on name changes, disaster relief, and financial instability. These include model forms, compliance strategies, and policy recommendations, with some summaries and white papers made available as free downloads.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$3.69M
Contributions & grants$3.27M89%
Program service revenue$239K6%
Investment income$345K9%
Other revenue$-165K
expenses
Total expenses$3.54M
Program expenses72%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising14%
Salaries & benefits$2.51M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$11.61M
Cash$3.19M
Investments$5.98M
Liabilities$3.10M
Net assets$8.51M
Liquid reserves31.1 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +5.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 8
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ELIZABETH M GUGGENHEIMER FORMER EXEC DIR & CEO TO 9/2024 50 $211K
LAURA ABEL SR POLICY COUNSEL/INTERIM LEGAL DIR 40 $200K
LAREN E SPIRER PGM & STRATEGY DIRECTOR & CORP SEC 40 $167K
TATIANA SHPINIOVA DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 40 $141K
LORI MOSES SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY 40 $134K
EMILY CROSSAN DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMM 40 $130K
DANIEL GREENMAN DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 40 $129K
HEDWIG O'HARA INTERIM EXEC DIR & CEO FROM 9/2024 40 $120K
board members · 17
  • ALLISON LIFF — DIRECTOR
  • ANDREW C COMPTON — DIRECTOR
  • BETH D NEWTON — DIRECTOR
  • BIBIANA ANDREA JAIMES — DIRECTOR TO 3/2025
  • CHARLES W ALLEN — SECRETARY
  • CHRISTINE A OKIKE — TREASURER
  • CHRISTOPHER K FARGO — DIRECTOR
  • CHRISTOPHER S DELSON — DIRECTOR
  • CRYSTAL M LALIME — DIRECTOR
  • ERIC ROTHMAN — DIRECTOR
  • ERIKA L WEINBERG — DIRECTOR
  • ESTELLA CHEN — DIRECTOR
  • GABRIELLE DIBERNARDI — DIRECTOR
  • JAMILA WILLIS — DIRECTOR
  • JONATHAN A NUNES — DIRECTOR
  • JOSEPH RICHBURG — DIRECTOR
  • LINDA S MANLEY — DIRECTOR
relationships · 25

Who they work with

  • 145 law firms and corporate legal departments Partner — Network of law firms and corporate legal departments whose volunteer attorneys collaborate with Lawyers Alliance to provide legal services to nonprofits.
  • 145 law firms and corporations Partner — Provides pro bono legal staff to deliver legal services to nonprofit clients.
  • A Better Balance Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Ali Forney Center Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Asian American Federation Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • BronxWorks Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Brooklyn Defender Services Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Brooklyn Law School Partner — Collaborates with Lawyers Alliance for New York through volunteer participation
  • Center for Family Life in Sunset Park Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Coalition for Asian American Children & Families (CACF) Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Dance Theatre of Harlem Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Fordham Law School Partner — Collaborates with Lawyers Alliance for New York through volunteer participation
  • Harlem Dowling Westside Center For Children and Family Services Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Henry Street Settlement Partner — Client organization receiving legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York
  • Jeanine C. D. DeFreese Partner — Former Board Chair who endorses the organization's work and donor engagement
  • Law firms and corporations Partner — Source of pro bono lawyers who collaborate with staff attorneys to deliver legal services to nonprofits.
  • Lawyers Alliance for New York Network — Member of a network of legal and nonprofit service organizations focused on supporting low-income communities in New York.
  • New York Foundation Partner — Provides free or discounted access to training events for grantees of the New York Foundation.
  • New York Law School Partner — Collaborates with Lawyers Alliance for New York through volunteer participation
  • New York State Government — Relies on New York State sales tax exemption certificates to provide tax-exempt pricing for nonprofit purchasers.
  • Nonprofit Revitalization Act Government — Assisted nonprofits in complying with the requirements of the Nonprofit Revitalization Act.
  • Staff and Volunteer Attorneys Partner — Collaborates with staff and volunteer attorneys to deliver legal services to nonprofit clients.
  • lawyers Partner — Volunteer legal professionals connected with nonprofits through Lawyers Alliance for New York.
  • nonprofit organizations Partner — Receives legal services from Lawyers Alliance for New York to support their operations and programs.
  • social enterprises Partner — Receives business and transactional legal support from Lawyers Alliance for New York.
strategies · 2

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.

  • Nonprofit Legal Empowerment for Community Impact
    methodology: nonprofit-legal-empowerment
    By strengthening the legal and operational capacity of nonprofit organizations, we enable them to expand and improve services for low-income communities, thereby creating positive and enduring community change. Legal support acts as a force multiplier for grassroots organizations serving vulnerable populations.
  • Pro Bono Network Model
    methodology: pro_bono_network
    By combining volunteer lawyers from law firms and corporations with experienced staff attorneys, we deliver legal services to nonprofits, thereby multiplying the impact of private-sector legal expertise for public benefit. This approach leverages underutilized legal talent to strengthen the operational capacity of community-based organizations.