irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $502KSENIOR LAW PROJECT - THE ORGANIZATION HELPS LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AGE 60+ BY PROVIDING ESSENTIAL LIFE PLANNING DOCUMENTS. THESE DOCUMENTS ENABLE OLDER ADULTS TO MAINTAIN INCOME AND AVOID HOMELESSNESS, ENSURE THAT THEIR DYING WISHES ARE FULFILLED, AND ENABLE THEIR CAREGIVERS TO PROVIDE THE CARE AND SERVICES NECESSARY TO ACCESS HEALTH CARE AND AGE IN PLACE.
- #2 $420KMICROENTERPRISE PROJECT - THE ORGANIZATION HELPS EXISTING AND ASPIRING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND MICROENTREPRENEURS ACCESS HIGH-QUALITY FREE LEGAL SERVICES.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Immigration Project
Offers immigration legal services to immigrant students and young adults to support higher education, employment, and permanent residency.
Microenterprise Project
Provides free legal services to existing and aspiring small business owners and micro-entrepreneurs through staff and pro bono attorney networks.
Senior Law Project
Provides free legal assistance to low-income seniors age 60+ to create life planning documents, access healthcare, maintain income, avoid homelessness, and support caregivers.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 5 activities
- Conduct community-based legal clinics and outreach eventsHosts regular in-person and virtual legal clinics in partnership with schools, hospitals, older adult centers, community-based organizations, and government agencies. These clinics address issues such as housing court, immigration, small business financing, and family law, and are staffed by pro bono attorneys from major law firms and corporate partners.
- Deliver life planning legal services for older adultsProvides free legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers aged 60 and over to obtain essential life planning documents such as wills, health care proxies, and powers of attorney. This work helps clients maintain income, avoid homelessness, fulfill end-of-life wishes, and access healthcare. Includes the launch of “Planifica Tu Futuro,” a bilingual decision-making tool.
- Expand legal support for small businesses and microentrepreneursProvides free legal services to existing and aspiring small business owners and microentrepreneurs through dedicated staff and a network of pro bono lawyers. Partners with New York City Small Business Service and Black Entrepreneurs NYC to expand outreach and hosts specialized clinics on topics like financing preparation.
- Provide free civil legal services to low-income New YorkersDelivers high-quality, free civil legal services to vulnerable populations in New York City, including older adults (60+), immigrant families, individuals seeking public benefits, small business owners, microentrepreneurs, and incarcerated mothers. Services include direct representation, legal advice, and advocacy across multiple issue areas.
- Support access to public benefits through legal interventionsOperates the Benefits Law Project, which provides culturally competent legal services to help low-income New Yorkers access public benefits. Launched the Housing Court Benefits Initiative to support individuals in housing court and has secured over $1.24 million in unemployment-related benefits for more than 1,700 New Yorkers since March 2020.
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocate for policy change through testimony and amicus briefsSubmits testimony to legislative bodies such as the New York City Council Committees on Criminal Justice and Small Business during budget hearings. Files amicus curiae briefs to advocate for small businesses and other vulnerable populations, influencing policy and legal standards.
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Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Conduct community legal education and trend monitoringDelivers legal education presentations to older adults and other community members at centers and fairs, distributing resources on elder abuse prevention and other legal rights. Also identifies emerging legal trends and unmet needs through outreach activities.
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Women's Rights and Empowerment Grants 1 activity
- Fund gender-justice legal initiativesEstablishes and manages grant funds to improve access to justice for women and girls, such as the Charles Lawrence Keith & Clara Miller Gender-Justice Fund, created with a $500,000 grant to advance gender equity in legal services.
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Immigration Legal Services 1 activity
- Provide immigration legal services and educationOffers immigration screening clinics, DACA renewal assistance, and legal education to immigrant youth and young adults. Conducts weekly virtual briefings on immigration law updates for pro bono volunteers and supports pathways to higher education, employment, and permanent residency.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Recruit, train, and support pro bono legal volunteersRecruits, trains, and mentors approximately 1,800 pro bono lawyers from over 80 law firms and corporate law departments annually to deliver civil legal services in New York City. These volunteers are engaged through structured partnerships and ongoing mentorship to expand access to justice.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Develop informational tools and resources for legal self-assessmentProvides general informational content and online tools to help individuals understand their legal needs and determine whether to seek formal legal assistance, increasing accessibility and awareness of civil legal rights.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.73M
Contributions & grants$2.77M101%
Program service revenue$94K3%
Investment income$64K2%
Other revenue$-196K
expenses
Total expenses$3.17M
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead16%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$2.48M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$4.40M
Cash$661K
Investments$2.14M
Liabilities$1.07M
Net assets$3.33M
Liquid reserves10.6 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -30.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 6
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABJA MIDHA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $238K |
| AMY BONDEROFF | DIR, DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATIONS | 35 | $166K |
| STEPHANIE TAYLOR | DIRECTOR, INCARCERATED MOTHERS LAW PROJECT | 35 | $165K |
| PETER KEMPNER | LEGAL DIRECTOR | 35 | $162K |
| ANDREA TAN | PROJECT DIR-MICROENTERPRISE | 35 | $126K |
| ELISA TUSTIAN | PROJECT DIRECTOR, SENIOR LAW | 35 | $108K |
board members · 19
- ALAN R GLICKMAN — DIRECTOR
- ALAN SCHOENFELD — DIRECTOR
- ALISON KING — PRESIDENT
- ANDREW J EHRLICH — DIRECTOR
- ANNE CORTINA PERRY — DIRECTOR
- ANNIE L MEHLMAN — DIRECTOR
- ANTONY L RYAN — CHAIRPERSON
- BORIS BERSHTEYN — DIRECTOR
- BRET I PARKER — DIRECTOR
- BRYCE L FRIEDMAN — DIRECTOR
- CARRIE H COHEN — DIRECTOR
- CHRISTOPHER MENDEZ — DIRECTOR
- CYNTHIA MULLOCK — DIRECTOR
- CYRUS D MEHTA — DIRECTOR
- DANEK A FREEMAN — DIRECTOR
- DANIEL IA SMULIAN — DIRECTOR
- DAVID LESSER — DIRECTOR
- DIETRICH L SNELL — DIRECTOR (THRU JUNE)
- GINA CASTELLANO — DIRECTOR
relationships · 81
Who they work with
- 80 law firms and corporate law departments Partner — Provides pro bono legal services in collaboration with VOLS to advise, represent, and advocate for clients.
- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Partner — Partner sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP Partner — Advocate sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Black Entrepreneurs NYC Partner — Collaborated to expand free legal services for Black entrepreneurs in New York City.
- Bloomberg LP Partner — Partner sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Funder — Sponsor of the VOLS Pro Bono Advocates Council Summer Soirée.
- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP Partner — Advocate sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Centro de Pedagogía Urbana (CUP) Partner — Collaborated with VOLS to create the life planning decision-making tool “Planifica Tu Futuro” for older adults.
- Charles Lawrence Keith & Clara Miller Foundation Funder — Provided a $500,000 grant to establish the Gender-Justice Fund.
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Partner — Partner sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Community-based organizations Partner — Collaborates to provide legal education, advice, and representation to low-income New Yorkers.
- Corporations Partner — Engages volunteer attorneys to provide pro bono legal services.
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP Partner — Partner sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- DLA Piper Partner — Pro bono law firm partner providing legal services at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
- DLA Piper LLP Partner — Advocate sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Davis Polk & Wardwell Partner — Pro bono law firm partner involved in microenterprise and incarceration-related legal clinics and event sponsorship.
- Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Partner — Champion sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Davis Wright Tremaine Partner — Pro bono law firm partner providing support for immigration screening clinics.
- Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Partner — Visionary sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Dechert LLP Partner — Advocate sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Dentons US LLP Partner — Partner sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Faegre Drinker Partner — Pro bono law firm partner supporting legal clinics at Taconic Correctional Facility and summer events.
- Ford Foundation Partner — Juliet Mureriwa, Senior Program Officer in the Office of the President at the Ford Foundation, serves on the board of VOLUNTEERS OF LEGAL SERVICE INC
- Freshfields Partner — Pro bono law firm partner supporting rent freeze clinics and incarceration-related legal clinics.
- Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP Partner — Advocate sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Fried Frank Partner — Pro bono law firm partner supporting legal clinics at correctional facilities and summer events.
- Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP Partner — Advocate sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- GFP Real Estate LLC Partner — Advocate sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
- Gibson Dunn Partner — Pro bono law firm partner supporting rent freeze clinics at SAGE Harlem.
- Greenberg Traurig, LLP Partner — Advocate sponsor of the VOLS 2026 Gala
+ 51 more
strategies · 5
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.
- Community Capacity Buildingmethodology: community_capacity_buildingBy training and supporting social workers, senior center staff, and volunteer lawyers, VOLS extends the reach of legal services because these frontline providers become better equipped to identify, triage, and respond to legal needs in their communities.
- Community-Partnered Service Deliverymethodology: community-partnered service deliveryBy delivering legal services through trusted community-based organizations and co-locating in familiar settings, VOLS increases accessibility, trust, and engagement because clients are more likely to seek help in environments they already associate with safety and support.
- Culturally Competent and Language-Accessible Servicesmethodology: culturally_competent_legal_servicesBy providing multilingual and culturally competent legal services, VOLS improves communication, trust, and equitable access for non-English-speaking and low-income populations because clients are more likely to engage when services reflect their linguistic and cultural context.
- Preventive Legal Servicesmethodology: preventive_legal_servicesBy using life planning documents as preventive tools, VOLS helps clients avoid legal crises such as loss of income, homelessness, or unmet end-of-life wishes, because early legal intervention stabilizes key life domains before problems escalate.
- Pro Bono Partnership Modelmethodology: pro-bono-partnership-modelBy structuring legal projects to engage volunteer attorneys from law firms and corporations, VOLS scales free civil legal services because it leverages external legal capacity while aligning pro bono efforts with community-identified needs.