irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $4.30MDISABILITY AND AGING RIGHTS: Mobilization for Justice provides civil legal services for people with mental illness living in the community, including those living in Adult Homes and for seniors living in Nursing Homes. We also work on transportation accessibility.
- #2 $3.67MCHILDREN RIGHTS: MFJ PROVIDES ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION TO LOW-INCOME PARENTS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES SEEKING APPROPRIATE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AND SCHOOL PLACEMENTS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. WE REPRESENT PARENTS AT INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM MEETINGS, ADMINISTRATIVE DUE PROCESS HEARINGS, AND IN APPEALS BEFORE THE NEW YORK STATE REVIEW OFFICER AND IN FEDERAL COURT.
named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Children's Rights / Special Education
Offers legal representation to low-income parents seeking appropriate special education services and school placements for children with disabilities, including at IEP meetings and administrative hearings.
Disability and Aging Rights
Provides legal services for people with mental illness living in adult homes and seniors in nursing homes, including advocacy on transportation accessibility and nursing home discharge protections.
Economic Justice
Helps low-income New Yorkers access public benefits, secure earned wages, obtain unemployment and workers' compensation, and navigate predatory lending and immigration issues affecting economic stability.
Housing Justice
Addresses housing discrimination, source-of-income bias, tenant rights, and the impact of short-term rentals on affordable housing availability.
Kinship Care
Provides legal support and advocacy for caregivers raising related children outside the foster care system, addressing housing, education funding, and systemic barriers.
Workplace Justice
Advocates for workers' rights to be paid, combats wage theft, and improves enforcement of wage and hour laws through legal support and policy reform.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Conduct impact litigation and policy advocacy to address systemic inequitiesEngages in impact litigation, class actions, and policy advocacy to challenge systemic legal injustices, including co-counseling with pro bono attorneys to expand reach. Advocacy efforts include campaigns such as the Campaign to End Wage Theft and leadership in coalitions like the NYC Kincare Task Force.
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Nonprofit Sector Research & Data Analysis 1 activity
- Conduct research to expose systemic injustices and inform policy reformPublishes investigative reports on issues including consumer debt collection abuses, nursing home conditions, foreclosure practices, source-of-income discrimination, special education disparities, and access to justice. Research has led to reforms in debt collector licensing, court accessibility, and kinship caregiver support policies.
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Worker Rights Advocacy & Wage Protection 1 activity
- Develop and publish legal guides and resources for advocates and vulnerable populationsCreates practical legal tools such as tenant rights guides, wage recovery manuals, and policy recommendations to support advocates and empower vulnerable communities in navigating legal systems.
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Legal Education and Career Pipeline Programs 1 activity
- Operate legal training and professional development programsOffers post-graduate fellowships, externships for law firm associates, internships for law students (summer and academic year), and work opportunities for retired or transitioning attorneys. Programs provide hands-on experience in full-spectrum lawyering, including client intake, litigation, and policy research.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Provide civil legal services to low-income and disenfranchised individualsDelivers free direct civil legal assistance to low-income and disenfranchised New Yorkers, including representation in housing, public benefits, employment, immigration, special education, disability rights, and tax compliance matters. Expanded service capacity through a new office in the Bronx.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$24.25M
Contributions & grants$22.84M94%
Program service revenue$1.08M4%
Investment income$191K1%
Other revenue$140K
expenses
Total expenses$25.19M
Program expenses90%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$21.15M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$21.34M
Cash$2.29M
Investments$2.03M
Liabilities$13.65M
Net assets$7.69M
Liquid reserves2.1 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +15.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 13
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIFFANY LISTON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $312K |
| ANNE ELISE BROWN | DEPUTY DIRECTOR for legal prac | 35 | $252K |
| MONTEL CHERRY | DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY | 35 | $236K |
| LINDSAY BASCOM | CHIEF FISCAL OFFICER | 35 | $234K |
| KEVIN M CREMIN | DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION | 35 | $230K |
| DAVID EPSTEIN | DIRECTOR OF HR&TALENT STRATEGY | 35 | $228K |
| TODD SILVERBLATT | SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 35 | $221K |
| RICHARD KAHN | MANAGING ATTORNEY | 35 | $216K |
| CAROLYN E COFFEY | DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION | 35 | $213K |
| ERIC ALTERMAN | Chief Development Officer | 35 | $210K |
| BERNADETTE JENTSCH | SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 35 | $201K |
| Omolola Omoyosi | Managing Attorney | 35 | $197K |
| Scott Stamper | SUPERVISING ATTORNEY | 35 | $194K |
board members · 12
- ALAN J SINSHEIMER — BOARD MEMBER
- ARNOLD STEPHENS — BOARD MEMBER
- BRIAN CHISLING — BOARD MEMBER
- BRUCE L STEIN — TREASURER
- CHRISTOPHER J MEADE — Board Member
- DAVID CHATTERJEE — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID G KEYKO — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID MOY — BOARD MEMBER
- DEIRDRE N HYKAL — BOARD MEMBER
- DOLORES PEREZ-HARVIN — BOARD MEMBER
- ELAINE P GOLIN — 1ST VICE CHAIR
- ENID D JEAN-CLAUDE — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 31
Who they work with
- Campaign to End Wage Theft Coalition — Member organization collaborating to expose wage theft and advocate for worker protection reforms.
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Partner — Law firm represented on the MFJ Board by Ari Mackinnon, supporting the organization’s legal service mission through board engagement.
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP Partner — Private law firm participating in the externship program by sending associates to work at MFJ.
- Community Access Partner — Codrafted a tenant’s guide to New York City’s pet laws.
- Empire Justice Center Partner — Collaborated on a joint report surveying foreclosure conference practices in New York State.
- Greenberg Traurig, LLP Partner — Law firm represented by Stephen Saxl, who serves on the MFJ Board motivated by a commitment to equitable access to justice in New York.
- Housing Conservation Coordinators Partner — Co-published a report on the impact of Airbnb rentals on New York City’s housing market.
- IRS Government — Pro bono attorneys represent clients in tax controversies before the IRS.
- JAMS Partner — Dispute resolution service represented by Mark E. Segall, who joined the MFJ Board in honor of former board member Matt Leonard.
- JASA Partner — Co-published a report documenting bank violations in foreclosure settlement conferences.
- JPMorgan Chase & Co. Partner — Financial institution represented by Nicole K. Wright on the MFJ Board, contributing corporate legal and governance expertise.
- Jacqueline Adorno Partner — Point of contact for post-graduate fellowship applications at Mobilization for Justice
- Joele Frank, Wilkinson, Brimmer, Katcher Partner — Strategic communications firm represented on the MFJ Board by partner Jamie Moser, contributing expertise in public and investor relations.
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP Partner — Law firm represented by Laura A. Sullivan on the MFJ Board, supporting organizational leadership and legal advocacy.
- Legal Services NYC Partner — Collaborated on reports addressing foreclosure practices and debt collection abuses.
- MTA Government — Pro bono attorneys represent clients in administrative hearings regarding MTA paratransit services.
- Mobilization for Youth Partner — Originally the legal arm of Mobilization for Youth, a community-based anti-poverty program founded in 1962.
- NYC Kincare Task Force Coalition — Co-chaired task force focused on removing barriers to kinship caregiving in New York City.
- New York City Department of Education Partner — Collaborates with MFJ through special education service delivery processes, including IEP meetings and administrative hearings.
- New York City Human Rights Commission Government — Implied regulatory body for enforcing source-of-income discrimination laws addressed in reports.
- New York State Department of Finance Government — Pro bono attorneys represent clients in tax disputes with the state department.
- New York State Department of Health Government — Targeted agency for policy recommendations regarding nursing home regulations and emergency planning.
- New York State Department of Labor Government — Recipient of recommendations for improving wage and hour enforcement developed through the Campaign to End Wage Theft.
- Partnership for Children’s Rights Partner — Merged with Mobilization for Justice to expand legal advocacy for disadvantaged and disabled children in New York City.
- Pfizer Inc. Partner — Pharmaceutical company represented on the MFJ Board by Shehzad Siddiqui, contributing corporate governance and legal oversight.
- Queens Legal Services Partner — Collaborated on a joint report surveying foreclosure conference practices in New York State.
- Social Security Administration Government — Pro bono attorneys represent clients in disability benefit appeals before the SSA.
- Verisk Analytics Partner — Corporate entity represented by Chief Legal Officer Kathlyn Card Beckles, who contributes governance and legal insight based on firsthand experience with MFJ's special education advocacy.
- Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Partner — Law firm whose partners, including Elaine Golin and Eric M. Roth, serve on the MFJ Board and support its mission through governance and development leadership.
- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Partner — Private law firm participating in the externship program by sending associates to work at MFJ.
+ 1 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.
- Community-Integrated Legal Advocacymethodology: community-integrated legal advocacyBy embedding legal services within community-based support systems, Mobilization for Justice addresses systemic barriers in housing, healthcare, and transportation for vulnerable populations like people with mental illness and aging adults, because integration increases access and effectiveness of interventions.
- Direct Service Combined with Impact Litigation to Address Systemic Inequitymethodology: direct-service-and-impact-litigationBy combining individual legal representation with strategic class action litigation and policy advocacy, Mobilization for Justice produces broader structural change, because direct service identifies systemic patterns while impact litigation removes widespread barriers to justice.
- Evidence-Based Policy Advocacy for Legal System Reformmethodology: evidence-based_policy_advocacyBy producing and publishing research-driven policy recommendations, the organization influences government agencies and advances systemic reform, because data-informed advocacy strengthens credibility and shapes equitable policy implementation.
- Holistic Legal Services as a Pathway to Economic Stabilitymethodology: holistic legal servicesBy addressing interconnected legal needs—such as immigration status, public benefits, and employment—within a single legal framework, the organization produces greater economic security for low-income clients, because resolving foundational legal barriers enables access to critical resources and long-term stability.