Education Law Center - Pa
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE EDUCATION LAW CENTER'S (ELC) MISSION IS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO A QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN IN PENNSYLVANIA. OUR PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES INCLUDE DIRECT REPRESENTATION, IMPACT LITIGATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, POLICY ADVOCACY AT LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS, AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS. OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS, ELC HAS BEEN A KNOWN RESOURCE FOR PARENTS, CHILD-SERVING PROFESSIONALS, AND ADVOCATES IN PENNSYLVANIA TO CALL FOR RIGHTS-BASED INFORMATION AND ADVICE REGARDING PUBLIC EDUCATION MATTERS. WE ARE ALSO A LEADER IN PUBLIC EDUCATION ADVOCACY, SECURING POLICY CHANGES ALONGSIDE LOCAL AND STATEWIDE PARTNERS.
- Income
- $4.1 million
- Spending
- $2.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 73%
- Reserves
- 38.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 85%
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 24
- Highest pay
- $199,778, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 38.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 35% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1573% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $2.0 million spent. The Education Law Center-PA's (ELC-PA) mission is to ensure access to a quality public education for all children in Pennsylvania. Over the past 50 years, ELC-PA has been a known resource for parents, child-serving professionals, and advocates in Pennsylvania. Our principal strategies include direct representation, impact litigation, policy advocacy, community engagement, and strategic communications. With offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, we work statewide to provide immediate relief to individual students while also advancing systems-level reforms that benefit thousands of underserved students, guided by our three priority areas: 1) Ensuring Equal Access to Quality Public Schools: ELC-PA addresses real-time educational barriers and systemic concerns impacting the educational experiences of underserved student populations. Our focus is improving education access for children living in poverty, children with disabilities, children of color, children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, children experiencing homelessness, multilingual learners, LGBTQ+ youth, and children at the intersection of multiple underserved identities. Our Helpline is the only free legal service solely focused on helping students access a quality public education in Pennsylvania, providing information, advice, referrals, legal consultation, and direct representation. We also produce publications and conduct trainings to help parents, caregivers, and child-serving professionals advocate on behalf of the children in their care. 2) Advocating for Fair Education Funding: ELC-PA works with statewide and local partners to push for the changes needed to address Pennsylvania's school funding crisis. We filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth over a decade ago for failure to fund public education under the state constitution. We won this case in a decisive 2023 victory in Commonwealth Court, in an order and opinion finding education is a fundamental right and deeming the state's current funding system unconstitutional and discriminatory. Now, we are focused on the remedy. Our litigation is complemented by policy advocacy, including budget advocacy through the PA Schools Work (PASW) coalition, as well as educating policymakers on the state's education funding system, our lawsuit, and the necessary funding increases to ensure the state is adequately and equitably funding public education. 3) Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline: ELC-PA aims to end school pushout by eliminating exclusionary discipline policies that disproportionately harm Black and Brown youth, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive youth, with a focus on advancing the rights of Black girls. In addition to confronting discriminatory policies, we advocate for schools to adopt research-based interventions that will improve school climates and build inclusive, antiracist, and affirming schools. In the juvenile justice system, we aim to ensure that children can access the full range of public education programs, in part by advocating for the structures necessary to improve oversight of education in residential facilities. We also provide individual representation when students are excluded from the classroom without due process. OUR IMPACT We have seen monumental wins for students across Pennsylvania as a result of ELC-PA's 50 years of advocacy. Recent wins include: Secured a second year of historic new investments in Pennsylvania's most underfunded schools, bringing us closer to an equitable and constitutionally compliant school funding system mandated by the landmark decision in our Commonwealth Court case. Pushed back on federal efforts to undermine public education, including efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, deprive public schools of essential funding that supports our most underserved students, and drastically reduce federal enforcement of anti-discrimination laws. ELC-PA partners with organizations across the country to fight back through advocacy, federal comments, and amicus briefs, while providing critical Pennsylvania-specific context and demonstrating the real impact these federal threats have on local students and schools. Educated communities and school officials statewide on the rights of immigrant students in our public schools and provided model policies and protocols to ensure continued access to safe learning environments. Advocated for the passage of Pennsylvania's CROWN Act, helping secure new statutory protections that protect public school students against racial hair discrimination based on hair type, hair texture, or protective hairstyles like braids, twists, knows and locs. Public school students are specifically protected by this law. Released a report, along with Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, that analyzed statewide data and identified education barriers impacting children and youth in foster care based on ELC-PA's representation. The report relies on statewide data not previously disclosed and breaks new ground by detailing the educational outcomes and glaring inequities for students in care. Assisted children experiencing homelessness, in foster care, and in the juvenile justice system to receive the education they need and deserve. Represented more than 90 families to secure early intervention services for their young children with disabilities and advocated for new systemic policies to ensure effective transition from preschool to kindergarten. Supported parent advocacy in 38 school districts, countering harmful, extremist school board policies that exclude transgender students and create hostile school environments for Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ students. Remedied special education deficiencies through state complaints that led to new policies expanding access to education for youth in detention centers in Philadelphia and Allegheny County. Through ELC-PA's Helpline, annually support more than 1,000 students and families - primarily those who are most margina
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1990.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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