Farmers Legal Action Group Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Farmers' Legal Action Group, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which operates a law center that provides legal services and support to America's family farmers and their communities to help keep farmers on the land.
- Income
- $814,553
- Spending
- $914,553
- Spent on programs
- 57%
- Reserves
- 11.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 39%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 8
- Highest pay
- $188,781, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 70 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 12% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1557% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 25 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 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
0 of 10Did not give 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 December 31, 2024, 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)
- $519,865 spent. During the entirety of 2024, FLAG also continued operating its national Family Farmer Legal Assistance Hotline and answered calls from across the United States on a broad range of issues including bankruptcy; farm business issues; contracts; crop insurance; disaster assistance; discrimination; private and USDA Farm Service Agency credit/lending issues; farmland access; farm family probate/wills/estates matters; farmer-lender mediation; federal support and relief programs, rules, and regulations; appeals of adverse federal agency decisions; foreclosures; landlord/tenant disputes; property rights; and other issues. During this year, FLAG attorneys conducted nineteen trainings attended by more than 600 farmers, farm advocates, attorneys, and other interested individuals. Topics included farm borrowers' rights, federal farm programs, farm credit, and other pressing legal issues facing farmers throughout the year. FLAG attorneys also published a 256-page Farmers' Guide to Minnesota Lending Law.During 2024, FLAG held five free Continuing Legal Education classes for attorneys, and four professional development educational sessions for agricultural professionals in Minnesota. In total, 247 agricultural professionals attended the professional development educational series.The aim of these two series was to give rural attorneys, and agricultural professionals who assist farmers, knowledge of agricultural/farm lending law, so they can know what practices farmers should follow to obtain and maintain access to credit, and to know borrowers' rights and options when disputes over credit and lending occur. Free legal, or farmer peer support, services are a key component of helping financially distressed farmers in Minnesota. Farmers experiencing occupational stress or behavioral or mental health issues invariably have legal, business, financial or credit problems requiring the services of an attorney or peer supporter. Such legal problems significantly compound, and are often the cause of, significant stress and behavioral problems. Access to lawyers helps resolve those problems, which reduces farmer stress and helps get the farm back to relatively normal operations.Unfortunately, it has become an increasingly acute problem that most Minnesota farmers do not have access to adequate legal representation, especially involving debt disputes, borrowers' rights, and other matters related to farm credit and lending law. Meanwhile, banks and lenders are well represented by sophisticated attorneys, leaving a very uneven playing field for financially troubled and stressed farm families.To increase the number of rural Minnesota attorneys representing farmers in financial disputes with lenders, or in other similar adversarial situations, FLAG offered free CLEs on Minnesota agricultural/farm lending law. In collaboration with the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA), and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, FLAG developed and delivered educational materials and a series of four free live, interactive Continuing Legal Education webinars, including free CLE credits for attorneys, along with archived on-demand videos of those webinars.The CLEs and CLE materials provided attorneys representing farmers in adversarial disputes the tools they need to stand up for farm families and ensure that farmers' rights are heard and protected, especially at vulnerable times for farm families experiencing financial and mental or behavioral distress.FLAG's website, and the Farmers' Guides hosted there, were accessed by thousands of unique visitors during the year.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 December 2024.
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 June 1986.
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.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.