Elder Law of Michigan Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO ADVOCATE FOR, EDUCATE, AND ASSIST OUR TARGET POPULATIONS. OUR SERVICES ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT WE CONTINUE TO TARGET OUR SERVICES TO OLDER ADULTS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 100%
- Reserves
- 7.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 75%
- Employees
- 19
- Volunteers
- 195
- Highest pay
- $98,422, president & ceo
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: 72 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 20% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 13% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
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
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 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 (3)
- $1.2 million spent. PROVIDED ECONOMIC SECURITY THROUGH MICHIGAN'S COORDINATED ACCESS TO FOOD FOR THE ELDERLY (MICAFE), A PUBLIC-BENEFITS ACCESS PROJECT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (MDHHS), THE AGING AND ADULT SERVICES AGENCY (FORMERLY THE MICHIGAN OFFICE OF SERVICES TO THE AGING), AND LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE PROJECT, OPERATING THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN, IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (WIDELY KNOWN AS THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM OR SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)), MEDICAID AND OTHER SERVICES BY MAKING SENIOR AND COMMUNITY CENTERS POINTS OF ACCESS FOR THE PROGRAM (RATHER THAN REQUIRING SENIORS TO GO TO A LOCAL DHS OFFICE). MICAFE STAFF PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO OVER 109 COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO WORK WITH SENIORS TO HELP THEM APPLY FOR THE FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. STAFF ALSO ANSWERED ALMOST 14,087 CALLS TO ITS DEDICATED HELPLINE. FOR 2024 FISCAL YEAR, MICAFE DISTRIBUTED OVER 93,315 EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO OVER 66,614 MICHIGAN SENIORS, AND SCREENED OVER 1,810 OF THEM TO APPLY FOR SNAP BENEFITS.BENEFITS ENROLLMENT AND OPTIONS CENTER WAS ORIGINALLY STARTED WITH FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING (NCOA) TO ESTABLISH A STATEWIDE PROJECT TO PROVIDE SCREENING TO OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND INTERESTED IN FINDING PUBLIC BENEFITS LIKE MEDICAID, SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD ASSISTANCE, MEDICARE PART D, AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT COULD REDUCE THEIR COSTS OR PROVIDE NEW BENEFITS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR MOST BASIC NEEDS ARE MET. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED OVER THE TELEPHONE. ELM STAFF ALSO ASSISTS CLIENTS SCREENED ELIGIBLE FOR KEY BENEFITS WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS. THIS PROGRAM IS A COMPLEMENTARY SERVICE AND IS INTEGRATED WITH THE MICAFE PROGRAM AND ALL LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAMS. IN 2014, ELM DESIGNATED ALL PROGRAMS AT ELDER LAW TO BE PARTS OF THE BENEFITS ENROLLMENT CENTER BECAUSE EVERY CLIENT THAT RECEIVES ASSISTANCE FROM ELM IS SCREENED FOR KEY BENEFITS.
- $126,963 spent. LEGAL HOTLINE FOR MICHIGAN SENIORS PROVIDED BASIC, PERSONAL LEGAL ADVICE AND INFORMATION OVER THE TELEPHONE TO OLDER ADULTS IN MICHIGAN. SINCE IT BEGAN IN 1990, THE PROGRAM SOLVES PROBLEMS FOR CLIENTS THROUGH CUSTOMIZED INTERVENTIONS AND CLIENT SPECIFIC LEGAL WORK. THE PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO RESPOND TO THE "SOCIALLY NEEDY" BY ELIMINATING BARRIERS SUCH AS GEOGRAPHY, TRANSPORTATION, ILLNESS, POVERTY, AND SOCIAL ISOLATION. THE PROGRAM SERVED APPROXIMATELY 2,000 PEOPLE STATEWIDE IN 2019. IN AUGUST 2019, ELM CEASED OPERATIONS OF THE LEGAL HOTLINE FOR MICHIGAN SENIORS DUE TO FUNDING SHORTFALLS. ELM PARTNERED WITH OTHER LEGAL SERVICE AGENCIES IN THE STATE TO REFER OLDER ADULTS CALLING THE LEGAL HOTLINE TO OTHER PROGRAMS NEAR THEM TO ENSURE EFFORTS TO MEET THEIR LEGAL NEEDS.THE MID-AMERICA PENSION RIGHTS PROJECT ASSISTS RETIREES OF ANY AGE IN RECOVERING PENSION BENEFITS AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS REGARDING PENSION PLANS AND OTHER RETIREMENT BENEFITS. THE PROJECT STARTED AS AN ARM OF THE LEGAL HOTLINE TO SERVE MICHIGAN RESIDENTS. IT HAS GROWN INTO ITS OWN PROGRAM THAT IS A COLLABORATION COVERING SIX STATES, WITH ELM AS THE LEAD ORGANIZATION. THIS PROJECT HAS HELPED RECOVER OVER $86 MILLION IN PENSIONS FOR BENEFICIARIES THROUGH ITS COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP. THIS PROJECT ENDED IN JUNE 2024.
- $12,625 spent. ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM - BEGINNING IN 2007, ELM RECEIVED GRANTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'S OFFICE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (OVW) TO PREVENT, REDUCE, AND RESPOND TO ELDER ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION. IN 2014, THE OVW GRANT ENDED AND ELM WAS CHOSEN AS THE LEAD ORGANIZATION FOR THE STATE OF MICHIGAN'S ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION EFFORTS. IN 2015, ELM LED THE EFFORTS TO CREATE THE MICHIGAN ELDER JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL, A STATEWIDE COLLABORATIVE THAT WILL FOCUS ON ADDRESSING THE ISSUES OF ELDER ABUSE IN MICHIGAN. IN 2017, THE COUNCIL BUILT ON ITS PARTNERSHIPS WITH A NATIONAL IDENTITY THEFT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE NETWORK GRANT TO HELP COMBAT THE PROBLEMS OF ID THEFT AMONG OLDER ADULTS. THE COUNCIL IS ALSO WORKING IN THREE COUNTIES IN THEUPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN TO CREATE A COMMUNITY-WIDE RESPONSE TO ELDER ABUSE.
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 October 13, 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 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 1991.
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 October 21, 2026.
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