Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE CIVIL LEGAL SERVICE TO LOW-INCOME CLIENTS. OUR LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDE BASIC PROTECTION FOR OUR CLIENTS BY ENFORCING THE LAW WHEN THEIR RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED, PROMOTE THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION, AND EDUCATE AND INFORM OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS OF THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
- Income
- $5.8 million
- Spending
- $5.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- -1.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 93%
- Employees
- 48
- Volunteers
- 125
- Highest pay
- $224,768, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 38 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 146% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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, 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)
- $5.3 million spent. DURING 2025, LEGAL AID SERVICE OF NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA PROVIDED FREE, HIGH-QUALITY CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA. ATTORNEYS, PARALEGALS, AND VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS HELPED CLIENTS RESOLVE LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVING HOUSING, FAMILY SAFETY, PUBLIC BENEFITS, CONSUMER PROTECTION, ELDER LAW, AND OTHER MATTERS AFFECTING BASIC NEEDS, FINANCIAL SECURITY, AND LONG-TERM STABILITY. SERVICES WERE PROVIDED THROUGH DIRECT REPRESENTATION, LEGAL ADVICE, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, CLINICS, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH COURTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. LEGAL AID'S WORK HELPED PREVENT HOMELESSNESS, PROTECT SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, PRESERVE FAMILY STABILITY, SECURE INCOME AND HEALTH BENEFITS, PROTECT OLDER ADULTS FROM ABUSE AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION, AND REMOVE LEGAL BARRIERS THAT PREVENT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FROM ACHIEVING STABILITY AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY. DURING THE YEAR, LEGAL AID SERVED 9,159 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH DIRECT LEGAL SERVICES, PROTECTED AND RECOVERED 868,180.00 FOR CLIENTS, CLOSED 3,514 CASES WITH ITS LEGAL SERVICES STAFF AND CLOSED 502 CASES THROUGH ITS PRIVATE ATTORNEY INVOLVEMENT (PAI) PROGRAM. STAFF ALSO REACHED MORE THAN 2,761 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH LEGAL EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS, CLINICS, AND OUTREACH EVENTS. DURING THE YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION ALSO COMPLETED ITS MERGER WITH LEGAL SERVICES OF NORTHWEST MINNESOTA TO FORM JUSTICE NORTH. THE MERGER SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED ACCESS TO CIVIL LEGAL AID ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA, CREATING ONE OF THE LARGEST RURAL LEGAL AID PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTRY WHILE ENSURING UNINTERRUPTED SERVICES FOR EXISTING CLIENTS. FOLLOWING THE MERGER, JUSTICE NORTH SERVES RESIDENTS ACROSS MORE THAN 52,000 SQUARE MILES OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA THROUGH EIGHT OFFICES AND NUMEROUS OUTREACH LOCATIONS, ENSURING ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN SOME OF THE STATE'S MOST RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. DURING 2025, LEGAL AID SERVICE OF NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA PROVIDED FREE, HIGH-QUALITY CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA. ATTORNEYS, PARALEGALS, AND VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS HELPED CLIENTS RESOLVE LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVING HOUSING, FAMILY SAFETY, PUBLIC BENEFITS, CONSUMER PROTECTION, ELDER LAW, AND OTHER MATTERS AFFECTING BASIC NEEDS, FINANCIAL SECURITY, AND LONG-TERM STABILITY. SERVICES WERE PROVIDED THROUGH DIRECT REPRESENTATION, LEGAL ADVICE, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, CLINICS, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH COURTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. LEGAL AID'S WORK HELPED PREVENT HOMELESSNESS, PROTECT SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, PRESERVE FAMILY STABILITY, SECURE INCOME AND HEALTH BENEFITS, PROTECT OLDER ADULTS FROM ABUSE AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION, AND REMOVE LEGAL BARRIERS THAT PREVENT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FROM ACHIEVING STABILITY AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY. DURING THE YEAR, LEGAL AID SERVED 9,159 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH DIRECT LEGAL SERVICES, PROTECTED AND RECOVERED 868,180.00 FOR CLIENTS, CLOSED 3,514 CASES WITH ITS LEGAL SERVICES STAFF AND CLOSED 502 CASES THROUGH ITS PRIVATE ATTORNEY INVOLVEMENT (PAI) PROGRAM. STAFF ALSO REACHED MORE THAN 2,761 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH LEGAL EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS, CLINICS, AND OUTREACH EVENTS. DURING THE YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION ALSO COMPLETED ITS MERGER WITH LEGAL SERVICES OF NORTHWEST MINNESOTA TO FORM JUSTICE NORTH. THE MERGER SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED ACCESS TO CIVIL LEGAL AID ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA, CREATING ONE OF THE LARGEST RURAL LEGAL AID PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTRY WHILE ENSURING UNINTERRUPTED SERVICES FOR EXISTING CLIENTS. FOLLOWING THE MERGER, JUSTICE NORTH SERVES RESIDENTS ACROSS MORE THAN 52,000 SQUARE MILES OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA THROUGH EIGHT OFFICES AND NUMEROUS OUTREACH LOCATIONS, ENSURING ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN SOME OF THE STATE'S MOST RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 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 May 1956.
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.