Public Health Law Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O.
- Income
- $6.0 million
- Spending
- $6.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 1.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $249,747, director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 53 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 62% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
5 of 250 of 3 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 June 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)
- $4.7 million spent. WHILE OUR MISSION REMAINS CONSTANT, OUR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES EVOLVE OVER TIME, AS WE TAKE ON A BROADENING SPECTRUM OF ISSUES AND STRIVE TO CENTER EQUITY MORE CONSISTENTLY IN ALL OUR WORK. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, AND NOTWITHSTANDING OUR TRANSITION TO A FULLY REMOTE WORKING ENVIRONMENT, WE CONTINUED TO DELIVER EFFECTIVE SERVICES WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. AMONG OUR PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THE YEAR:1. WE CONTINUED AS THE NATION'S PRIMARY SOURCE OF LEGAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THOSE ADDRESSING THE LEADING CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DEATH: THE EPIDEMIC OF COMMERCIAL TOBACCO USE. AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE:-PROVIDED LEGAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EDUCATION TO PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND ADVOCATES IN TRIBES, TERRITORIES, STATES AND MUNICIPALITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.- COMPLETED OUR SIXTH YEAR OF SERVICE AS THE DESIGNATED LEGAL POLICY EXPERTS SUPPORTING THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S COMMERCIAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM, EARNING TOP MARKS FROM THE STATE'S EVALUATORS AND OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM GRANTEES. - COMPLETED OUR FOURTH YEAR AS THE DESIGNATED LEGAL CENTER SUPPORTING THE NEW YORK STATE'S COMMERCIAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM.- MONITORED AND DEMYSTIFIED THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION'S REGULATORY REGIME FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS, PRESSING FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.- ANSWERED HUNDREDS OF REQUESTS FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM EVERY STATE OF THE NATION ON DOZENS OF ISSUES, RANGING FROM IMPLEMENTATION OF SMOKE-FREE POLICIES TO THE REGULATION OF ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES. THE INFORMATION, RESOURCES, AND GUIDANCE WE PROVIDED TO COMMUNITY LEADERS SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOZENS OF INNOVATIVE NEW POLICIES. - EXPANDED OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY OF OVER 500 TOBACCO-RELATED POLICY RESOURCES. THESE RESOURCES WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, WHICH WAS VISITED BY OVER 500,000 USERS, AND THROUGH A MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER SENT TO MORE THAN 7,000 PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.- TRAINED THOUSANDS OF PROFESSIONALS THROUGH DELIVERY OF SIXTY WEBINARS AND OTHER PRESENTATIONS.2. WE CONTINUED TO HELP COMMUNITY COALITIONS, HEALTH ADVOCATES AND OTHERS PURSUE EFFECTIVE POLICIES TO SUPPORT HEALTHY EATING AND ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. OUR FOOD-RELATED WORK ADDRESSED DOZENS OF POLICY OPTIONS RANGING FROM IMPROVED NUTRITION STANDARDS FOR GOVERNMENT FACILITIES, TO DEVELOPMENT OF FARMERS' MARKETS, TO TAXATION OF SUGARY BEVERAGES. WE ALSO CONTINUED TO SUPPORT POLICIES THAT ENCOURAGE ACTIVE LIVES, INCLUDING LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY ROADWAYS, LAWS AFFECTING BIKING AND WALKING, AND POLICIES RELATED TO COMMUNITY DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT. 3. WE COMPLETED OUR FOURTH YEAR OF A NEW CLIMATE HEALTH POLICY PROGRAM. WORK INCLUDED ENGAGING WITH THE U.S. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY TO AROUND IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY PUBLIC HOUSING TO BETTER PROTECT HEALTH. THIS INITIATIVE INCLUDED RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICY PRIORITY REFLECTED RESIDENT PRIORITIES FOR CLEAN AIR IN HOUSING. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE A LEGAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SUPPORTING MUNICIPALITIES WORKING TO ADVANCE POLICIES THAT DECARBONIZE BUILDINGS.4. WE COMPLETED OUR FIRST YEAR OF OUR NEWEST PROGRAM AREA WITH FUNDING FROM THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION TO BUILD PUBLIC HEALTH LAW CAPACITY IN STATE, TRIBAL, LOCAL AND TERRITORIAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS. THE PROJECT ALSO SUPPORTS INFORMATION SHARING AMONG JURISDICTIONS THROUGH DATA USE AGREEMENTS.5. WE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP A GROWING BODY OF WORK ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE LEGAL ISSUES AND HEALTH CHALLENGES OF POLICYMAKING WITHIN SOVEREIGN TRIBAL NATIONS, WHERE CENTURIES OF GENOCIDE AND MULTI-GENERATIONAL TRAUMA HAVE CREATED EXTREME CHRONIC DISEASE INEQUITIES, BUT WHERE A FOCUS ON TRADITIONAL WAYS AND CULTURE PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR CREATIVE APPROACHES THAT REINFORCE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. OUR WORK RANGES FROM CROSS-CUTTING TRAINING ON THE POLICYMAKING PROCESS, TO POLICIES THAT SUPPORT TRADITIONAL FOODWAYS, TO POLICIES THAT PROTECT SACRED TOBACCO USE WHILE EXPOSING THE ROLE OF COMMERCIAL TOBACCO AND VAPING COMPANIES IN EXPLOITING TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, TO ANALYSIS OF BEST PRACTICES FOR TRIBAL BREASTFEEDING POLICIES, AND MORE.6. BY EMPLOYING LAW STUDENTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH GRADUATE STUDENTS AS RESEARCH ASSISTANTS TO INVESTIGATE CUTTING-EDGE LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH, WE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCES THAT ENHANCE THE CLASSROOM EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE MITCHELL HAMLINE SCHOOL OF LAW AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1999.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.