Innovation Law Lab
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Innovation Law Lab seeks to build permanent pathways to immigrant inclusion by designing, implementing and evaluating highly effective and scalable systems of care that address immigrant deportations and civic exclusions on account of immigration status.
- Income
- $4.4 million
- Spending
- $5.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 12.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 75%
- Employees
- 44
- Highest pay
- $167,014, executive 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 28% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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
Strong: 94 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 10 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
9 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
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 (5)
- $2.5 million spent. Stategic Legal Design: Innovation Law Lab seeks to address systemic power asymmetries that keep immigrants and refugees from accessing justice by designing effective and highly scalable pro bono legal programs in underserved detention centers and hostile jurisdictions.
- $959,375 spent. Software Development: Innovation Law Labs software engineers work closely with program, legal design and litigation teams to develop technology for large scale case management, efficient remote collaboration, and real time aggregation of data. By bringing technology to the fight for justice, Innovation Law Lab is able to efficiently scale pro bono programs and establish infomation systems in historically siloed advocacy spaces.
- $942,805 spent. Stategic Program Design and Implementation: Innovation Law Lab seeks to build permanent pathways to immigrant inclusion by designing, implementing and evaluating highly effective and scalable systems of care that address immigant deportations and civil exclusions on account of immigrantion status.
- $471,950 spent. Anticarceral Legal Organizing (AcLO) Program: Innovation Law Lab seeks to end the practice of immigrant detention by supporting people in ICE detention, advocating for their freedom and exposing the abuses of ICE detention, while partnering with the communities neighboring ICE detention centers to develop pathways to transition rural communities away from a reliance on prison economies.
- $150,040 spent. Program costs that serve all programs
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 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 June 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 November 2014.
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.
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.