Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO CREATE SAFE AND STABLE HOMES AND FAMILIES BY INSPIRING THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL JUSTICE.
- Income
- $5.6 million
- Spending
- $7.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 74%
- Employees
- 77
- Volunteers
- 414
- Highest pay
- $216,348, 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
Weak: 40 out of 100.
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 23% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 38% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 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.
Independent board
25 of 2531 of 31 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 (1)
- $5.8 million spent. SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PROJECT - THE SAFE & STABLE FAMILIES PROJECT IS DEVOTED TO HELPING SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE ACHIEVE SAFETY AND STABILITY. THROUGH ZOOM FAMILY LAW AND PROTECTIVE ORDER HEARINGS, MOBILE ADVOCACY EFFORTS, VIRTUAL SOCIAL WORK SERVICES, AND MORE. THE SAFE & STABLE FAMILIES TEAM AND THEIR VOLUNTEERS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE UNINTERRUPTED SUPPORT TO ATLANTA SURVIVORS THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 CRISIS. SAFE AND STABLE HOMES PROJECT - OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS PREVENT EVICTIONS, PROVIDE FINANCIAL ADVICE AND HELP TENANTS NAVIGATE AN OFTEN INSCRUTABLE JUSTICE SYSTEM. OUR SAFE & STABLE HOMES PROJECT CONTINUED ITS PIVOT TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, TRANSITIONING ALL SATURDAY LAWYER CLINICS AND TRAININGS TO REMOTE SERVICE, EXPANDING OUR HOUSING COURT ASSISTANCE CENTER (HCAC), AND VIRTUALLY RECRUITING MORE VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS. COMMUNITY SUPPRT & PREVENTION - THE NUMBER OF ATLANTANS WHO NEED EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GREW EXPONENTIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC. ADDITIONALLY, ATLANTA'S HISTORIC AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS AND EVICTION EPIDEMIC MEANT THAT FAMILIES NEEDED IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EMERGENCY FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO KEEP THEM SAFE IN THEIR HOMES. OUR COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE TEAM CONTINUED TO PROVIDE COVID-RELATED EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND WORKED TO ADMINISTER A VARIETY OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AS THE AVAILABILITY OF AND REQUIREMENTS AROUND VARIOUS SOURCES OF ASSISTANCE CHANGED IN A DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT. HEALING THROUGH LEGAL ADVOCACY - MEDICAL LEGAL PARTNERSHIP PLUS (MLP+) IS AN INNOVATIVE NEW PROGRAM CONNECTING HEALTHCARE WITH LEGAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF HEALTH AND HOUSING INSTABILITY, PROVIDING WRAPAROUND SUPPORT FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS, INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE SURVIVORS, AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUES. BY LINKING LEGAL ADVOCACY DIRECTLY WITH THE HEALTHCARE ECOSYSTEM, MLP+ TREATS HOUSING AND SAFETY NOT JUST AS LEGAL CRISES, BUT AS CRITICAL SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
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 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 April 1980.
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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