The Legal Clinic
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To ensure justice for low-income immigrants and migrants in Hawaii, through high-quality immigration legal services, education and advocacy.
- Income
- $1.2 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 67%
- Reserves
- 10.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 62%
- Employees
- 14
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $102,618, 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
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.8 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1567% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 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 57% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 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 (2)
- $668,312 spent. Immigration Legal Services: Providing free or low-cost services to low-income immigrants and migrants in Hawaii. Services include client screening and intake, attorney advice and counsel, legal representation in federal immigration court, assistance with status adjustment applications, and training law students, pro bono attorneys and other volunteers in helping with specific services. TLCs legal team provided immigration legal assistance to 176 low-income clients and opened 260 total cases-in addition to working on cases that were opened in the prior year. TLC also became the first and only local provider on the DOJ list of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers for immigrants with cases at the Honolulu immigration court.
- $74,257 spent. TLC led or participated in over 20 outreach and educational events across the state, including four webinars with the City & County of Honolulus Office of Economic Revitalization with information specific to the COFA community, which logged over 9,000 combined views, and In-person Know Your Rights (KYR) presentations and tabling at community events on Oahu, Hawaii Island and Maui. TLC co-hosted a continuing legal education (CLE) course entitled Defending Immigrants in Hawaiis Criminal Courts, educating 63 attorneys-including public defenders from across the state-in this highly specialized area of law, with the hope of preventing unnecessary deportations. As a result of attending the course, staff from The Office of the Public Defender contacted TLC to request statewide staff training for their attorneys.
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 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 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 June 2019.
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.