Ohio Legal Help
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OHIO LEGAL HELP LEVERAGES TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION TO IMPROVE JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS FOR ALL OHIOANS. OUR WORK REMOVES BARRIERS TO THE LAW SO THAT ALL OHIOANS CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR LEGAL OPTIONS, MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS AND CONNECT TO LEGAL AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
- Income
- $1.2 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 3.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $199,741, 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 65% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 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 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)
- $1.0 million spent. 92 PERCENT OF CIVIL LEGAL PROBLEMS REPORTED BY LOW-INCOME AMERICANS RECEIVE INADEQUATE OR NO LEGAL HELP. PEOPLE WHO NEED LEGAL HELP THE MOST ARE OFTEN THE ONES WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO IT. IT IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE CALLED THE JUSTICE GAP, AND IT REFERS TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CIVIL LEGAL NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME AMERICANS AND THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MEET THOSE NEEDS. OHIO LEGAL HELP WAS CREATED TO BRIDGE AND CLOSE THIS JUSTICE GAP IN OHIO. AS A STATEWIDE, SECURE MOBILE-FIRST HUB OF LEGAL INFORMATION, FORMS AND RESOURCES, OHIO LEGAL HELP BRIDGES THE JUSTICE GAP FOR OHIOANS IN NEED BY CONNECTING THEM TO CRITICAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THEIR LIVES.(PROGRAM DESCRIPTION CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O) IN 2025, OUR WORK WAS SHAPED BY THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP AND A SHARED COMMITMENT TO EXPANDING ACCESS TO JUSTICE. TOGETHER WITH COURTS, LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS, STATE AGENCIES, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE CONTINUED BUILDING SOLUTIONS THAT RESPOND TO THE REAL NEEDS OF OHIOANS. THESE EFFORTS STRENGTHENED NOT ONLY THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO THE SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT THEM. THE WORK OF THE PAST YEAR REFLECTS THREE INTERCONNECTED AREAS OF FOCUS. IMPACT REFLECTS THE REACH OF THIS WORK AND THE GROWING NUMBER OF OHIOANS WHO RELY ON OHIO LEGAL HELP TO FIND ANSWERS AND MOVE FORWARD. INSIGHT CAPTURES HOW COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE HELPS US BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES OHIOANS FACE AND GUIDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW RESOURCES. INFRASTRUCTURE HIGHLIGHTS THE TECHNOLOGY AND COURT PARTNERSHIPS THAT MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS LEGAL HELP AND NAVIGATE THE LEGAL SYSTEM. TOGETHER, THESE EFFORTS CONTINUE TO ADVANCE OHIO LEGAL HELP'S MISSION OF CLOSING THE JUSTICE GAP AND EMPOWERING OHIOANS TO RESOLVE THEIR LEGAL ISSUES WITH CONFIDENCE. IMPACT - OHIO LEGAL HELP'S WORK IS MEASURED BY ITS IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE WHO RELY ON ITS SERVICES. EACH YEAR, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OHIOANS TURN TO THE PLATFORM FOR HELP NAVIGATING LEGAL CHALLENGES SUCH AS EVICTION, PROTECTION ORDERS, FAMILY LAW MATTERS, ESTATE PLANNING, AND CONSUMER ISSUES. OHIO LEGAL HELP'S 2025 USER METRICS WERE AS FOLLOWS: TOTAL USERS ASSISTED: 767,537 TOTAL VISITS TO OHIOLEGALHELP.ORG: 1,031,892 TOTAL PAGES VISITED ON OHIOLEGALHELP.ORG: 1,922,147 TOTAL NUMBER OF REFERRALS: 238,929 O COURTS: 95,532 O LEGAL AIDS (INCLUDING PRO SENIORS): 35,413 O PRIVATE BAR ASSOCIATIONS (LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE): 14,329 O PUBLIC DEFENDERS AND COURT APPOINTED COUNSEL: 8,650 O SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES: 85,005 USER PROFILE: O VISITING ON A MOBILE PHONE OR TABLET (67%) O AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE OF 3 PEOPLE O HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS LESS THAN 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL (79%) O MORE THAN HALF (54%) FALL INTO A SPECIAL DEMOGRAPHIC WHETHER THAT'S FACING HOMELESSNESS (41%), EXPERIENCING VIOLENCE OR ABUSE (29%), IDENTIFY AS HAVING A DISABILITY (46%), OVER THE AGE OF 60 (27%), OR A VETERAN (12%). OUR TOP PAGES VISITED IN 2025 WERE NAME CHANGE, PROTECTION ORDERS, EVICTION TIMELINE, TRANSFER-ON-DEATH FOR HOME, AND DISSOLUTION. THIS YEAR, OHIO LEGAL HELP RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION THROUGH THE AMERICAN LEGAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD IN THE COURTS CATEGORY FOR ITS WORK EXPANDING ACCESS TO JUSTICE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY. THE AMERICAN LEGAL TECHNOLOGY AWARDS HONOR ORGANIZATIONS AND INNOVATORS WHOSE WORK DEMONSTRATES EXCELLENCE IN LEGAL TECHNOLOGY AND IMPROVES HOW LEGAL SYSTEMS SERVE THE PUBLIC. THE RECOGNITION HIGHLIGHTS OHIO LEGAL HELP'S COMMITMENT TO DESIGNING USER-CENTERED LEGAL TECHNOLOGY THAT HELPS INDIVIDUALS BETTER UNDERSTAND AND NAVIGATE THE CIVIL JUSTICE SYSTEM. BY COMBINING PLAIN-LANGUAGE LEGAL GUIDANCE, DOCUMENT AUTOMATION, AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH COURTS AND LEGAL AID PROVIDERS, OHIO LEGAL HELP CONTINUES TO DEVELOP TOOLS THAT MAKE LEGAL PROCESSES MORE ACCESSIBLE AND EASIER TO NAVIGATE FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE FACE SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO LEGAL HELP. THIS NATIONAL RECOGNITION REFLECTS THE GROWING IMPACT OF OHIO LEGAL HELP'S WORK AND REINFORCES THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS THAT IMPROVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR COMMUNITIES ACROSS OHIO. INSIGHT - A CORE VALUE OF OHIO LEGAL HELP IS ITS COMMITMENT TO LISTEN TO PARTNERS ACROSS THE LEGAL AND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMUNITIES AND TRANSLATE THOSE INSIGHTS INTO PRACTICAL RESOURCES FOR OHIOANS. THROUGH OUR LEGAL AID ADVISORY COUNCIL, LEGAL AID PARTNERS SHARED THAT THEY WERE SEEING AN INCREASE IN QUESTIONS FROM UNMARRIED PARENTS SEEKING CLARITY ON THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. IN RESPONSE, OHIO LEGAL HELP CREATED A COMPREHENSIVE PLAIN-LANGUAGE RESOURCE EXPLAINING PARENTAL RIGHTS FOR UNMARRIED PARENTS AND OUTLINING THE LEGAL STEPS FAMILIES MAY NEED TO TAKE. OHIO LEGAL HELP ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE OHIO BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES OHIOANS WERE EXPERIENCING WITH NEW FEDERAL REAL ID REQUIREMENTS. MANY RESIDENTS ENCOUNTER DOCUMENTATION ISSUES WHEN NAMES DO NOT MATCH ACROSS OFFICIAL RECORDS, INCLUDING SITUATIONS INVOLVING NAME CHANGES. WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE BMV, OHIO LEGAL HELP DEVELOPED A REAL ID OVERVIEW TO HELP RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS AND RESOLVE DISCREPANCIES BEFORE VISITING A DEPUTY REGISTRAR. IN ADDITION, COLLABORATION WITH THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ONLINE ASSISTANT THAT HELPS PARENTS REQUEST A REVIEW OF THEIR CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS. BY SIMPLIFYING THIS PROCESS, OHIO LEGAL HELP HELPS FAMILIES MORE EASILY NAVIGATE AN IMPORTANT STEP IN MANAGING THEIR FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND ENSURING CHILD SUPPORT ARRANGEMENTS REMAIN APPROPRIATE. THESE COLLABORATIONS DEMONSTRATE HOW PARTNERSHIPS WITH LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS, STATE AGENCIES, AND COURTS HELP OHIO LEGAL HELP IDENTIFY EMERGING NEEDS AND RESPOND WITH TIMELY, ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION. INFRASTRUCTURE - OHIO LEGAL HELP EXISTS TO MAKE THE CIVIL JUSTICE SYSTEM NAVIGABLE AT SCALE. OUR WORK FOCUSES NOT ONLY ON PROVIDING INFORMATION, BUT ALSO ON BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HELPS INDIVIDUALS SUCCESSFULLY MOVE THROU
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 March 2019.
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.