Illinois Prison Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THROUGH ADVOCACY, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND DIRECT REPRESENTATION OF THOUSANDS OF NEEDLESSLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE, WE BRING HOPE TO AND FIGHT IN COMMUNITY WITH INCARCERATED PEOPLE AND THEIR LOVED ONES FOR A BRIGHTER, MORE HUMANE, MORE JUST SYSTEM FOR US ALL.
- Income
- $4.0 million
- Spending
- $4.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 1.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 52%
- Employees
- 34
- Highest pay
- $180,834, executive dir.
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: 68 out of 100.
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% 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: 92 out of 100.
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
0 of 8Reports no 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 (2)
- $2.9 million spent. IPP HAS FREED NEARLY 200 PEOPLE FROM PRISON AND CURRENTLY REPRESENTS HUNDREDS OF ADDITIONAL INCARCERATED PEOPLE IN CLEMENCY MEDICAL RELEASE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ADVOCACY. IN ADDITION TO THE INCALCULABLE BENEFITS TO THOSE FREED INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES THEIR RELEASE WILL RESULT IN A COST SAVINGS OF AT LEAST $158 MILLION TO ILLINOIS TAXPAYERS. IN EACH CASE IPP PROVIDES BOTH ZEALOUS LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND ROBUST REENTRY PLANNING INCLUDING SECURING OUR CLIENTS HOUSING EMPLOYMENT IF APPROPRIATE AND PUBLIC BENEFITS. IPP PROVIDES LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO CLIENTS SERVING LIFE SENTENCES FOR THEIR THIRD STRIKE, PEOPLE SERVING SENTENCES FOR FELONY MURDER, INCARCERATED SURVIVORS OF D VIOLENCE, AND PEOPLE CONVICTED OF OFFENSES BEFORE THEIR 21ST BIRTHDAY ELIGIBLE FOR RELEASE THROUGH ILLINOIS NEW YOUTH PAROLE LAW. IMPORTANTLY THROUGH THIS WORK IPP IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO INCREASE ACCESS TO COUNSEL AND EXPAND LEGAL SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE SERVING EXCESSIVE PRISON SENTENCES. INCARCERATED PEOPLE HAVE NO RIGHT TO AN ATTORNEY AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR DIRECT APPEAL LEAVING THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE INCARCERATED POPULATION WITHOUT ANYONE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES DIRECTLY IPP RECRUITS TRAINS AND SUPPORTS PRO BONO ATTORNEYS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO REPRESENT INCARCERATED PEOPLE. IPP ALSO CREATES TOOLKITS TRAININGS AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR BOTH ATTORNEYS AND NON-ATTORNEYS WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR INCARCERATED PEOPLE ON TOPICS THAT INCLUDE COMMUTATION PARDONS SENTENCING CREDIT AND MEDICAL RELEASE. IPP HOSTS A VIRTUAL AND FREE LEGAL CLINIC WHERE IT PROVIDES SUPPORT TO FAMILY MEMBERS SUPPORTING INCARCERATED PEOPLE IN THEIR QUEST FOR FREEDOM. IPP TRAINS AND COMPENSATES INCARCERATED AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS TO SHARE LEGAL INFORMATION WITH OTHER INCARCERATED PEOPLE.
- $753,111 spent. THROUGH ITS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT LED AND STAFFED BY FORMERLY INCARCERATED STAFF MEMBERS MANY OF WHOM WERE IPP CLIENTS-IPP IS ACTIVELY SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE AROUND INCARCERATED PEOPLE ESPECIALLY THOSE SERVING LONG SENTENCES. IPP TAKES A PERSON-FIRST APPROACH THAT CENTERS THE VOICES OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE AND SUPPORTS THEIR TESTIMONIES WITH DATA. IPP EDUCATES COMMUNITIES ABOUT THE HARM CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE SENTENCES AND THE NEED FOR BACK-END REFORM THROUGH TRAINING AND EVENTS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE-INCLUDING SCHOOLS RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS WORKPLACES AND PUBLIC SPACES. IPP EDUCATION EVENTS CENTER FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS CALLS TO ACTION AND READING LISTS ALL TAILORED SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE AUDIENCES. THROUGH THIS APPROACH WE SEEK TO UNDO PERVASIVE MYTHS ABOUT WHO IS IN ILLINOIS PRISONS THE REALITY OF PRISON LIFE AND THE DESPERATE NEED FOR PATHWAYS OUT OF INCARCERATION. IN FY25 IPP HAS DELIVERED OVER 40 EDUCATIONAL EVENTS REACHING ALMOST 9,000 PEOPLE. IPPS WORK WAS FEATURED IN RESEARCH SYMPOSIUMS AT UNIVERSITY CHICAGO NORTHWESTERN AND HEARTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE. IPP HAS ALSO TRAINED TWO COHORTS OF NEW HIRES FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE A PARTNERSHIP THAT ALLOWS US TO BRING IPPS REFORMATIVE APPROACH DIRECTLY TO SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS. THROUGH THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IPP OFFERS ROBUST TRAINING PUBLIC SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES AND COMPENSATION TO FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE; IPP HAS TRAINED AND SUPPORTED 28 SYSTEM-IMPACTED PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT A COMBINED 440 YEARS IN PRISON. PREVIOUS AMBASSADORS HAD ON AVERAGE SERVED 15.7 YEARS IN PRISON BEFORE BEING RELEASED. AMBASSADORS SHARE THEIR STORIES TO GALVANIZE STATE-LEVEL SYSTEMS CHANGE AND THIS PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT IPP ENCOURAGES THE LEADERSHIP OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE. AMBASSADORS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES OF INCARCERATION AGING IN PRISON REHABILITATION AND HOPE DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SETTINGS RANGING FROM LARGE WEBINARS TO INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS. THROUGH THE PROGRAM EACH 6-PERSON COHORT RECEIVES 8 MONTHS OF TRAINING CREATING A TEAM OF COMPELLING ADVOCATES ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND POLICYMAKERS ABOUT THE DEEP NEED FOR BACK-END REFORM.
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 January 2023.
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.