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Trial Impact Project

EIN 86-1434433 · Los Angeles, CA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood74 out of 100GovernanceGood70 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Advancing social justice by focusing on groundbreaking trial work and innovative collaboration across private, public and academic sectors. Our trial lawyers, veterans of historic cases, work closely with the next generation of leaders in the law to prevail in the nations most impactful, precedent-setting cases.

Income
$1.8 million
Spending
$1.9 million
Spent on programs
85%
Reserves
4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
15
Volunteers
2
Highest pay
$238,080, executive dir.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 74 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 28% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    85% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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. $1.6 million spent. In 2025, Trial Impact Project ("TIP" had two ongoing programs:1. Fellowship: One of TIPs two core missions is the fellowship program, which provides two years of intensive litigation training to recent law school graduates committed to working in civil rights. In September 2025, we welcomed three new fellows to our third fellowship cohort, and we were able to cover their moving expenses and bar fees. The fellows have joined our cases, working under the supervision of our senior staff attorneys and executive director to draft memoranda and briefs, research legal issues, and contribute to our community outreach and advocacy. After completing their first six months of training, our fellows begin developing their own investigations and building their own civil rights cases with the help of our team.2. Impact Litigation: TIP's other core mission is to develop precedent-setting litigation to advance social justice. Our first docket of cases included five major pieces of litigation, including two police misconduct cases with the ACLU of Louisianas Justice Lab and the Southern Poverty Law Center; one case in state court in Southern California that seeks to ease the burden of homelessness and reduce the punitive fines and fees associated with it; one major class-action case in federal court in Southern California that seeks to hold accountable a private prison and detention center operator that systematically poisoned immigrant detainees; and one case with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Knight First Amendment Institute in Northern California that aims to have San Mateo County reverse its policy of digitizing and destroying inmate mail. SJLF is also continuing investigation into potential new litigation.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 2022.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.