Inland Counties Legal Services
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) mission is to pursue justice and equality for low-income individuals through counsel, advice, advocacy, and community education, treating all with dignity and respect. Over the last six decades, ICLS has evolved from its humble beginnings as a 100% volunteer attorney-led organization to become the largest and most comprehensive law firm in our region, with nearly 60 staff attorneys and 100 legal administrative personnel providing free civil legal services to communities across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
- Income
- $20.1 million
- Spending
- $19.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- 0.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 97%
- Employees
- 188
- Volunteers
- 434
- Highest pay
- $214,005, deputy director of operations
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: 48 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.8 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 85% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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 31% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 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 (3)
- $7.4 million spent. Legal Services - Cases: legal advocacy on behalf of low income eligible clients, including the provision of legal advice, limited services (document preparation), and/or direct representation of clients, including court and administrative agency practice. In 2024, ICLS closed 9,353 cases handled by its staff lawyers and paralegals.
- $6.4 million spent. Legal non-case services or "matters" are activities in the following areas: community legal education: (1) unique website visitors: 55,000 (measured) (2) presentation audiences: 176 and (3) referrals to legal entities: 4,228 and to non-legal entities: none.
- $1.9 million spent. Legal Services - Private Attorney Involvement (PAI) Program: through approved subgrants of federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funds, ICLS funded one non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide pro-bono attorney legal assistance to low-income eligible persons residing in Riverside and/or San Bernardino counties. ICLS reports cases closed by subgrantees annually to LSC. In 2024, a total of 83 cases were closed under this program activity.
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 November 1971.
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.
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.