First Defense Legal Aid

Analysis

First Defense Legal Aid is a registered charity in United States, based in Chicago, IL. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in September 2025. Its declared purposes cover crime and legal-related, which this site groups under human rights and equality. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending June 2020, First Defense Legal Aid reported income of $631k and spending of $637k, spending 101% of its income. Across the 2 years on record, from June 2019 to June 2020, income fell from $717k to $631k (-12%), an average of -12% a year. Over the whole period it spent 101% of the income it received.

Among 9,611 United States charities whose main cause is human rights and equality and that reported income, First Defense Legal Aid sits at the 67th percentile: it is larger than about 67% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 74th percentile, and in the 73rd percentile within IL. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Dupage Legal Assistance Foundation ($631k), Pomona Pride Center Inc ($632k) and Gender Equity Policy Institute ($630k).

On its Form 990 for the period ending June 2020, revenue came from contributions and grants 100% of the total. Other salaries and wages came to $396k. At year end it held assets of $73k against liabilities of $13k, net assets of $60k.