Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

Analysis

Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund is a registered charity in United States, based in Mercersburg, PA. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in July 1995, 31 years ago. 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 December 2023, Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund reported income of $218k and spending of $601k, spending 276% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2023, income fell from $1.0m to $218k (-78%), an average of -32% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2020, when income dropped by 62%. Over the whole period it spent 175% of the income it received.

Among 9,611 United States charities whose main cause is human rights and equality and that reported income, Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund sits at the 47th percentile: it is larger than about 47% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 56th percentile, and in the 53rd percentile within PA. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Im From Driftwood Inc ($218k), League of Women Voters Inc ($218k) and Police Foundation - Arlington TX ($217k).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 73% of the total. Other salaries and wages came to $332k. At year end it held assets of $1.4m against liabilities of $16k, net assets of $1.4m. It reported 6 employees.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.