CharityWatch reduces the grade of any charity that has available assets equal to three to five years of operating expenses. Charities with "years of available assets" of more than five years receive an "F" grade regardless of other measurements. In CharityWatch's view, a reserve of less than three years is reasonable and does not affect a charity's grade. These reductions in grades are based solely on the charities' asset reserves as compared to budget. The CharityWatch definition of "years of available assets" includes funds currently available for the charity's use, including investments that the charity has set aside as a reserve but could choose to spend if it wanted to do so. Equal Justice Initiative's letter grade rating has been downgraded because it has 3 or more years of available assets.
See Our Process to learn more about how CharityWatch considers a charity’s asset reserves and the High Asset List for a list of charities whose ratings have been reduced due to high assets.
Uses research, scholarship, public education, advocacy, litigation, public history, health care, direct services, and community engagement to challenge racial & economic injustice, fight poverty, and end mass incarceration & excessive punishment. Committed to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
| Entity | Document Type | Tax ID |
|---|---|---|
| Equal Justice Initiative | Consolidated Audited Financial Statements | Multiple |
| Equal Justice Initiative | IRS Form 990 | 63-1135091 |
|
Entity: Equal Justice Initiative Document Type: Consolidated Audited Financial Statements Tax ID: Multiple |
|
Entity: Equal Justice Initiative Document Type: IRS Form 990 Tax ID: 63-1135091 |
| Name | Title | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tera K. Duvernay | Deputy Director of Legacy Sites | $210,859 |
| 2 | Charlotte Morrison | Senior Attorney | $206,167 |
| 3 | Sia M. Sanneh | Senior Attorney | $180,130 |
|
1 Name: Tera K. Duvernay Title: Deputy Director of Legacy Sites Compensation: $210,859 |
|
2 Name: Charlotte Morrison Title: Senior Attorney Compensation: $206,167 |
|
3 Name: Sia M. Sanneh Title: Senior Attorney Compensation: $180,130 |
Based on our analysis of Equal Justice Initiative's IRS Form 990 and Consolidated Audited Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, CharityWatch computed that Equal Justice Initiative spent $282,070 to raise $59,493,553 in cash donations. Equal Justice Initiative's fundraising efficiency percentage (Cost to Raise $100) is therefore $0.47. The Cost to Raise $100 pie chart on CharityWatch's profile page for Equal Justice Initiative reflects $0 since this figure is rounded to the nearest $1 for purposes of this chart. |
CharityWatch's rating of the Equal Justice Initiative (tax ID #63-1135091) includes the financial activities of SCD Holdings, LLC (tax ID #88-2359352), a wholly-owned limited-liability company whose purpose is to "hold title to property for the benefit of the
Organization" according to Audit Note 2 of organization's consolidated audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025. Intercompany accounts, transactions and earnings have been eliminated in consolidation. |
According to the Equal Justice Initiative consolidated audit of September 30, 2025 (Note 10, Concentration of Credit Risk): "Financial instruments that potentially subject the Organization to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents and certificates of deposit balances maintained at financial institutions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures these balances up to a total of $250,000 at each institution. Cash and investment balances are also maintained in broker accounts that are insured up to $500,000 by the Securities Investors Protection Corporation (SIPC). Money market deposit accounts and certificates of deposit are divided into amounts under the standard FDIC insurance maximum of $250,000 by the IntraFi Cash Service (ICS) and Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS). For the year ended September 30, 2025, the Organization had a total of $199,546,234 in excess of insured amounts. The Organization has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk related to these accounts." |
According to the Equal Justice Initiative consolidated audit of September 30, 2025 (Note 12, Related Party, The Legacy Foundation): "Certain employees and board members also serve as board members of The Legacy Foundation (Foundation). The employees of the Organization administer the Foundation on a day-to-day basis and operations are conducted in common facilities that are owned by the Organization. No amounts were contributed to the Foundation during the year ended September 30, 2025. No amounts were due to or from the Foundation at September 30, 2025." |
According to the Equal Justice Initiative consolidated audit of September 30, 2025 (Note 13, Subsequent Events): "The Organization had multiple construction projects in process as of September 30, 2025. These projects included a convening center and supporting infrastructure for visitors of the Legacy Sites, which were placed in service in October 2025. Additionally, a new Legacy Site was completed in March 2026 focusing on Montgomery, Alabama's critical role in the civil rights movement, in particular the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Selma to Montgomery March. These projects were included in Construction in Progress...as of September 30, 2025, and amounted to $98,799,282." |