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. Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund'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.
| Entity | Document Type | Tax ID |
|---|---|---|
| Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund | Audited Financial Statements | 23-7395681 |
| Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund | IRS Form 990 | 23-7395681 |
|
Entity: Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Document Type: Audited Financial Statements Tax ID: 23-7395681 |
|
Entity: Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund Document Type: IRS Form 990 Tax ID: 23-7395681 |
| Name | Title | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Jennings | Chief Executive Officer | $866,012 |
| 2 | Josh Pushkin | Chief Development Officer | $479,184 |
| 3 | Jennifer Pizer | Past Chief Legal Officer | $413,573 |
|
1 Name: Kevin Jennings Title: Chief Executive Officer Compensation: $866,012 |
|
2 Name: Josh Pushkin Title: Chief Development Officer Compensation: $479,184 |
|
3 Name: Jennifer Pizer Title: Past Chief Legal Officer Compensation: $413,573 |
According to the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (Lambda Legal) audit of December 31, 2025 (Note 9, Donated Services), Lambda Legal reported receiving "Donated professional services" on which it placed a total value of $21,340,493. [Note: CharityWatch generally excludes the value of in-kind (non-cash) donations of goods and services from its calculations of Program % and Cost to Raise $100. More information on how grades are calculated and the treatment of in-kind donations can be found on the Our Process page.] |
According to the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (Lambda Legal) tax filing for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, Lambda Legal reports re: Compensation, Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part II): Lambda Legal reports providing "bonus & incentive compensation" during 2025 to thirteen individuals. Kevin Jennings, CEO, received $353,316 of bonus and incentive compensation with total reported compensation of $866,012. The remaining twelve individuals received between $10,526 to $100,169, with total reported compensation ranging from $264,237 to $479,184. According to Schedule J, Part III: "The bonus structures for the chief executive officer and chief development officer include a target for revenue metrics. The amounts reported...are $280,000 and $100,169 respectively." "Bonuses are submitted by the executive team department heads to the CEO. The CEO approves bonuses. The board approves the CEO's bonus." |