Naacp Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc
New York, NY · EIN 13-1655255 · Civil rights and advocacy · Rank 7,455 by total revenue
The legal defense fund (ldf) is america's premier legal organization fighting for racial justice.
Money, Form 990 for tax year 2024
- Total revenue
- $68,473,100
- Total expenses
- $63,767,502
- Total assets
- $433,709,975
- Salary base (all salaries and wages)
- $28,392,693
- Salaries, other pay and benefits
- $36,040,890
- Employees
- 259
- Salary base per employee
- $109,624
"Salary base" is Form 990 Part IX lines 5 to 7. "Employees" is everyone who got a W-2 that year, full or part time. Form 990-EZ and 990-PF report pay differently; see About the data.
Leadership (33)
| Name | Title | Role | Hours/week | Total pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janai Nelson | PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR-COUNSEL | Board, Officer | 59 | $654,993 |
| Samuel Spital | DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION | Officer | 40 | $367,518 |
| Kevin Thomson | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | Officer | 39.5 | $340,792 |
| James E Castillo | TREASURER | Board, Officer | 4 | None reported |
| Kim Koopersmith | CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD | Board, Officer | 8 | None reported |
| Steven B Pfeiffer | SECRETARY | Board, Officer | 4 | None reported |
| Angela Vallot | CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD | Board, Officer | 8 | None reported |
| Tona Boyd | ASSOC. DIR. COUNSEL UNTIL DEC. 2024 | Key employee | 40 | $432,674 |
| Claude Johnson | CHIEF DEVEL. OFFICER UNTIL AUG. 2025 | Key employee | 40 | $399,260 |
| Jin Hee Lee | DIR. OF STRATEGIC INT. | Key employee | 40 | $324,698 |
| Elisabeth North | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER-UNTIL MAR. 2025 | Key employee | 39.5 | $300,555 |
| Natalie Thigpen | CHIEF COMMS AND MKTG OFF | Key employee | 40 | $277,713 |
| Karla McKanders | DIR. OF THURGOOD MARSHALL INSTITUTE | Key employee | 40 | $267,645 |
| William J Bynum | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Robyn Coles | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Leslie Cornfield | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Gregory H Evans | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Colleen Foster | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Lisa Gilford | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| David E Kendall | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Ronald Kirk | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Michael R Klein | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| William E Lighten | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Cecilia L Marshall | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Cynthia Patton | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Luis R Penalver | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Anne K Small | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Jonathan Soros | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| John R Stephens | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Ann Claire Williams | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Ron Wilson | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Kenji Yoshino | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
| Tony West | BOARD MEMBER | Board | 2 | None reported |
Top 10 paid people listed
These 10 people received $3,624,589, which is 12.8% of the $28,392,693 salary base shared by 259 employees.
| Name | Title | Role | Hours/week | From this org | From related orgs | Other pay | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janai Nelson | PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR-COUNSEL | Board, Officer | 59 | $577,181 | $0 | $77,812 | $654,993 |
| Tona Boyd | ASSOC. DIR. COUNSEL UNTIL DEC. 2024 | Key employee | 40 | $388,729 | $0 | $43,945 | $432,674 |
| Claude Johnson | CHIEF DEVEL. OFFICER UNTIL AUG. 2025 | Key employee | 40 | $365,441 | $0 | $33,819 | $399,260 |
| Samuel Spital | DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION | Officer | 40 | $293,713 | $0 | $73,805 | $367,518 |
| Kevin Thomson | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | Officer | 39.5 | $276,874 | $0 | $63,918 | $340,792 |
| Jin Hee Lee | DIR. OF STRATEGIC INT. | Key employee | 40 | $250,696 | $0 | $74,002 | $324,698 |
| Elisabeth North | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER-UNTIL MAR. 2025 | Key employee | 39.5 | $271,970 | $0 | $28,585 | $300,555 |
| Natalie Thigpen | CHIEF COMMS AND MKTG OFF | Key employee | 40 | $251,641 | $0 | $26,072 | $277,713 |
| Karla McKanders | DIR. OF THURGOOD MARSHALL INSTITUTE | Key employee | 40 | $238,273 | $0 | $29,372 | $267,645 |
| Rachel M Kleinman | DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION | Highly paid employee | 40 | $215,162 | $0 | $43,579 | $258,741 |
Sources
- IRS e-file return 202601319349306670 (Form 990, period ending 2025-06-30): readable copy at ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 13-1655255
- Organization website (as filed): www.naacpldf.org