National Women's Law Center

Overview

Mission

To advance and protect women's legal rights. The center focuses on major policy areas of importance to women and their families including education, employment, family economic security, and health, with special attention given to the concerns of low-income women.

What it reported doing in 2024

Education & workplace justice: brought litigation on behalf of clients challenging the administration's efforts to end federal funding for programs serving domestic violence and sexual assault survivors and for programs helping women enter the skilled trades, as well as pay discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, and discrimination against women in hiring. Launched narrative and policy campaign with coalition partners to protect against attacks on gender justice at work. Defended the rights of transgender students and trans inclusive policies. Advocated on behalf of the rights of student survivors of sexual assault. Provided analysis and public education on the gender wage gap. Documented the impacts of book bans and attacks on public education through the voices and stories of teachers. Educated the public on the impact of staff cuts at the department of education on students experiencing harassment and discrimination.- through the time's up legal defense fund, supported individuals challenging workplace harassment in the courts and through public storytelling; connected individuals seeking assistance with sex discrimination complaints to attorneys in the legal network for gender equity.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 92% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521213010
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Headquarters
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2025885180
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 97
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 77.7%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.73 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.2%; rating input score 98; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 95.2%; rating input score 95; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -63.9%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.67; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.5%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.7% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.8% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 77.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 21 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $30.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $563K · 43 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $3.7M reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 41 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 42 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 21 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

43 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • FATIMA GOSS GRAVES (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $562,916 total reported compensation
  • NANCY L WITHBROE (CHIEF OF STAFF): $349,820 total reported compensation
  • EMILY MARTIN (CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER): $337,445 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.