Charleston Legal Access

What it reported doing in 2025

Charleston Legal Access was created to fill a void in the legal the state. Our goal is simple: to provide low-cost legal representation and assistance to the working poor and others of modest means who do not qualify for free legal services but who cannot afford a private attorney. Specifically, we serve those between 125% (the cut-off for free legal services absent a waiver) and 400% of the federal poverty line. We also provide services to those below 125% of the federal poverty line if there is some reason that they cannot obtain free legal services elsewhere, can pay our minimum retainer (or consultation fee), and otherwise meet our case selection criteria rate determined by the individual's income and family size. (Continued on Schedule O)This hybrid funding model where low-rate fees are supplemented by philanthropic support: allows donor dollars to go farther and enables our attorneys to access more clients and increase our impact in South Carolina; ensures that clients are invested and engaged in their cases, and that we are pursuing only claims that both we and our clients think are worth the resources; and gives clients a sense of agency in their cases that we encourage and support. They are paying for our services, have control over their case, and are entitled to high quality representation. CLA took its first client in February 2016 and since then, we have been steadily growing to meet the demand for our services. We have increased our staff to eight, including four full-time attorneys, an Equal Justice Works Attorney Fellow. In addition, we have expanded our practice areas to include a wide range of civil matters including, housing, landlord tenant, property, elder law, guardianships, victims' rights and family law. 2025, Charleston Legal Access reached a major milestone by expanding its practice to include immigration law. Today, CLA is the only nonprofit law firm in South Carolina providing statewide, comprehensive immigration services, including removal defense and detention representation. Every year we set a goal to increase the number of families served and our impact. In 2025, CLA assisted 206 households through direct legal representation, consultations, and advice and counsel, bringing our total to 1,771 families served since our founding. - 62 survivors of domestic violence received critical legal guidance and representation to seek safety and protection. - 21 kinship caregivers, in partnership with HALOS, received counsel or gained custody of children in their care offering stability and security to the next generation.- Over 300 immigration related calls since launching CLA's immigration practice in June 2025.- 647 cases handled and 1,602 tenants directly affected with a 94% eviction prevention success rate. 266 cases closed in Dorchester County since expansion of housing court in March 2025.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 69%; rating input score 69
• Program expense ratio: 82.2%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $9.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 18th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 16.9%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.21; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.5%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 23.4% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 22.3% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 27.1% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings