Legal Aid of Sonoma County

What it reported doing in 2024

Disaster relief: the organization provides legal assistance and policy advocacy to community members affected by the 2017, 2019, and 2020 wildfires, and through our arpa funded small business equity and recovery program (sber) to small business owners who were negatively impacted by covid-19 restrictions on business operations.the organization provided services to 27 clients in-house and to hundreds of others at community education workshops and through ongoing disaster recovery policy advocacy at local and state legislative levels.volunteer attorneys donated approximately 289 hours of service, and volunteer law students/legal caseworkers donated approximately 28 hours of service.ehp - employment and health program: the organization provides assistance with legal impediments to employment and health and to low-income individuals who have been referred by the county of sonoma department of human services welfare to work program and the department of health services.the organization provided services to 155 clients through this program during the year.volunteer paralegals donated approximately 46 hours of service during the year, and volunteer law students/legal caseworkers donated approximately 94 hours of service.veteran's benefits program: the organization assists veterans, targeting those at risk of homelessness, with accessing benefits by establishing service-connected disability, with discharge upgrades, and with applications for va pensions and benefits, including va medical and housing benefits.this organization provided services to 120 clients through this program during the year. Volunteer paralegals donated approximately 102 hours of service during the year.mlp medical legal partnership: the organization has a medical legal partnership with a local hospital, providence st. Joseph healthcare. The organization works directly with social workers and community outreach workers through the hospital system to help their patients overcome legal barriers that may interfere with their health. Services include help with accessing public benefits, housing, powers of attorney, and a range of other services.the organization provided services to 65 clients through this program during the year.capp/reach - child abuse prevention and outreach program - the organization provides legal services to individuals who want to care for and protect abandoned and/or abused children by obtaining legal guardianship of those children and to clients who are referred by county of sonoma child protective services for legal assistance with family law and other legal issues impacting abused or neglected children. The organization also provides legal services to low-income and spanish speaking individuals living in sonoma valley through this program. Legal assistance includes help with legal pleadings, notice procedures, and counsel and advice.the organization provided services to 66 clients through this program during the year. Volunteer law students/legal caseworkers donated approximately 144 hours of service during the year.immigration - the organization provided legal services to undocumented minor survivors of abuse or neglect to assist with obtaining special immigrant juvenile status (sijs) during the first quarter of 2024. This program ended on 3/31/2024.the organization provided services to 22 clients through this program during q1.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 88%; rating input score 88
• Program expense ratio: 86.7%; rating input score 87
• Fundraising efficiency: $45.32 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -1.5%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.95; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.45; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 15.3%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 19.9% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 18.7% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 25.3% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings