Legal Aid Society of San Diego

What it reported doing in 2024

"provide legal services to the indigent in the following substantive areas: health, housing, support for families, maintaining economic stability, safety & stability, and free clinics. What we doaccess to health care: we provide free help to those with problems gaining health coverage or health services who qualify for our services. We can help if there are changes in your health services, when there is a termination or change in health coverage and when there is a need to resolve problems with health plans. (see schedule o)mental health: we provide free help for those with mental health problems. We can assist with obtaining medication, accessing care, or appealing a decision by your county mental health plan. We can assist you when your plan tries to reduce, terminate or deny services (medi-cal notice of action). We can also help you with a grievance concerning quality or appropriateness of care. We are the county-designated patients' rights advocate for outpatient mental health services. We are your advocate for any problems you have with outpatient mental health services. We will investigate and resolve issues raised by you or your family. We educate clients about their legal rights. We work to resolve your grievances when you don't get the right care.housing eviction: we have many ways to help if you are being evicted and qualify for our services. We can tell you what your rights are and what you can do to protect yourself and your family. Problems/questions about public housing: we offer free help to eligible persons who have questions or problems with section 8, tax credit or other public housing. We provide help with your public housing office and its notices. For instance: questions about your rights to public housing, problems with your public housing certificate, problems with your landlord under public housing, termination of your public housing benefits, changes you want to make to your current public housing situation (such as moving to another place or adding another room or another person to your housing).housing discrimination: we work to stop housing discrimination, ensuring equal housing opportunities for all people in the city and county of san diego; through outreach, education, and enforcement of federal and state fair housing laws.all other housing: we provide free help for those who qualify that are having housing problems or questions about their rights as a tenant, as well as, those who have questions about security deposits, foreclosures, loan modifications and mobile homes.support for families calworks/calfresh: you can get free advice for questions about getting, receiving, or owing general relief, calworks, welfare to work, calfresh, capi, kingap, foster care, and adoptive assistance, as well as, possible representation for hearings regarding these benefits, for those who qualify for our services.ssi: we provide free help with social security disability insurance or supplemental security income (ssi) claims. Our specially trained advocates and attorneys help with all aspects of the social security disability and ssi claims process, including: initial applications, reconsiderations, hearings, continued disability reviews and all other appeals. They will prepare applications, file appeals and obtain medical and other evidence to prove your claim. Our attorneys will represent you in social security hearings. All our services are free. We do not charge, and we do not take part of your retroactive benefits when you are granted.maintaining economic stability consumer protection: the consumer protection division helps low-income people who have disputes with businesses. There are many types of problems. Here are some of the things we can help with: problems with buying a car or making payments, repossession, bad auto repairs, identity theft, student loans, harassment by debt collectors.calworks/calfresh: you can get free advice for questions about getting, receiving, or owing general relief, calworks, we

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 85.9%; rating input score 86
• Program expense ratio: 86.5%; rating input score 87
• Fundraising efficiency: $189.57 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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; 66th 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: 0.9%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.66; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.45; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.5%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings