Texas Defender Service

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
760481649
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Phone
5123208300
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Civil Liberties

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,310,751
Expenses
$2,157,206
Assets
$3,002,519
Liabilities
$188,202

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Burke Butler (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Randi Chavez (Deputy Director): $159,495 total reported compensation
  • Estelle Hebron-Jones (Director of Special Projec): $141,881 total reported compensation
  • Emily Follansbee (Legal Director): $131,346 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

See Schedule OTDS fights for the end of mass incarceration and excessive punishment in Texas through direct representation, policy reform, and public education. TDS stands up for the dignity and humanity of people harmed by mass incarceration and advocates for a reimagined criminal-legal system that is just, humane, and free from racism and cruelty.

What it reported doing in 2025

TDS accomplishes its mission through three programs: direct representation, policy reform, and public education. In the direct representation program, TDS represents people imprisoned in Texas because of extreme punishments, from the death penalty to life sentences for third-degree felonies, and advocates for people seeking a second chance through the parole system. TDS fights for our client's right to a second chance, focusing on cases that highlight how excessive punishments fuel mass incarceration, perpetrate injustice, and fail to serve public safety. Through the policy reform program, TDS advocates for local and state-wide reforms that will end excessive punishment and shrink mass incarceration in the Lone Star State. See Schedule O for continued detailsTDS' public education program uses storytelling about our clients' experiences to educate the public about how excessive sentences are cruel, extreme, and unnecessary. We make visible the damage that mass incarceration wreaks, so often hidden from the public eye. Shifting the narrative about those impacted by mass incarceration, we teach Texans about the vital importance of compassion and second chances.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.8%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 83.8%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.02 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • 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; 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: 6.6%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.39; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 25.8%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.3% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.3% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.8% of revenue deployed · 83.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $159K · 19 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 48/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 45/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.