BBB Wise Giving Report for
Legal Momentum

BBB Wise Giving Report issued June 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires June 2012


This BBB Accredited charity meets all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Legal Momentum
Address: 395 Hudson Street, 5th Floor
  New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 925-6635
Web Address: www.legalmomentum.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Formerly known as:NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund

Year, State Incorporated: 1970, District of Columbia
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to ensure economic and personal security for all women and girls."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Legal Momentum (LM) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

LM’s major focuses are securing freedom from violence against women; obtaining equal pay and equal work; the health of women and girls; and building strong families and communities. LM has fought to break down barriers preventing women from participating as equal members in all aspects of society. The organization works to ensure girls’ access to equal educational opportunities (Title IX); protecting women’s right to equal employment opportunities (Title VII); and, increasing the amount of federal funding that is allocated to support services for domestic violence victims, through work on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Some ($963,365 or 17%) of LM's program activities are carried out in conjunction with fund raising appeals.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, LM's program expenses were:

  
Immigrant women program 1,587,084
Communications 1,187,047
Violence against women 790,282
Gender fairness in the court 560,852
Equality works 491,538
Public information and education 379,102
Program planning and organizational development 336,818
Sexuality and family rights 309,750
Total Program Expenses: $5,642,473
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Irasema Garza, President
Compensation*:
 $36,769

Chair of the Board: Linda A. Willett
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Attorney

Board Size: 25

Paid Staff Size: 21

*July 1, 2008 - June 30 2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, print advertisements, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, and cause-related marketing.
Fund raising costs were 10% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $5,442,259, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
LM incurred joint costs of $1,079,783 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising. Of those costs, $963,365 was allocated to program expenses and $116,418 was allocated to fund raising expenses.
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Tax Status

               

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
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Financial

               

The following information is based on LM's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Special events (net) 1,826,085
Donated services 907,435
Government grants 900,000
Corporations and foundations 739,856
Individual donations 559,587
Bequests 414,288
Rental income 171,967
Direct mail 95,008
Other 36,485
Book sales (net) -46
Net investment loss -26,265
Total Income $5,624,400


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 85%  Fund Raising: 8%  Administrative: 7% 

Total income   $5,624,400
  Program expenses $5,642,473
  Fund raising expenses 568,026
  Administrative expenses 471,788
 
Total expenses   $6,682,287
Expenses in Excess of Income   (1,057,887)
Beginning net assets   3,410,677
Ending net assets   2,352,790
Total liabilities   1,447,775
Total assets   $3,800,565

Note: For the year ended June 30, 2009, LM had in-kind expenses in the amount of $907,435 for pro-bono legal services.

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An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

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