Iowa Legal Aid
Iowa Legal Aid
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About this organization
Mission
Iowa Legal Aid makes hope, dignity and justice available to low-income Iowans. We provide legal assistance and education that protect fundamental rights, basic necessities, and access to the judicial system. We challenge policies and practices that harm low-income persons. We stabilize families and communities and help them achieve economic development. We empower clients to advocate effectively for themselves and their communities.
About
IOWA LEGAL AID IS A NONPROFIT LAW FIRM THAT STRENGTHENS INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING FREE CIVIL LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME IOWANS. WE HAVE BEEN MEETING THE NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME IOWANS FOR 42 YEARS. OUR 62 STAFF ATTORNEYS AND 3,228 VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS WORK OUT OF 10 REGIONAL OFFICES THROUGHOUT IOWA TO ASSIST MORE THAN 35,000 LOW-INCOME IOWANS ANNUALLY. WE MAKE HOPE, DIGNITY AND JUSTICE AVAILABLE TO OUR CLIENTS BY SECURING INCOME, HOUSING, AND SAFETY. OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES HELP CHILDREN, SENIORS, VETERANS, DISASTER VICTIMS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. IOWA LEGAL AID PROVIDES FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME AND OTHER VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS (CHILDREN, OLDER IOWANS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES) WHO HAVE CIVIL LEGAL PROBLEMS INVOLVING BASIC NECESSITIES, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OR SAFETY. WE ADDRESS LEGAL PROBLEMS RANGING FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO FORECLOSURE AND ILLEGAL EVICTIONS. WE ALSO HELP CLIENTS OBTAIN BENEFITS FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, MEDICARE OR OTHER PUBLIC BENEFITS PROGRAMS. OTHER ISSUES INCLUDE END-OF-LIFE ISSUES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND TAX CONTROVERSIES. IN 2018, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED DIRECT LEGAL ASSISTANCE INVOLVING 14,988 CASES, HELPING APPROXIMATELY 34,863 INDIVIDUALS, 14,930 OF WHOM WERE CHILDREN. THE TYPES OF DIRECT LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF CIVIL LEGAL PROBLEMS LISTED BY THE PERCENTAGE THAT EACH TYPE REPRESENTED OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES HANDLED:FAMILY LAW 27% HOUSING LAW 29% CONSUMER LAW 12%INCOME MAINTENANCE 9% EMPLOYMENT 5% HEALTH 4%JUVENILE 2% ALL OTHERS 12%IN ADDITION TO DIRECT LEGAL REPRESENTATION, IOWA LEGAL AID'S STAFF PROVIDED OTHER SERVICES INCLUDING COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION. COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. IN 2018, NEARLY 600,000 INDIVIDUALS ACCESSED SOME FORM OF COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION. THIS FIGURE INCLUDES PERSONS WHO RECEIVED PRINTED ARTICLES OR SELF-HELP MATERIALS, ATTENDED A COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION EVENT OR OBTAINED INFORMATION FROM IOWA LEGAL AID'S WEBSITE AT WWW.IOWALEGAL.ORG. IN ADDITION TO LEGAL EDUCATION AND SELF-HELP MATERIALS, THE WEBSITE HAS INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE IOWA LEGAL AID'S REGIONAL OFFICES ARE LOCATED AND REFERRAL SOURCES FOR OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE. IN 2018, IOWA LEGAL AID CONTINUED PUBLICATION OF ITS QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER, THE EQUAL JUSTICE JOURNAL, WHICH IS SENT TO OVER 7,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN IOWA. IOWA LEGAL AID OPERATES THE IOWA LEGAL AID VOLUNTEER LAWYERS PROJECT AND WORKS WITH THE POLK COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION'S VOLUNTEER LAWYER PROJECT TO PLACE CASES WITH LAWYERS IN IOWA WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO DONATE THEIR TIME. IN 2018, VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS CLOSED A TOTAL OF 787 CASES THAT WERE REFERRED BY IOWA LEGAL AID, DONATING OVER 11,700 HOURS OF SERVICE TO LOW-INCOME CLIENTS. THE TOTAL VALUE OF ALL DONATED SUPPORT IN 2018 WAS $2,253,123.IOWA LEGAL AID'S MAJOR FUNDING SOURCES.SOME OF THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED BY THE LARGER FUNDING SOURCES ARE DESCRIBED BELOW.LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION (LSC) - LSC PROVIDED THE LARGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF FUNDING USED TO PROVIDE CIVIL LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME PERSONS IN IOWA. THE GRANT FROM LSC ALLOWS IOWA LEGAL AID TO SERVE LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS IN ALL 99 IOWA COUNTIES. REGIONAL OFFICES ARE LOCATED IN CEDAR RAPIDS, COUNCIL BLUFFS, DAVENPORT, DES MOINES, DUBUQUE, IOWA CITY, MASON CITY, SIOUX CITY, OTTUMWA AND WATERLOO. LSC FUNDING IS ALSO PROVIDED TO SERVE MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARMWORKERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF IOWA. STATE APPROPRIATION - THE IOWA GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATED FUNDS TO THE IOWA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE FOR THE LEGAL SERVICES FOR PERSONS IN POVERTY GRANTS PROGRAM. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONTRACTED THESE FUNDS TO IOWA LEGAL AID FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE ACROSS IOWA. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE STATE CAME THROUGH THE IOWA FINANCE AUTHORITY WHICH PROVIDED FUNDS TO IOWA LEGAL AID TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS FACED WITH MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE OR FORFEITURE. IOLTA - FUNDING FROM THE INTEREST ON LAWYERS TRUST ACCOUNT COMMISSION WAS USED TO PROVIDE LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME PERSONS WHO QUALIFIED FINANCIALLY FOR LEGAL HELP UNDER THE LSC ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES. SERVICES WERE PROVIDED FROM EACH OF IOWA LEGAL AID'S REGIONAL OFFICES. UNITED WAY AND OTHER COMMUNITY SUPPORT - IN 2018, SIXTEEN UNITED WAY AGENCIES PROVIDED SUPPORT TO IOWA LEGAL AID. OVER TWENTY PRIVATE AND COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS FUNDED IOWA LEGAL AID'S SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME PERSONS, INCLUDING THE GREATER CEDAR RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER DES MOINES, THE DORIS AND VICTOR DAY FOUNDATION, THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, IOWA WEST FOUNDATION, PRAIRIE MEADOWS, THE PRINCIPAL FOUNDATION, AND THE IOWA STATE BAR FOUNDATION. SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT WAS ALSO RECEIVED FROM THE IOWA LEGAL AID FOUNDATION. COUNTY BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS - IN 2018, IOWA LEGAL AID RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM THE POLK COUNTY, BLACK HAWK COUNTY AND WAPELLO COUNTY BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS OF THOSE THREE COUNTIES.
Interesting data from their 2019 990 filing
The filing specifies the mission of the non-profit as “See schedule oiowa legal aid makes hope, dignity and justice available to low-income iowans. we provide legal assistance and education that protect fundamental rights, basic necessities, and access to the judicial system. we challenge policies and practices that harm low-income communities and help them achieve economic development. and we empower clients to advocate effectively for themselves and their communities.”.
When explaining its duties, they were described as: “To provide general civil legal services”.
- The state in which the non-profit is authorized to operate legally is IA.
- According to the filing, the address of the non-profit for the year 2019 is 1111 9TH STREET NO 230, DES MOINES, IA, 503142527.
- The non-profit has reported 167 employees on their form for the year 2019.
- Is not a private foundation.
- Expenses are greater than $1,000,000.
- Revenue is greater than $1,000,000.
- Revenue less expenses is -$401,856.
- The organization has 18 independent voting members.
- The organization was formed in 1977.
- The organization pays $8,058,441 in salary, compensation, and benefits to its employees.
- The organization pays $169,972 in fundraising expenses.
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