Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
Donations deductibleAdvocates for Basic Legal Equality's network
25 people11 organisationsi25 people and 11 organisations on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (25). Violet dotted lines (34) are likely: the same full name sits on the current board of another organisation in the same register and region. Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK. It may be a different person.The board
25 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations in the tables. The network map shows same-name matches as likely links only, never as confirmed.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 25 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI, which matches the board listed here.| Name | Role as filed | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Lavelle | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Amanda Davis | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Andrea De La Roca | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Anna Delp | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Brandon E Dobyns (also filed as Brandon Dobyns) | Treasurer | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Carasusana Cara Wall (also filed as Carasusana Wall) | Trustee | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Cassandra Andres | President | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Catherine Bitwayiki | Trustee | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Clayton Crates | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Ethel Washington-Harris | Trustee | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Eve Mitro | Trustee | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Heather L Allred | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| James Stahler | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| John F Hall | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Jordan Jennings | Trustee | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Kari L White | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Kathryn A Watson | Trustee | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Khadijah H ALI | Vice President | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Lindsey Posey | Trustee | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Mechelle Zarou | Trustee | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Nathan D Turner (also filed as Nathan Turner) | Company secretary | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Robert Tucker | Vice President | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Saundra Holmes | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Thomas J Lucente JR | Trustee | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Twila R Ferguson (also filed as Twila Ferguson) | Trustee | 2018 | 8 yrs |
Officers and senior leadership
10 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.| Name | Title as filed | On the filings |
|---|---|---|
| Denise Ford Saxon | Director of Human Resources | 2023 |
| Heather L Hall | Interim Executive Director | since 2018 |
| Janet E Hales | Outgoing Executive Director | since 2018 |
| Jesus Salas | Senior Attorney | since 2022 |
| Kathleen C Kersh | Managing Attorney | 2024 |
| Makiedah Messam | Executive Director (From 3/24) | 2024 |
| Mark Heller | Senior Attorney | since 2022 |
| Matthew N Currie | Managing Attorney | since 2022 |
| Nikoleta I Cook | Director of Finance | since 2018 |
| Rebecca Steinhauser | Managing Attorney | since 2022 |
Pay and hours
year to 31 December 2024iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.| Name | Title as filed | Hours a week | Pay from the organisation | Related organisations | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heather L Hall | Deputy Director | 48 | $147k | $27k | |
| Makiedah Messam | Executive Director (From 3/24) | 42 | $135k | $14k | |
| Jesus Salas | Managing Attorney (Thru 12/24) | 38 | $133k | $7k | |
| Nikoleta I Cook | Director of Finance | 40 | $128k | $24k | |
| Mark Heller | Senior Attorney | 41 | $120k | $7k | |
| Matthew N Currie | Managing Attorney | 36 | $119k | $7k | |
| Rebecca Steinhauser | Managing Attorney | 44 | $116k | $16k | |
| Kathleen C Kersh | Managing Attorney | 42 | $108k | $34k | |
| Janet Hales | Former Executive Director | 1.5 | $97k | ||
| Cassandra Andres | President | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Khadijah H Ali | Vice President | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Robert Tucker | Vice President | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Nathan D Turner | Secretary | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Brandon E Dobyns | Treasurer | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Heather L Allred | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Catherine Bitwayiki | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Clayton Crates | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Amanda Davis | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Andrea de la Roca | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Anna Delp | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Twila R Ferguson | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| John F Hall | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Saundra Holmes | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Jordan Jennings | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Alex Lavelle | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Thomas J Lucente Jr | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Eve Mitro | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Lindsey Posey | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| James Stahler | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Carasusana Cara Wall | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Ethel Washington-Harris | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Kathryn A Watson | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Kari L White | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 | ||
| Mechelle Zarou | Trustee | 1.5 | $0 |
About
- Legal name
- Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
- EIN
- 237376131
- Address
- 525 Jeffrson Ave Ste 300, Toledo, OH, 43604-1094
- State
- Ohio
- Mission
- Advocates for basic legal equality, inc. (able) is a non-profit law firm that provides high quality legal assistance in civil matters to help eligible low-income individuals and groups in western ohio achieve self-reliance, and equal justice and economic opportunity. (as filed on the Form 990)
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Size band
- 8 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 1969
- Principal officer
- Makiedah Messam (as named on the Form 990)
- IRS ruling date
- 1 June 1974
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 6, latest 2024
- IRS Publication 78
- PC (contributions deductible)
Most connected
Related organisations (Schedule R)
RelatedSUPPORT ADVOCATES FOR BASIC LEGAL EQUALITY, INC.Legal Aid Foundation of Western Ohio IncRelatedFREE LEGAL ASSISTANCELegal Aid of Western Ohio Inc
Longest observed on the filings
≥8years on the filingsKathryn A Watson
≥8years on the filingsKhadijah H ALI
≥8years on the filingsMechelle Zarou
≥8years on the filingsTwila R Ferguson
Latest return
year to 31 December 2024iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 31 December 2024. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $17.4m
- Total liabilities
- $3.3m
- Net assets or fund balances
- $14.1m
- Contributions and grants received
- $13.6m
- Program service revenue
- $755k
- Grants and similar paid out
- $1.9m
- Employees
- 103
- Volunteers
- 25
Filed finances
1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.| Tax year | Total revenue | Total expenses | Surplus or deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $14.3m | $11.7m | $2.5m |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.
Grants paid
1 listediFrom Schedule I of the Form 990: grants and assistance to organisations in the United States, largest first (up to 25). Schedule I is filed only by organisations that gave more than $5,000 to any one recipient.| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Aid of Western Ohio Inc | $1.9m |