CALIFORNIA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES INC

Fighting for Justice, Saving Lives

aka CILS   |   Escondido, CA   |  www.calindian.org

Mission

For more than fifty-one years, CILS has provided legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals who may have otherwise gone without adequate representation. CILS has successfully asserted and defended the most important rights of Indians and tribes in hundreds of major cases and has achieved significant results in such critical areas as tribal sovereignty, natural resource protection, and Indian education. Our mission is to protect and advance Indian rights, foster Indian self-determination, and facilitate tribal nation building.

Ruling year info

1968

Executive Director

Ms. Dorothy Alther

Main address

609 S. Escondido Blvd.

Escondido, CA 92025 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

94-1676390

NTEE code info

Civil Rights, Advocacy for Specific Groups (R20)

Legal Services (I80)

Civil Rights, Advocacy for Specific Groups (R20)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

CALIFORNIA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES INC

To provide free and low cost legal services to individuals, tribal organizations and tribes.

Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Financials

CALIFORNIA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES INC
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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CALIFORNIA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES INC

Board of directors
as of 3/29/2021
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mark Romero

Mark Romero

Andre Cramblit

Jessica Goodrow

Victorio Shaw

Merri Lopez-Keifer

Joe Ayala

Gabe Cayton

Mercedes Amavisca

John Hueston

Robert Gonzalez

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 02/22/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Native American/American Indian/Indigenous
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 02/22/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.