THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER IS A CATALYST FOR RACIAL JUSTICE IN THE SOUTH AND BEYOND, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITIES TO DISMANTLE WHITE SUPREMACY, STRENGTHEN INTERSECTIONAL MOVEMENTS, AND ADVANCE THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL PEOPLE.
Executive compensation, broken down
Form 990 · Part VII & Schedule J · 18 reported individuals · Filing year 2023
Percentile bands compare each position's total pay with the same role at Crime & Legal-Related organizations nationwide.
- Base
- $467k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $259k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $6k
- Benefits
- $12k
- Base
- $246k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $3k
- Benefits
- $25k
- Base
- $256k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- $12k
- Base
- $242k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $769
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $241k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $252k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $137
- Benefits
- $11k
- Base
- $240k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $238k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $225k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $45
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $219k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $945
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $216k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $801
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $213k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $187
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $210k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- $23k
- Base
- $213k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $5k
- Benefits
- $11k
- Base
- $203k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $9k
- Benefits
- $3k
- Base
- $190k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- $1k
- Benefits
- $10k
- Base
- $161k
- Bonus
- —
- Other
- —
- Benefits
- $22k
| Position | Base | Bonus | Other | Benefits | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
President/ceo Above 90th percentile | $467k | — | — | $23k | $523k $571k |
Chief Legal Officer Key Employee Above 90th percentile | $259k | — | $6k | $12k | $302k $330k |
Chief Program Officer Above 90th percentilevs all sectors nationwide | $246k | — | $3k | $25k | $297k $324k |
Chief Policy Officer Key Employee Above 90th percentile | $256k | — | — | $12k | $294k $321k |
General Counsel Key Employee Above 90th percentile | $242k | — | $769 | $23k | $290k $317k |
Chief Development Officer/interim Chief of Staff Key Employee Above 90th percentile | $241k | — | — | $23k | $288k $314k |
Chief Program Strategy Officer Chief Program Officer Above 90th percentilevs all sectors nationwide | $252k | — | $137 | $11k | $288k $314k |
Chief Information Officer 75th to 90th percentilevs all sectors nationwide | $240k | — | — | $23k | $287k $313k |
Chief Human Resources Officer Key Employee Above 90th percentile | $238k | — | — | $23k | $285k $312k |
Treasurer/cfo Above 90th percentile | $225k | — | $45 | $23k | $271k $296k |
Deputy Legal Director Highest Compensated Employee Above 90th percentile | $219k | — | $945 | $23k | $265k $289k |
Director of Legal Management Highest Compensated Employee Above 90th percentile | $216k | — | $801 | $23k | $261k $285k |
Director of Intelligence Project Highest Compensated Employee Above 90th percentile | $213k | — | $187 | $23k | $257k $281k |
Interim Chief of Staff Key Employee 75th to 90th percentile | $210k | — | — | $23k | $254k $277k |
Deputy Legal Director Highest Compensated Employee Above 90th percentile | $213k | — | $5k | $11k | $251k $274k |
Director of Learning for Justice Highest Compensated Employee 75th to 90th percentile | $203k | — | $9k | $3k | $235k $257k |
Chief Communications Officer Key Employee 75th to 90th percentile | $190k | — | $1k | $10k | $219k $240k |
Interim Chief of Staff Key Employee Median to 75th percentile | $161k | — | — | $22k | $198k $216k |
Teal figures restate each filed amount in 2026 dollars.
Estimated with BLS CPI-U for the South region, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.
Plus 14 unpaid individuals.
Top pay as a share of expenses
In 2023, the highest total compensation at SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC equaled 0.4% of the organization's total expenses. The median for crime & legal-related organizations is 11%.
Based on 3,267 crime & legal-related organizations, each measured at its most recent filing year with reported expenses and compensation.
Funded by
Private foundations whose Form 990-PF Part XV grants matched this organization.
Up 3%
from 2022
From $505k in 2022 to $523k in 2023.
Estimated with BLS CPI-U for the South region, restating filed pay into May 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.
Chief Executive Officer pay rose 3% from 2022 to 2023, while revenue fell 24%.
- Key Employee pay fell 7% from 2022 to 2023.
- Chief Program Officer pay rose 4% from 2022 to 2023.
Pay for the position itself, not any one person. The officeholder may have changed between 2022 and 2023.
Revenue and expenses over time
SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC reported revenue and expenses across 2 filing years.
What Crime & Legal-Related executives earn
Comparable crime & legal-related organizations nationwide pay their highest-earning executive a median of $91,711.
These are crime & legal-related sector-wide figures, not this organization's reported pay. Based on 3,269 organizations across 3,269 filings (2021 – 2024).
See full Crime & Legal-Related compensation data →Common questions about SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC
What does the Chief Executive Officer of SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC earn?
In 2023, the Chief Executive Officer of SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC received $522,740 in total compensation. This pay is in the top 10% for Chief Executive Officer roles among Crime & Legal-Related organizations nationwide: at least 9 in 10 comparable filings report less. Based on IRS Form 990 data.
How does Chief Executive Officer pay at SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC compare with similar nonprofits?
Compared with the same role at Crime & Legal-Related organizations nationwide, the 2023 pay of the Chief Executive Officer at SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC falls in the top 10%. In 2023, the highest total compensation at SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC equaled 0.4% of the organization's total expenses. The median for crime & legal-related organizations is 11%.
What are SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC's revenue and expenses?
In 2023, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC reported $129.1M in total revenue and $129M in total expenses on its IRS Form 990.
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