Life is Work
As the first Black and Brown Trans-led social services and advocacy organization in the midwest. Life Is Work has a mission to support and uplift trans people of …
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Discover a community dedicated to empowering lives through meaningful work. Join Life is Work on a journey of impact, inclusion. Read more.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
As the first Black and Brown Trans-led social services and advocacy organization in the midwest. Life Is Work has a mission to support and uplift trans people of color through direct services, activism, and advocay. To accomphish this employment, legal services, and safe residential options.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar social services in United StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, Life is Work has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.
- It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all comparable charities, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 75% of the 8,121 social services charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- Its integrity score of 73 places it in the top 25% of the 15,199 social services charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its registration. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (4 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a donation page
- third-party accreditation
- a contact email
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyLife is Work is a registered social services nonprofit based in Maywood, IL, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2002 and has been operating for 24 years. Its EIN is 823436927. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 73/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $1M in annual revenue. No red flags have been detected.
Life is Work's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 823436927. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
Life is Work has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 73/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 73 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for social services charities in United States is 90/100.
Life is Work is located in Maywood, IL, United States. The organization was established in 2002 and has been active for 24 years.
Based on official tax filings, Life is Work has $1M in annual revenue. It allocates 75% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 79% for social services charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $2M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Life is Work is classified as a Social Services organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a medium organization. It has $1M in annual revenue. The organization has 4 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for Life is Work. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.
According to GiveRadar's records, Life is Work holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 75% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 79%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
Discover a community dedicated to empowering lives through meaningful work. Join Life is Work on a journey of impact, inclusion. Read more. Life is Work is classified as a social services organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2002.
Among social services charities registered in United States: It allocates 75% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 79%. Its annual revenue of $1M is below the peer average of $2M.
Yes, donations to Life is Work are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Life is Work is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 823436927, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Filing history
4 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
LIFE IS WORK is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2024 filing
Officers & trustees (2)
Source: Public filings
2 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Financial filings
- IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 4 disclosed in the public registry.
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2024 on record
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Named leadership · 4 officers on file
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 2002
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Executive payTop-officer pay not disclosed
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about Life is Work
- What is Life is Work?
- Life is Work is a social services supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Maywood, United States. Discover a community dedicated to empowering lives through meaningful work. Join Life is Work on a journey of impact, inclusion. Read more.
- When was Life is Work founded?
- Life is Work was founded in 2002.
- Who leads Life is Work?
- Zahara Bassett serves as CEO/Executive Director.
- Where is Life is Work located?
- Headquartered in Maywood, IL, United States.
- What is Life is Work's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $1M-$10M. 75% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Life is Work trustworthy?
- Life is Work has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 73 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Life is Work's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 823436927.
- What is Life is Work's website?
- http://lifeisworks.org