Bet Tzedek

What it reported doing in 2024

Bet tzedek is nationally recognized for leveraging staff to recruit, train and supervise volunteers, including hundreds of pro bono lawyers to increase the number of clients the organization serves. Bet tzedek clients benefit from two distinct volunteer groups. The first are community volunteers who perform intake interviews and other client services, including up to 150 law students a year. In fiscal year 2025, these volunteers donated thousands of hours of their time, the value of which is estimated to be around $5 million. In addition to the value that in house volunteers provide our communities, bet tzedek also places clients' cases with hundreds of pro bono attorney and paralegal volunteers at law (continued on schedule o) firms nationwide. These pro bono volunteer hours are reported to the organization after the end of each year, and as a result the 2024 amounts will be disclosed in the financial statements for the fiscal year ending august 31, 2026. What is available is the total contribution made in calendar year 2024:27,387 hours of service by 1,573 volunteers, with a value estimated at over $10 million. Bet tzedek's efforts in marshalling volunteers and pro bono lawyers in innovative and impactful ways have resulted in bet tzedek receiving the american bar association's "pro bono publico award" for its holocaust survivor justice network, a national network of pro bono attorneys and social workers representing survivors in their application for reparations in over 30 cities. Bet tzedek has also received the pro bono institute's 2020 corporate pro bono "pro bono partner award" for its pro bono collaboration with the law firm of davis wright and tremaine, amazon and kids in need of defense to serve undocumented immigrant children.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 69.5%; rating input score 69
• Program expense ratio: 80.1%; rating input score 80
• Fundraising efficiency: $18.98 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 14.8%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.83; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 9.3%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings