501 Commons

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943089631
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2020
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Phone
2066826704
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Nonprofit Management

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$21,401,173
Expenses
$19,461,975
Assets
$1,005,414
Liabilities
$413,899

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kimberly Connors (WSOS Executive Director)
  • Nancy Long (Executive Director)
  • Richard Starnes (President)
  • Ivan H Lee (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Kimberly Connors (WSOS Executive Director): $191,357 total reported compensation
  • Nancy Long (Executive Director): $134,710 total reported compensation
  • Camille Reynaud (Managing Director of Advancement): $122,298 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

We all rise when nonprofits thrive. At 501 Commons we serve nonprofits as experts, innovators, and partners. Our passion is to amplify the strength of nonprofits - so all people and communities flourish.

What it reported doing in 2024

1370 nonprofits raised $9.3 million on Washington Gives, our year-round fundraising platform, management services include HR, Coaching, Executive Advising, Fundraising guidance, and Management Consulting. BIPOC-led organizations participated in next level, an action learning program that partners executives with an experienced BIPOC leader. Management services provided 217 services to 162 organizations. Many management services are provided by skilled volunteers who are members of our Executive Serivice Corps. Their donated expertise and time is valued at $391,993. Free nonprofit advisory services were provided to 317 organizations. Over 1100 people participated in learning sessions.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 69% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.1%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 85.4%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $26.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 9.1%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.05; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.41; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.1%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.5% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.6% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 29.5% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.1% of revenue deployed · 85.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $16.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $191K · 17 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 1/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 59/100.