A Better Balance Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Paid Family and Medical Leave and Paid Sick Leave: Millions of U.S. workers lack paid leave for personal or family health needs, with workers in low-wage jobs much less likely to have paid leave than higher-income earners. A Better Balance has worked with coalitions and partners to help secure paid family and medical leave laws extended paid time off to bond with a new child or to address a personal or family members serious illness in D.C. and 13 states. With our legal and policy support, there are also now shorter-term paid sick time laws in 17 states, D.C., and more than a dozen localities, with nearly all of them based upon our model policy. Our organization has also made great strides at the state and local level in helping to obtain paid leave for educators and government workers, including many in the South. We both lead paid leave coalitions and work closely with state advocates and policymakers to pass, implement, defend, and enforce paid leave policies. We also continue to develop and update tools, model bills, and resources on paid leave. In addition, we work at the national level to advocate for federal paid family and medical leave and paid sick time legislation. Pregnant and Postpartum Workers Rights: Pregnant and postpartum workers face job and income loss due to workplace discrimination or lack of accommodations at a time when they need economic security the most. For far too long, pregnant workers were put on leave, fired, or forced to risk their health when they required a modest change to their work duties or job environment. Other workers faced termination while they were recovering from childbirth, even a mere weeks or days after giving birth. Breastfeeding workers face barriers such as inadequate private space and break time on the job. Many workers cease breastfeeding or must choose between their income and feeding their child. A Better Balance leads advocacy efforts for laws protecting pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding workers. This includes passage of the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the Pump for Nursing Mothers Acttwo landmark civil rights protections passed after a decade of progress in states. We also protect, defend, and enforce critical legal protections so that pregnancy and breastfeeding do not lead to financial ruin.Additional Workers Rights: A growing number of Americans are struggling to juggle work responsibilities with care for loved ones, with millions providing care simultaneously to minor children and older adults. A Better Balance also works to curb abusive attendance policies, advance fair and flexible schedules for medical or caregiving needs, combat discrimination against caregivers, protect rights for temporary workers, ensure that an inclusive definition of family is incorporated into workplace leave laws, and protect local worker protection laws against abusive state preemption.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 98.5%; rating input score 98
• Program expense ratio: 79.5%; rating input score 80
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • 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: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -23.8%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.17; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 24.3%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 12.3% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings