Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce

Legal name: Bessemer Chamber of Commerce

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
630020120
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bessemer, Alabama, USA
Phone
(205) 425-3253
Rating
48
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$355,223
Expenses
$387,128
Assets
$27,825
Liabilities
$38,550

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LATASHA COOK (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • LATASHA COOK (PRESIDENT): $66,200 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 are the connector for businesses, community and resources. We bring businesses, leaders, and the community together to strengthen Bessemer's economy and future.

What it reported doing in 2024

Business development division: to promote and support business development through facilitation, coordination, and expansion of resources serving existing and prospective businesses. Governmental affairs committee - to set the political agenda for the chamber and to address all issues in the political arena facing local business and the chamber. Contractors/developers committee - to represent the interests of contractors (general and sub), developers, and realtors in the chambers regional area with local, county, state and federal building policies, legislation, ordinances and codes. Small business committee - to represent the interests of small businesses and provide them with resources that help them be successful. Community building division - to build a stronger, more unified community through continued program development, promotion planning and networking of area organizations. Membership division - to effectively serve the membership of the chamber and create programs, activities, and events which will be beneficial to each member. Healthcare committee - to meet the business needs of the healthcare community in the western jefferson county region and to address all business related issues facing healthcare professionals and the chamber. Legal committee - to meet the business needs of the legal community in the western jefferson county region and to address all business related issues in the business arena facing local legal professionals and the chamber. By-laws committee - to annually review and make recommendations on changes, corrections, or additions to the board approved by-laws, employee manual, and policy/procedures manual fo the bessemer area chamber of commerce. Finance and operations audit committee - to conduct an annual review of the chamber's finances and internal business procedures. Golf tournament committee - to organize, promote and supervise a successful and profitable annual membership golf tournament for the benefit of the chamber and its members. Hospitality and tourism division - to promote bessemer area attractions to visitors as well as local residents as a place to visit and enjoy.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 85% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 0
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 16
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Program expense ratio: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -9%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.07; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.39; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 17.1%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.4% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 0% of revenue deployed · 0% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 22 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $387K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $66K · 23 people listed
  • Consistency: 12 of 13 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Functional expense sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 22/100.