Better Business Bureau Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
061002092
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Cromwell, CT, USA
Phone
8607404500
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,911,300
Expenses
$3,644,431
Assets
$5,479,669
Liabilities
$2,221,504

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

37 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAULETTE SCARPETTI (PRESIDENT, RETIRED)
  • JACLYN J MACKNIGHT (PRESIDENT)
  • MYLES MEEHAN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • NICK D'AMBROSIA (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SUSAN DUDLEY (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • PAULETTE SCARPETTI (PRESIDENT, RETIRED): $303,661 total reported compensation
  • JACLYN J MACKNIGHT (PRESIDENT): $215,867 total reported compensation
  • WILLIAM F CAPUTO (SALES): $160,602 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To promote an environment of trustworthy businesses that uphold ethical business practices to enhance consumer protection. Business accreditation at the Connecticut better business bureau exceeds 5,000. The bbb publishes articles and tips for both accredited businesses (abs) and consumers.

What it reported doing in 2025

Better business bureau helps consumers make smart decisions and is evolving to meet fast-changing marketplace needs both online and offline. Bbb helps consumers find businesses they can trust, offer objective advice and education presentations on topics affecting marketplace trust. Bbb also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 98% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.4%; rating input score 73
  • Program expense ratio: 80.1%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • 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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.8%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.5; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.41; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 25.8%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.4% of revenue deployed · 80.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 33 of 33 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $304K · 37 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 48/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 48/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 20/100.