Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northw

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
931303640
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Phone
5032494859
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,883,678
Expenses
$1,966,233
Assets
$3,820,318
Liabilities
$353,562

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BEACH PACE (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • BEACH PACE (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $152,374 total reported compensation
  • CYNTHIA THOMPSON (CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER): $140,814 total reported compensation
  • JESSICA HUNT (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $118,235 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to create a strong and enduring professionally supported 1:1 mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.

What it reported doing in 2025

Over 20 years locally and over 100 years nationally. Through bbbs thousands of children have been able to realize their greatest potential.the bbbs model of 1:1 dedicated mentorship addresses many causes of academic failure. We leverage the resources of our community by matching youth with trained volunteers. Matches share positive experiences and build strong, trusting bonds of friendship. Research shows that this type of connection can improve a child's health and academic success.we are proud of our outcomes: *more positive relationships with peers and adults *improved school attendance *improved grades *improved engagement in school (clubs, sports) *avoidance of risky behaviors *higher graduation rates as compared to Oregon statistics. (Oregon hs grads finish school at a rate of 81.3%. Bbbs students graduate at a rate of 95%.) *supporting families facing instability due to compounding challenges, including economic, housing, & food insecurity, and more acute youth mental health needs

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 83% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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: 50
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 56.6%; rating input score 57
  • Program expense ratio: 52.5%; rating input score 52
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

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: Missing
    • 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; 64th 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: -4.4%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.94; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 25.2%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -8.2% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.6% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 56.6% of revenue deployed · 52.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 27 of 27 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $152K · 31 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 57/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 52/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 20/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.