Boston Lawyers Group Inc C/o Mintz

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
883906507
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022
Location
Boston, MA, USA
Phone
6179217750
Rating
56
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Chambers of Commerce & Business Leagues

Reported finances

Revenue
$691,250
Expenses
$534,587
Assets
$522,236
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TRACEY WEST (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • TRACEY WEST (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $250,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of the boston lawyers group (blg) is to support the efforts of its member organizations to foster a community of attorneys of color and others committed to advancing inclusion and belonging and removing barriers to equal opportunity in greater boston.

What it reported doing in 2024

Summer programs & events: in an effort to support the pipeline of students historically underrepresented in law school, college students are selected to intern at participating member organizations for 10-weeks in the summer as part of our summer internship program. Selected students participate in activities including lunch and learn programs and a tour of local law schools. In addition, the blg hosts a summer soiree for summer associates at boston blg member firms, as part of its initiative to build community and a welcoming environment in the boston legal market. Over 140 individuals participated in the summer events combined.

Operating model

Revenue model
Membership-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from membership dues.
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.

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: 32
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 32.2%; rating input score 32
  • Program expense ratio: 41.7%; rating input score 42
  • 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: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 22.7%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.98; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 46.8%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 171.7% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 69.7% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.6% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 32.2% of revenue deployed · 41.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $223K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $250K · 8 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 16 of 16 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 42/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 42/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.