Brides for a Cause

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811902616
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Phone
5032824000
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Support N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,070,091
Expenses
$2,447,731
Assets
$3,399,358
Liabilities
$834,217

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BRENDA CHOVANAK (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • ERIN SCHARF (Executive Dir.): $158,834 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To provide financial assistance for women-focused charities by collecting and reselling donated wedding gowns and accessories.

What it reported doing in 2024

Brides for a cause is an Oregon nonprofit that provides financial assistance for women-focused charities by collecting and reselling donated wedding gowns and bridal accessories. The donated wedding dresses and bridal accessories are received from bridal stores, designers, manufactures and individuals and resold at its boutique locations. Brides for a cause operates five bridal store locations, including portland, or, tacoma, wa, seattle, wa, sacramento, ca and san diego, ca. The organization gives monetary donations to 501(c)(3) organizations that support womens causes while simultaneously protecting the environment and promoting sustainability within the wedding industry by reselling the donated bridal attire. In 2024, brides for a cause collected 8,661 donated wedding dresses, valuing $2,682,404 along with $141,004 worth of special occasion dresses and bridal accessories. Brides for a cause contributed $550,000 to 52 locally and nationally recognized charitable causes that provides services and assistance to women in need. Brides for a cause also provided in-kind donations of wedding dresses, special occasion dresses and bridal accessories valuing $153,866 to other 501(c)(3) organizations to support their mission, including 54 free wedding dresses to military brides and first responders through the brides across america operation wedding gown events. In 2024, brides for a cause contributed $550,000 to the following beneficiaries: abbys closet, american association of university women (aauw), american cancer society, american heart association, american lung association, astraea lesbian foundation for justice, baby quest foundation, bradley angle, brides across america, center for reproductive rights, cocoon house, days for girls, dress for success Oregon, dress for success seattle, equality now, every mother counts, fighting pretty, freedom network USA, generatehope, girls inc of the pacific northwest, girls on the run, girls who code, global fund for women, hayden's helping hands, joyful heart foundation, jubilee womens center, international justice mission, ladies who launch, lodi house, marys place, national womens health network, ovarian cancer research alliance (ocra), period., pink lemonade project, princess project, rose haven, ruby room, running start, she should run, she's the first, sister league of san diego, the loveland foundation, too young to wed, vow for girls, weave inc., wellspring womens center, wish upon a wedding, woman of wonder, women deliver, womenheart: the national coalition for women with heart disease, young women empowered and 9to5 national association of working women.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 69% for direct work, and 31% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.7%; rating input score 83
  • Program expense ratio: 92.9%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • 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: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 20.3%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.39; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.25; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.5%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 17.5% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.9% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.7% of revenue deployed · 92.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $159K · 6 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 59 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 56 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 49/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 39/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 44/100.