Brite Divinity School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237121060
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Fort Worth, TX, USA
Phone
8172577575
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Graduate, Professional Schools (Separate Entities)

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,255,888
Expenses
$11,453,960
Assets
$137,045,199
Liabilities
$2,616,304

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • REV DR STEPHEN M CADY II (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • REV DR STEPHEN M CADY II (PRESIDENT): $342,594 total reported compensation
  • DR MICHAEL ST A MILLER (EXECUTIVE VP & DEAN): $197,789 total reported compensation
  • MR DONALD D WALKER (VP FOR ADVANCEMENT): $186,092 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Brite divinity school educates and inspires people to serve god's diverse world as leaders in churches, the academy, and public life.

What it reported doing in 2024

In addition to and in support of granting degrees, brite provides field education training through its supervised ministry program. Students are placed in a variety of churches and agencies throughout the area to enhance the integration of classroom learning and ministerial practice. The experience of students is further enriched by relevant speakers at weekly chapel services and other specialized events. Continuing education opportunities are provided for area ministers and lay leaders, including ministry week and stalcup school for the laity.more recent developments in program service include the center for theology and justice (ctj), which is an institutional initiative designed to integrate theological reflection with practical engagement in justice-oriented issues in the church, academy, and society.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 74% for direct work, and 26% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 66
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.5%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 73.7%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 91.3%; rating input score 91; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.5%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 11.96; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.1%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.6% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90.5% of revenue deployed · 73.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 23 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $8.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $343K · 31 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $307K reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 19/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 12/100.