Britepaths Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521596259
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Fairfax, VA, USA
Phone
7032738829
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,476,700
Expenses
$2,378,109
Assets
$1,338,411
Liabilities
$303,234

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KAREN WHEELER (PRESIDENT)
  • EMILY BARNES (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LISA WHETZEL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THRU OCT 2024))
  • BARBARA KURT (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (AS OF NOV 2024))

Highest reported compensation

  • LISA WHETZEL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THRU OCT 2024)): $147,512 total reported compensation
  • BARBARA KURT (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (AS OF NOV 2024)): $105,784 total reported compensation
  • DIANA ORTEGA (SR. DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND HR): $69,872 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Britepaths provides short-term safety-net services to our neighbors in need while empowering them to work toward long-term self-sufficiency. We deliver our services with respect, compassion, and equity, always preserving the dignity and self-esteem of our clients.

What it reported doing in 2024

Foodbritepaths provides grocery gift cards and a hygiene packing from our in-office pantry to households referred by coordinated services planning and partner organizations for emergency food needs. Households are eligible once per fiscal year for this assistance. Funding for this program is provided to britepaths through the consolidated community funding pool, funding from fairfax county.in the spring, summer, and fall, britepaths provides vouchers for fresh produce and protein products that families can use at participating vendor stalls at northern Virginia farmers markets. Britepaths reimburses the vendors for the vouchers spent at their stall. Households eligible to receive the vouchers include food security clients, financial empowerment clients, and workforce development clients. Funding for this program is provided to britepaths through the consolidated community funding pool, funding from fairfax county.in fiscal year 2025, britepaths had the opportunity to run a pilot food assistance and financial empowerment program through a fairfax city grant program, called britesteps. A cohort of 25 fairfax city residents with children were selected, and each received one grocery gift card per month upon completion of a financial empowerment or workforce development activity, for a duration of 6 months.

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 53% for direct work, and 47% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.9%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 79.5%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.66 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: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.56; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.6%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.3% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.9% of revenue deployed · 79.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 8 filed program accomplishments · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $148K · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 48/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 20/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.