California Fire Chiefs Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
933244099
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2023
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA
Phone
5034006604
Rating
56
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Reported finances

Revenue
$245,684
Expenses
$204,995
Assets
$463,062
Liabilities
$414,375

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Brian Fennessy (President)

People named in this filing

  • Mark Heine (Director)
  • Ted Peterson (Treasurer)
  • Jeff Meston (Director)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

California Fire Chiefs Foundation is about leading with vision, fostering resilience within the ranks, and ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities. To support these critical responsibilities, we have developed a range of targeted programs and initiatives that address the most pressing challenges faced by fire service professionals today. Our foundations work spans from providing life-saving behavioral health resources for first responders, to offering scholarships that make professional development accessible to all, regardless of financial means. We also extend our support through benevolent funds for those who face personal tragedies while on duty, and we champion innovation through research and development aimed at enhancing fire and emergency medical services statewide.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue has grown recently. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and a relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 0
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.4%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 70%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 16.6%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.26; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.89; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 79.8% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 191.1% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58.4% of revenue deployed · 70% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 6 board members independent · 0 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $143K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 15 of 15 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 58/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 6/100.