Center for Contemplative Justice

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
364589288
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Nashville, TN, USA
Phone
2562274785
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Relief

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,599,243
Expenses
$1,638,537
Assets
$2,573,926
Liabilities
$56,104

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SCOTT OWINGS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DORIAN HANNA (EXECUTIVE DI): $85,657 total reported compensation
  • BECCA STEVENS (CHAIR): $20,000 total reported compensation
  • ALLEN KARNS (BOARD MEMBER): $5,400 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 center for contemplative justice grows and sustains corporal acts of justice arising from contemplation. We support one another's common life of prayer and service. We build community and deeper conversation through events, pilgrimages, publications, and services. We nurture the contemplative life and support visions for social and structural change.

What it reported doing in 2024

The center for contemplative justice (ccj) advances its mission to grow and sustain acts of justice arising from contemplation by supporting a diverse ecosystem of justice-centered programs, leaders, and communities-both locally and globally. Ccj provides administrative, financial, and programmatic support to individuals and organizations creating opportunities for social and structural change. Ccj advances its mission through its justice startup incubator, which provides administrative and fiscal sponsorship to emerging leaders and initiatives. These programs address a wide range of justice priorities, including human dignity, building community, and healing. - cont. Sch o

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 67% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 91
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.1%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 90.6%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $54.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 90.5%; rating input score 90; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: -2.5%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.57; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 32.4% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.2% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 25.6% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93.1% of revenue deployed · 90.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 11 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $86K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 37 of 38 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 15 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 8 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 29/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 57/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.