Connecticut Bar Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
066079763
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Hartford, CT, USA
Phone
8607222494
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Legal Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$39,330,417
Expenses
$28,431,052
Assets
$72,184,405
Liabilities
$3,483,243

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

28 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • VICTORIA WOODIN CHAVEY (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANGELA SCHLINGHEYDE (EXECUTIVE DI): $185,081 total reported compensation
  • ASHLEIGH BACKMAN (DEPUTY DIREC): $149,606 total reported compensation
  • BRUCE HILTUNEN (CFO): $147,278 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The Connecticut bar foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1952. The cbf's mission is to facilitate systemic change that advances civil justice for all, regardless of power or resources, to achieve a more just and equitable society. The cbf works to do this by stewarding funding, volunteers, programming, data, innovation, and collaboration to lead and partner in integrated approaches to improving the administration of civil justice. Specifically, the cbf administers several grant programs that fund the delivery of legal services for Connecticut residents who cannot afford an attorney, including the interest on lawyers' trust accounts and the interest on trust accounts (iolta/iota) programs, the judicial branch grants-in-aid, the court fees grants-in-aid, and the state's right to counsel program. The foundation also funds scholarships, based on financial need, for Connecticut students attending law schools in the state.

What it reported doing in 2025

Right to counsel, eviction/tro- the cbf is the administrator of the right to counsel (rtc) in eviction defense and temporary restraining order grant programs. The rtc eviction defense program funds legal aid organizations that provide access to free legal help for income-eligible tenants facing eviction or loss of their housing subsidy. The rtc temporary restraining order program funds legal aid organizations that provide legal representation for income-eligible individuals who are interested in applying for temporary restraining orders in the judicial districts of fairfield, hartford, new haven, stamford-norwalk, and waterbury.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 95% 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. No material rating questions were generated from the available inputs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 75
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.3%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 98.6%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 50th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 27.7%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.54; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.7%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.5% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.1% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.3% of revenue deployed · 98.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 30 of 30 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $28M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $185K · 28 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 16 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 13 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.