Hennepin County Bar Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
416084117
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone
6127526600
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$254,102
Expenses
$218,690
Assets
$375,449
Liabilities
$184,421

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DANIELLE BIRD (PRESIDENT)
  • STEVE KERBAUGH (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • CHERYL DALBY (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

People named in this filing

  • DANIELLE BIRD (PRESIDENT)
  • STEVE KERBAUGH (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • BETH LACANNE (SECRETARY)

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

The hennepin county bar foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation that serves as the charitable arm of the hennepin county bar association. The foundation provides equal access to justice for the people of hennepin county through financial grants to law-related organizations and projects.

What it reported doing in 2024

The hcbf supports programs that (1) provide legal services to individuals of limited resources, (2) educate the public about the legal system, and (3) contribute to the improvement of the legal system and administration of justice. The foundation derives virtually all of its funding from direct contributions from local hennepin county lawyers, area law firms, and other organizations in the legal arena. Contributions to the hcbf provide far-reaching support to a wide range of legal service programs in hennepin county. Grant recipients serve diverse clients and populations throughout hennepin county and ensure that those in need receive legal services and access to justice from agencies in their communities. Funding from the foundation has facilitate the creation and continued existence of programs that address the legal needs of indigent residents of hennepin county, including volunteer lawyers network, legal aid, advocates for human rights, the legal rights center, and children's law center.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 60% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 57
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.1%; rating input score 51
  • Program expense ratio: 54.9%; rating input score 55
  • Fundraising efficiency: $904.83 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 13.9%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.72; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.49; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.4% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.1% of revenue deployed · 54.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $120K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 18 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 2 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 51/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 11/100.