Missouri Bar Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
446011930
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Jefferson City, MO, USA
Phone
5736354128
Rating
49
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$220,966
Expenses
$86,649
Assets
$2,942,321
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • HEIDI DOERHOFF VOLLET (PRESIDENT)
  • RAYMOND E WILLIAMS (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MISCHA BUFORD EPPS (SECRETARY): $307,870 total reported compensation
  • SHELLY C DREYER (EX-OFFICIO FROM 9/18/24): $2,936 total reported compensation
  • MEGAN E PHILLIPS (EX-OFFICIO (9/15/23 TO 9/18/24)): $279 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To relieve, aid and assist as charitable acts deserving members of the bar who shall be ill, incapacitated or superannuated and in need of aid or the dependents of deceased members of the bar who shall be ill, incapacitated or superannuated and in need of aid; the advancement of the science of jurisprudence and research therein; the promotion of improvements in the administration of justice and efficiency of judicial proceedings and decisions; the elevation of judicial standards; the study and improvement of legal education; the granting of scholarships to students of law; the preservation of the american constitutional form of government; to maintain libraries; to acquire preserve and exhibit rare books and documents, objects of art and items of historical interest having legal significance or bearing on the administration of justice.

What it reported doing in 2024

Commission on racial & ethnic fairness fund (cref) - the cref supports the efforts of the following: identify any barriers to access and fairness in the judicial systems and legal profession and recommend measures to reduce or eliminate such barriers; review and suggest revisions to applicable constitutional provisions, statutes, or rulings; seek public input and engagement on racial and ethnic fairness issues; collaborate and participate in the "minority community engagement" project with the national center for state courts and national consortium on racial and ethnic fairness in the courts; conduct survey and study additional research regarding racial and ethnic equity in the justice system and legal profession; recommend measures to enhance racial and ethnic diversity in the selection, retention, and promotion of judicial officers, court staff, and professionals in the legal community; and commend measures to enhance understanding of the practices, procedures and proper role of the state courts.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 70% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 81% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

MIXED - 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: 20
  • Transparency & Controls: 63
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 83
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 16.1%; rating input score 16
  • Program expense ratio: 32.5%; rating input score 33
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 77.9%; rating input score 78; 48th 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: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • 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: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 60.8%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 33.96; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 65.6%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -11.1% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.7% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 16.1% of revenue deployed · 32.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 27 of 27 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $28K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $308K · 27 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 19 of 20 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 16/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 33/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.