North Carolina Bar Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
560767805
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Cary, NC, USA
Phone
9196770561
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,548,028
Expenses
$2,105,425
Assets
$32,798,154
Liabilities
$895,195

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

Leadership & pay

35 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PATTI RAMSEUR (IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT)
  • KIMBERLY H STOGNER (PRESIDENT)
  • ROBERT E HARRINGTON (PRESIDENT-ELECT/TREASURER)

Highest reported compensation

  • JASON M HENSLEY (EXEC.DIR./SECRETARY): $430,322 total reported compensation
  • ASHLEY MILLS (SR. DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS): $244,699 total reported compensation
  • KIM BART MULLIKIN (SR. DIRECTOR OF FOUNDATION): $218,382 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 purpose of the foundation is to foster and support statewide public service and pro bono programs and projects that promote access to justice, civic education, service, and professionalism.

What it reported doing in 2024

North Carolina bar foundation programsthe nc bar foundation's programs department coordinates opportunities for lawyers, paralegals, law students and other members of the legal profession to serve nc individuals, organizations and communities through pro bono and civic education programming. Current foundation programs include: 4all-lawyers on call, disaster legal services, entrepreneurs assistance program, lawyers for literacy, nc free legal answers, open door fellowship program, patent pro bono program, wills for heroes, and the youth leadership challenge.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 55% for direct work, and 45% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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: 39
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 73
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 50.8%; rating input score 51
  • Program expense ratio: 29.1%; rating input score 29
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.77 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 88.2%; rating input score 88; 25th 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 17.4%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 15.58; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 21.4%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.8% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 50.8% of revenue deployed · 29.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 28 of 28 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $613K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $430K · 35 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 10 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.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 29/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 8/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 11/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.