Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 475568413
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2019–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Columbus, OH, USA
- Phone
- 6142284201
- Rating
- 75
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Single Organization Support
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $610,139
- Expenses
- $545,955
- Assets
- $633,120
- Liabilities
- $146,211
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
12 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- STACY RASTAUSKAS BRETHERTON (CHAIRMAN/PRESIDENT)
- LARRY KIDD (VICE PRESIDENT)
- DEMETRIUS THOMAS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- DEMETRIUS THOMAS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $157,042 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
In order to envision Ohio as a place where businesses thrive, communities are safe and strong, and public policy supports economic freedom, the Ohio chamber research foundation does its part by promoting a healthy economy in Ohio by exploring strategies and delivering comprehensive, objective research and information.
What it reported doing in 2024
Community engagement program - enables the Ohio chamber of commerce research foundation to support Ohio communities at the intersection of community needs and private sector operations. Through targeted funding, research-based initiatives, and strategic partnerships. The foundation responds to emerging challenges that impact both businesses and the communities they serve, including natural disaster relief, workforce development, and programs that strengthen Ohio's economic and social fabric. In 2024, the research foundation assisted 50+ Ohio small businesses impacted by a major tornado, demonstrating its capacity to respond rapidly to crises while maintaining its broader commitment to community-business collaboration.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 61% for direct work, and 39% for grants.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and some filed totals do not add up.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 61
- Transparency & Controls: 78
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 53
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 65.6%; rating input score 66
- Program expense ratio: 73.3%; rating input score 73
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Compensation committee: Missing
- 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: 88.6%; rating input score 89; 37th 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 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 10.5%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.16; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 3.2%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 38.2% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 41.9% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 42.2% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 65.6% of revenue deployed · 73.3% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $400K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $157K · 12 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 23 of 24 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 5 filing years from 2019 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 5 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.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 47/100.
- Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 29/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 57/100.