Phoenix Suns Charities Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
860633919
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone
6023797900
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,172,264
Expenses
$3,484,304
Assets
$8,917,845
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOSH BARTELSTEIN (PRESIDENT)
  • SARAH KRAHENBUHL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • JOSH BARTELSTEIN (PRESIDENT)
  • SARAH KRAHENBUHL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • JIM PITMAN (SECRETARY/TREASURER)

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

Phoenix suns charities was founded in 1988 with the mission to benefit organizations that assist the needs of children and families in Arizona. Due to the generosity of fans and sponsors, and underwriting by the team, phoenix suns charities has experienced steady growth and now distributes more than $3 million dollars annually to hundreds of local charities. Since its inception, phoenix suns charities has donated more than $45 million dollars to worthy Arizona organizations.

What it reported doing in 2024

Due to the generosity of fans and sponsors, as well as underwriting by the team, phoenix suns charities has experienced steady growth and distributes more than $3 million dollars annually to hundreds of local charities. Funds are raised during the nba season through special events such as the suns courtside classic, suns charities 88, and the suns assist employee giving campaign; scoreboard messages presented at suns home games; game night auctions and sales; and through special projects such as suns license plates. Finally, many generous fans and community organizations designate phoenix suns charities as the recipient of their giving led by a group of donors known as playmakers who pledge $100,000 over four years to the charity.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 77% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 97% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 88
  • Accountability: 18
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 94.1%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 96.8%; rating input score 97; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: -9.8%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.56; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.4% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22.8% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 94.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 20 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 68 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 68 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.