Texas Center for Justice and Equity

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
742969471
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Phone
5126123129
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Support N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$487,301
Expenses
$712,255
Assets
$1,155,647
Liabilities
$10,919

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • LEAH PINNEY-THRU 52024 (Executive Dir.): $82,587 total reported compensation
  • DR KAREN JOHNSON (Executive Dir.): $73,404 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

In 2000, our organization was established as ProTex: Network for a Progressive Texas and was most recently known as the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition. In 2021, the organization changed its name to the Texas Center for Justice and Equity (TCJE), better reflecting both our 20-year history of commitment to people most impacted by the criminal punishment system, as well as our vision for a better Texas. TCJE advances solutions and builds coalitions to end mass incarceration and foster safer Texas communities. We advocate at the state Capitol and in counties throughout Texas to shift funding towards community supports, and to reduce racial inequities in the criminal punishment system.

What it reported doing in 2023

Adult Justice: Our program goals and objectives include: (1) reversing the pipeline thats pushing people into the criminal punishment system addressing not just incarceration, but arrest, pretrial detention, probation, and more; that means engaging with other, intersecting systems that wrap people into the criminal punishment system. (2) Shrinking the number of people who are currently under correctional control (in prison or jail, on probation or parole) or who are impacted by prior system involvement, including by giving people the tools and opportunities to overcome the harsh, long-term consequences of a conviction. (3) Protecting the rights and wellbeing of people behind bars, specifically to ensure their humane treatment, safety, and dignity (especially during weather- or health-related crises). And (4) investing in approaches outside the criminal punishment system that support individual and community wellbeing, including programs and services that can help people address their needs like substance use disorder, mental health problems, or past trauma. This work is supported by TCJEs Statewide LeadershipCouncil, comprised of formerly incarcerated and system-impacted Texans who advocate locally and at the Texas Capitol to end mass incarceration and help people return successfully to the community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 26
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 79.3%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • 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 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -46.2%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.62; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 21.9%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.5% per year; rating input score 0; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.6% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -2.4% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 79.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $565K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $83K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2016 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 38/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 54/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 48/100.