The Bail Project Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
814985512
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2016
Location
Venice, CA, USA
Phone
3233660799
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Prison Alternatives

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,453,800
Expenses
$13,872,645
Assets
$59,234,307
Liabilities
$950,028

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVID GASPAR (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • DAVID GASPAR (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $279,936 total reported compensation
  • BRADLEY DUDDING (CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER): $272,705 total reported compensation
  • CAMILO RAMIREZ (DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS): $237,512 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 bail project ("tbp") is a national nonprofit organization that pays bail for people in need, reuniting families and restoring the presumption of innocence. See schedule o for continuationtbp posts bail on behalf of their clients and helps them return to court by providing reminders of their court appearances, helping solve problems that prevent appearances in court, and making referrals to services on a voluntary basis.

What it reported doing in 2024

With over eight years of operations, the bail project has provided more than $91 million in free bail assistance, and served over 39,000 individuals through fiscal year 2025. Clients receiving free bail assistance from the bail project returned to court 92% of the time and nearly one-third had all of their cases dismissed, offering further evidence that cash bail is not a necessary incentive to ensure people return to court. This high return to court rate continues to ensure the sustainability of the bail project's national revolving bail fund with 89% of bail payments returning after cases close, allowing the organization to help additional people. See schedule o for continuationfiscal year 25 was further marked by key gains in our advocacy and narrative change efforts: the bail project secured critical due process protections in Texas; shared stories of our impact on clients and evidence-based solutions through 19 opinion pieces and more than 75 appearances in major media outlets; published two landmark reports, beyond bail: a national survey of pretrial justice reform in the united states and the false promise of bail: an analysis of pretrial release mechanisms and court appearance in tulsa county, Oklahoma; and blocked two efforts in Florida and Oklahoma to pass harmful regulations that would have threatened our work.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 72% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 95% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 74%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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: 9 of 9 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: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -115%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.27; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.1%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.7% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -14.5% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 74% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $10.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $280K · 17 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $106K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 4 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 24/100.