The Bridgespan Group

What it reported doing in 2024

Sharing insights to advance sector-wide impactacross our portfolio, we aim to engage social sector leaders in our knowledge work in ways that shape their thinking and behavior, and use our platform to amplify the voices of diverse and proximate leaders. - multiyear initiatives: advance most influential ideas for the social sector towards specific impact objectives through deep, sustained investment - targeted investments: explore promising cross-cutting issues or field-specific topics with discrete investments - foundational knowledge: serve as a go-to source of knowledge and tools to build strong, results-driven nonprofits and drive highly effective philanthropyarticles published on bridgespan.org sought to engage our audience on topics such as effective philanthropy, nonprofit growth and resilience, equitable systems change, strategic planning, and decision-making. Examples include: the growing momentum behind philanthropic collaboratives in indiabridgespan.org, 2/7/24by pritha venkatachalam, anant bhagwati, akshay gambhir, meet agrawal, ronojoy das, prachi kaur, and gauri vijhow philanthropic collaboratives measure, evaluate, and learnbridgespan.org, 2/22/24by mariah collins, erika caballero montoya, wendy castillo, alison powell, radhika bhula, deika albert, and bradley seemandreaming in color season 3 (podcast)bridgespan.org, 3/7/24by christian celeste tate and anum qadirendowment funding as a grantmaking tool: the robert wood johnson foundation approach bridgespan.org, 3/26/24by darren isom, jasmine reliford, cora daniels, and lyell sakaueusing all the tools in the toolkit: funding advocacy for social changebridgespan.org, 4/2/24by deborah bielak, liz jain, mahdi fariss, indu pereira, and zach slobigpolicy incrementalism and how philanthropy's support can turn small sustained steps into big impactbridgespan.org, 4/2/24by william foster, marc solomon, eric chen, and zach slobigthe evolving philanthropic landscape for supporting abortion access and reproductive servicesbridgespan.org, 4/17/24by marina fisher, julia finnerty, kristen loureiro, and roger thompsonilluminating impact: why gender matters for funders in any issue areabridgespan.org, 4/24/24by nidhi sahni, elizabeth bibb binder, deborah bielak, maddie holland, and riti mohapatrathe trust-based philanthropy conundrum: toward donor-doer relationships that drive impactbridgespan.org, 4/30/24by jeffrey bradach, kathleen fleming, preeta nayak, and zach slobignonprofit leadership transitions: four ways funders can support leaders of colorbridgespan.org, 5/7/24by nate wong, carmita semaan, dorothy jones, and grace nguyenhow philanthropy can narrow the racial wealth gapbridgespan.org, 5/29/24by devin murphy, zach slobig, christian celeste tate, alina clarke, and logan bottscommunity-driven change: demonstrating impact in africa and indiabridgespan.org, 5/31/24by pritha venkatachalam, riti mohapatra, ntefeleng nene, aditi sharma, umang manchanda, and roger thompsonwant to fund in the global south? Philanthropic collaboratives can helpbridgespan.org, 6/5/24by sonali patel, alexandra hughes browne, gayle martin, and zach slobighow african ngos growbridgespan.org, 6/20/24by niloufer memon, julia standish-white, nkanyiso hlongwa, dominique wells, mikal kooiker, bradley seemanthe changing landscape of large-scale giving in africa by non-african philanthropistsbridgespan.org, 6/24/24by ntefeleng nene, siyasanga hayi-charters, siviwe nyati, nuvika pillay, robyn porteousphilanthropic collaborations in africa and their unique potentialbridgespan.org, 6/24/24by ansulie cooper, jan schwier, ntefeleng nene, hannah benn, fhatuwani mabila, and roger thompsondreaming in color season 4 (podcast)bridgespan.org, 6/27/24by darren isomhow nonprofits and ngos can measure progress toward systems changebridgespan.org, 7/11/24by mariah collins, lia bonamassa, analia cuevas-ferreras, nishi mehta, bradley seemanlearning from nonprofits and ngos that have put large, flexible grants to workbridgespa

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 87.3%; rating input score 87
• Program expense ratio: 82%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $33.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th 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: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 78.6%; rating input score 79; 27th 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: -5.8%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.23; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 11.5% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 14.9% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings