The Bush Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
416017815
IRS 990-PF coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990-PF 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
St Paul, MN, USA
Phone
6512270891
Rating
89
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Student Services, Organizations of Students

Reported finances

Revenue
$58,904,289
Expenses
$88,793,329

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

Overview

Mission

Student Services, Organizations of Students

What it reported funding in 2024

The foundation reported 148 grants totaling $53,713,449. The stated grant purposes included this ecosystem grant provides general operating support for the african american leadership forum to help advance its mission and support the work of others, this ecosystem grant provides general operating support for amherst h. wilder foundations work with minnesota compass and the community equity program, to help advance its charitable mission and support the work of others, and this ecosystem grant provides general operating support for univ of arizonas native nations institute to help advance its charitable mission and support the work of others in mn, nd, sd and the 23 native nations that share the same geography, plus 141 other reported purposes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 92% of the foundation's positive operating resources came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The foundation distributed 81% of its reported charitable disbursements as grants.
  • Includes asset-sale income: Asset-sale income is shown separately from recurring resources when classifying the revenue model.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes to charitable grants and the filing identifies who received its grants. Assets provide a limited cushion relative to annual grants and the filing reports one or more activities that warrant closer review.

Rating breakdown

  • Grant Deployment: 100
  • Cost Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency: 100
  • Compliance: 92
  • Endowment Health: 50

Detailed rating inputs

Grant Deployment

  • Grant deployment ratio: 100%; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Cost Efficiency

  • Grant expense ratio: 80.1%; rating input score 80; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency

  • Grant recipient disclosure: Yes; rating input score 100

Compliance

  • Part VII-B activity disclosures: 16 of 19 controls in place; rating input score 84
    • Property sale or exchange with a disqualified person: Pass
    • Borrowing from or lending to a disqualified person: Pass
    • Goods, services, or facilities involving a disqualified person: Pass
    • Compensation paid to a disqualified person: Fail
    • Assets transferred to a disqualified person: Pass
    • Payment to a government official: Pass
    • Uncorrected prior self-dealing: Pass
    • Prior-year undistributed income: Pass
    • Excess business holdings: Pass
    • Investments that may jeopardize charitable purposes: Pass
    • Uncorrected prior-year jeopardizing investments: Pass
    • Attempt to influence legislation: Pass
    • Attempt to influence an election: Pass
    • Grants to individuals: Fail
    • Grants to organizations: Fail
    • Spending for a noncharitable purpose: Pass
    • Funds received for a personal-benefit contract: Pass
    • Premiums paid on a personal-benefit contract: Pass
    • Prohibited tax-shelter transaction: Pass
  • Filing consistency checks: 10; rating input score 100

Endowment Health

  • Endowment-health comparison: 20.4; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Grants: 100% of grant recipient detail disclosed
  • Payout: At least 100% grant deployment rate
  • Trustees: Filed trustees detail
  • Self-dealing: 100% of reviewed questions answered “No”
  • Investments: 50th percentile for endowment coverage
  • Consistency: 10 of 10 current checks pass
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 181 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Endowment Health: Endowment-health comparison scored 50/100.
  • Review — Compliance: Part VII-B activity disclosures: 3 of 19 not reported.