The State Chamber Research Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
731114164
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2011
Location
Oklahoma City, OK, USA
Phone
4052353669
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$523,070
Expenses
$660,919
Assets
$791,817
Liabilities
$244,296

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Bill Schonacher (President)
  • Kristin Peck (Vice-President)
  • Chad Warmington (President & CEO)
  • Ben Lepak (Executive Director (thru Oct 2024))

Highest reported compensation

  • Chad Warmington (President & CEO): $603,269 total reported compensation
  • Ben Lepak (Executive Director (thru Oct 2024)): $137,188 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 State Chamber Research Foundation strives to support Oklahoma's growth and increase prosperity for all Oklahomans. We create solution orientated programming, advance research and policy, and provide sound data geared to advancing Oklahoma's economic climate, workforce, infrastructure, and legal and regulatory environment.

What it reported doing in 2024

Workforce/EducationSCRF's education and workforce development program aims to strategically engage key stakeholders and propose innovative policy reforms that create an academic environment that aligns with the evolving needs of the business community.(Continued on Schedule O)The Business Leaders Poll is an essential tool and the only statewide scientific survey that provides a regular pulse on the views, concerns, and outlook of Oklahoma's diverse business community. The annual poll encompasses small and large businesses, urban and rural, from C-suites to corner stores. The survey results provide valuable information, identifying key challenges and barriers identified by business owners.RIEDThe Research Institute for Economic Development (RIED) Report is dedicated to helping the business community understand how Oklahoma's legislators vote on business, job and economic issues. LEGAL CENTERThe Legal Center is geared toward researching policy implications surrounding the third branch of government. The purpose of the SCRF Legal Center is to promote free enterprise and economic prosperity by advocating for the consistent and fair application of the law as written.LEAThe Leadership Exchange Academy is a cohort program where leaders come to exchange ideas and learn about good government practices, the public policy process, and free enterprise.The Oklahoma Scorecard is an annual publication that evaluates Oklahoma's competitive position compared to the nation, region, and a set of peer states sharing various characteristics.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 67% 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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 61
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 22
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.3%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 73.8%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -26.4%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.2; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.31; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 17.4% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.4% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93.3% of revenue deployed · 73.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $488K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $603K · 13 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 7/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: CEO compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 48/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.