Think Tennessee

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
812821568
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Nashville, TN, USA
Phone
6156698667
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and Public Policy Analysis

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,388,660
Expenses
$1,408,390
Assets
$1,428,425
Liabilities
$625,975

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ERIN HAFKENSCHIEL DONNELLY (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ERIN HAFKENSCHIEL DONNELLY (PRESIDENT): $169,040 total reported compensation
  • MARY DARBY (EXTERNAL RELATIONS DIRECTOR): $140,706 total reported compensation
  • DAWN SCHLUCKEBIER (ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR): $121,648 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Think Tennessee is a nonpartisan, results-oriented think tank that uses research, engagement, and advocacy to build a state where all tennesseans are civically engaged and economically secure. We believe our state does better when voters trust and participate in our democracy and workers can access good jobs, build wealth, and share in our robust economy. Our work is guided by our values: equity, integrity, courage, pragmatism, and optimism.

What it reported doing in 2024

We have two primary program areas.strengthening democracy: we envision a state where all tennesseans are civically engaged and trust in a transparent and effective state and local government.supporting working families: we envision a state where all tennesseans can increase their economic security by earning enough to support themselves and their families, afford their typical household expenses, and build their savings, rather than fall into debt.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 91% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

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

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.1%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 80.4%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $13.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1.4%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.01; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.44; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 39.2%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 28.5% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.2% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.9% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.1% of revenue deployed · 80.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $169K · 16 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $176K reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 43/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 4/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 18/100.