Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 911354688
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2019–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2021
- Location
- Seattle, WA, USA
- Phone
- 2066231302
- Rating
- 78
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $314,557
- Expenses
- $286,658
- Assets
- $195,176
- Liabilities
- $64,682
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
25 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Lauren Bramwell (Executive Director)
- Cooper Offenbecher (President)
- Greg Scott (President Elect)
- Robin Emmans (Immediate Past President)
- Nathan Poston (Vice President East)
- Pete Mazzone (Vice President West)
Highest reported compensation
- Lauren Bramwell (Executive Director): $96,053 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 mission of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL) is to foster the integrity, independence and expertise of criminal defense lawyers; to support the criminal defense community through education and the exchange of information; to promote the fair and just administration of criminal justice; and to ensure due process and defend the rights secured by law for all persons accused of crime.
What it reported doing in 2024
Maintained a comprehensive library of legal briefs and motions and operated five practice-area email discussion lists used by members to exchange information on criminal law and defense practice. Published regular newsletters and case law updates to keep members informed of developments affecting criminal defense. Maintained an expert witness database and a Brady list identifying potentially impeachable law enforcement officers. Through the Ethics Hotline, provided guidance to members regarding the Rules of Professional Conduct. WACDL's Strike Force Committee remained available to consult with-and in some cases represent-members facing harassment or retaliation stemming from their defense advocacy.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 69
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 90
- Sustainability: 39
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 68.7%; rating input score 69
- Program expense ratio: 75%; rating input score 75
- Fundraising efficiency: $14.77 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- 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: 8.9%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.68; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.33; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 33.5%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -1.4% per year; rating input score 0; 25th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 17.6% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 68.7% of revenue deployed · 75% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $215K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $96K · 25 people listed
- Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 50/100.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 58/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 15/100.