Brightline Defense Project FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

San Francisco, CA501(c)(3)Civil Rights & AdvocacyEIN 33-1131608Revenue $605K in FY2020

On file with the IRSbrightlinedefense.org433 Natoma St FL 3, 94103-2940 · San Francisco, CATax-exempt since Nov 2006Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Brightline is a policy advocacy non-profit that works to promote sustainability in otherwise vulnerable communities.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
88¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$65K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $222K a year · 16% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
88%
of spending
Looks good: 88% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$65K
to officers and key staff · 12% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 12% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $1.7M
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$128K
44% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 44% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$605K
Spent
$548K
To programs
88%
Net assets
$164K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$605K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$605K
FY2021$881K
FY2022$1.6M
FY2023$2.0M
FY2024$2.0M
Expenses
$548K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$548K
FY2021$610K
FY2022$988K
FY2023$1.7M
FY2024$2.1M
Net assets
$164K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$164K
FY2021$435K
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$1.4M
FY2024$1.2M

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Nov 2006.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

88 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 88% · $481K Management & general 5% · $29K Fundraising 7% · $38K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

6 people listed on the 990; $65K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$65,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Edward Ahn’s $171K as Executive Director is at the 67th percentile of top reported officer pay among 797 $1–10M civil rights & advocacy nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Edward Ahn$170,620$153,204$108,450$65,000$65,000

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Brightline Defense Project executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Advocates for sustainable policies in vulnerable communities.

Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $481K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

San Francisco Local Hiring

Brightline advises the city and county of san francisco as well as various additional private and public stakeholders on how to implement and expand the landmark san francisco local hiring policy for construction.

$359Kprogram expense
02

Environmental Justice and Renewable Energy Advocacy

Brightline advocates for solar panels, energy efficiency, and other clean energy alternatives to dirty power plants that have been traditionally sited in low-income communities of color. Through policy development and program design, brightline advances environmental justice interests and develops clean technology markets in the bay area…

$122Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 5 funders →
Grants paid · 2 grants · $28K · 2024–2024

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$605K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$417K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$188K
Money outPt IX
$548K
Ln 25
Programscol B$481K
Managementcol C$29K
Fundraisingcol D$38K
Owns and owesPt X
$164K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$189K
Total assetsLn 16$292K
LiabilitiesLn 26$128K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$188K
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Fees for servicesLn 2g$417K
Total revenueLn 12$605K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$189K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$189K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$49K
Total assetsLn 16$292K
LiabilitiesLn 26$128K
Net assetsLn 32$164K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 56
VolunteersI 68
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$82K$189K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$252K$292K
LiabilitiesLn 26$146K$128K
Net assetsLn 32$107K$164K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$65K$46K$6K$13K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$46K$42K$4K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$8K$6K$729$773
Payroll taxesLn 10$9K$7K$847$899
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$320K$320K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$19K$19K
Office expensesLn 13$36K$29K$6K$184
Information technologyLn 14$5K$4K$438$538
OccupancyLn 16$24K$19K$2K$3K
TravelLn 17$4K$1K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$8K$6K$767$941
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$5K$616$4K$0
All other expensesLn 24e$0$0$0$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$548K$481K$29K$38K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $2.0M$2.1M−$149K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.0M$1.7M$339K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.6M$988K$592K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $881K$610K$270K$435K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $605K$548K$58K$164K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $605,474 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $20,929$188,261
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $295,268$417,213
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $882$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $317,079$605,474
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $91,241$127,735
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $245,207$419,987
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $336,448$547,722
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$19,369$57,752
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $605,474 across 10 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$0
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$188,261
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$188,261
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $417,213 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$417,213
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $417,213 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$605,474
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $547,722 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $45,501 · Management $6,497 · Fundraising $13,002$65,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $42,015 · Management $4,084$46,099
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $6,192 · Management $729 · Fundraising $773$7,694
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $7,196 · Management $847 · Fundraising $899$8,942
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $320,103$320,103
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $18,957$18,957
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $29,023 · Management $6,305 · Fundraising $184$35,512
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $3,623 · Management $438 · Fundraising $538$4,599
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $19,142 · Management $2,313 · Fundraising $2,844$24,299
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,261 · Management $2,638$3,899
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $6,338 · Management $767 · Fundraising $941$8,046
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $616 · Management $3,956 · Fundraising $0$4,572
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $481,010 · Management $28,574 · Fundraising $38,138$547,722
Part X · Balance sheet $292,339 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $81,750$188,753
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $97,764$52,903
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,893$1,887
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $70,967$48,796
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $252,374$292,339
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $77,292$66,240
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payable$15,437
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $68,568$46,396
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $145,860$128,073
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $106,514$164,266
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $106,514$164,266
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $252,374$292,339
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $164,266 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$605,474
XI-2 Total expenses$547,722
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$57,752
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$106,514
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$164,266

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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