Brides for a Cause FY2020 filing

Portland, OR · Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Human Services

✓ Tax-deductible
Revenue
$1.8M
Spent
$1.5M
To programs
95%
Net assets
$1.8M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$1.8M
FY2020
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.8M
FY2021$2.4M
FY2022$2.0M
FY2023$2.2M
FY2024$3.1M
Expenses
$1.5M
FY2020
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.5M
FY2021$1.7M
FY2022$2.0M
FY2023$2.2M
FY2024$2.4M
Net assets
$1.8M
FY2020
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.8M
FY2021$2.4M
FY2022$2.0M
FY2023$1.9M
FY2024$2.6M

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

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

Status and standing

Is it real, and can you give to it?

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Filed FY2024 (typical filing lag)
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CBrides for a Cause
EINHdr · item D81-1902616
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFOct 2017
Latest filingForm 990FY2024 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CPortland, OR
NTEE classificationIRS BMFHuman Services (P19)
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.bridesforacause.com

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.95 Management & general $0.05
Program services95%$1.4M
Management & general5%$83K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.5M

Financial health

Is it on solid ground?

Program efficiency
95%
of spending reaches programs
Surplus margin
+17%
revenue over expenses, this year
Donor-funded
103%
of revenue is gifts & grants

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2020 · Form 990
Total assets
$1.9M
FY2020
Total assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.9M
FY2021$2.4M
FY2022$2.0M
FY2023$2.6M
FY2024$3.4M
Total liabilities
$107K
FY2020
Total liabilities by fiscal year
FY2020$107K
FY2021$17K
FY2022$6K
FY2023$700K
FY2024$834K
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$310K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$1.9M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B95%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 35
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 45

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$81K
Total assetsLn 16$1.9M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$107K
Total net assetsLn 32$1.8M
Months of cash on handcomputed0.6

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants103%$1.9M
Total revenueLn 12$1.8M

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2020 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $81K · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $1.5M · Less non-cash grants $1.9M · Cash operating expenses/yr −$362K
Highly liquid reserves (cash & marketable securities on Pt X) ÷ monthly operating expenses (Pt IX total, less non-cash grants & depreciation when reported).
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $1.4M · Total expenses $1.5M
95%
Management & General
Management & general $83K · Total expenses $1.5M
5%
Fundraising
Fundraising $0 · Total expenses $1.5M
0%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense $0 · Solicited contributions $1.9M
Solicited contributions below reporting floor
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $1.9M · Total revenue $1.8M
103%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $1.8M
—
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $0 · Total revenue $1.8M
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $0 · Total revenue $1.8M
0%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $0 · Total expenses $1.5M
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $1.8M · Prior year —
No prior year on file
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $1.8M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $1.8M · Expenses $1.5M
+17%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $1.9M
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $1.8M · Total assets $1.9M
94%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $0 · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $1.9M
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Erin Scharf · Reported title Executive Dir. · Highest reported compensation $113K · Total expenses $1.5M
7%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $531K · Total expenses $1.5M
35%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 95%——
Overhead ratio 5%——
Fundraising cost ratio 0%——
Investment management fee ratio 0%——
Legal fee ratio 0%——
Accounting fee ratio 0%——
Fundraising fee ratio 0%——

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Leadership and pay

Who runs it, and what are they paid?

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Dir.
$112,819Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Erin Scharf’s $148K as Executive Dir. is at the 72nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3869 $1–10M human services 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
Erin Scharf$147,782$124,079$118,178$119,691$112,819

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 Brides for a Cause executive salaries →

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Governance & Policies

Part VI
  • 5Voting board membersPt VI · Ln 1a
  • 5Independent board membersPt VI · Ln 1b
  • Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
  • Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
  • Top official’s pay independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Family or business ties among leadersPt VI · Ln 2No

Mission and programs

What it does.

Resells donated wedding gowns and accessories to fund women's charities.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Brides for a Cause claims this page.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $1.4M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2020.
01

Brides for a cause receives and sells donated wedding dresses and bridal accessories to raise money to give grants and donations to irc 501 (c)(3) organizations that promote womens causes while simultaneously protecting the environment by reusing wedding material at its boutique locations in portland, or, tacoma, wa and seattle, wa.

$747Kprogram expense
02

Provided 95 free wedding dresses to military brides, first responders and healthcare workers working the front lines of COVID-19 pandemic through the brides across america operation wedding gown events, valuing $50,875.

$472Kprogram expense
03

Contributed $210,000 to (22) locally and nationally-recognized charitable causes that provide services and assistance to women in need. Beneficiaries include: the loveland foundation, brides across america, dressember, abbys closet, dress for success oregon, dress for success seattle, every mother counts, haydens helping hands, baby…

$210Kprogram expense

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Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · this organization's grantmaking
Grants paid · 172 grants · $1.9M · 2020–2024
The Princess ProjectCA · FY2024$40,000
Young Women EmpoweredWA · FY2024$10,000
WomenheartDC · FY2024$10,000
Women Deliver INCNY · FY2024$10,000
Woman of WonderWA · FY2024$10,000
Wish Upon a WeddingIL · FY2024$10,000
Wellspring Women's CenterCA · FY2024$10,000
Weave INCCA · FY2024$10,000
Vow for Girls INCNY · FY2024$10,000
Too Young to WedNY · FY2024$10,000
Loveland Foundation INCNY · FY2024$10,000
She's the First INCNY · FY2024$10,000
She Should RunNY · FY2024$10,000
Running StartDC · FY2024$10,000
Ruby RoomWA · FY2024$10,000
Rose Haven CicOR · FY2024$10,000
Pink Lemonade ProjectWA · FY2024$10,000
See all 172 grants →

Filing history

Every return on file.

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2024 Latest $3.1M$2.4M+41% 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.2M$2.2M+9% 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.0M$2.0M-15% 990 PDF
FY2021 $2.4M$1.7M+29% 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $1.8M$1.5M 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

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2020IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

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