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Better Together MN FY2021 filing

Saint Paul, MNUnknown exempt organization EIN 85-2021347Revenue $330K in FY2021

On file with the IRSwemakemn.com2233 University Ave W Suite 422 · Saint Paul, MN

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To bring about civic betterments and social improvements by effectively deploying resources, conducting research, and mobilizing communities to advocate for sustained and equitable public funding for investments in Minnesotans' health and economic well-being,

100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$160K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
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
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $12K a year · 4% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$160K
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.8 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $10K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% 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
$330K
-56% vs prior year
Spent
$812K
To programs
100%
Net assets
$52K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$330K
FY2021▼ -56%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$748K
FY2021$330K
FY2022$213K
FY2023$182K
FY2024$185K
Expenses
$812K
FY2021▲ +281%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$214K
FY2021$812K
FY2022$256K
FY2023$141K
FY2024$176K
Net assets
$52K
FY2021▼ -90%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$534K
FY2021$52K
FY2022$9K
FY2023$50K
FY2024$59K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $812K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

8 people listed on the 990; $160K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Colette Millard
Political and Legislative Director
$80,769Pt VII · Sec A
Eric Harris Bernstein
Policy Director
$78,949Pt VII · Sec A
Phillip Cryan
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Alexa Howart
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Carrie Lucking
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Brian Elliott
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Anna Brelje
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Eric Harris Bernstein$125,000$100,000$99,750$78,949$34,154
Colette Millard——$78,185$80,769—

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 Better Together MN 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Mobilize communities for better health and economic well-being through research and advocacy for public funding.

Questions for Better Together MN

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $812K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Branding, messaging, and activism in support of increasing state revenues.

$812Kprogram 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
Minnesota Nurses AssociationFY2024$10K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$10K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $50K · 2020–2020
Alliance for a Better MinnesotaFY2020$50,000

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$330K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$330K
Money outPt IX
$812K
Ln 25
Programscol B$812K
Owns and owesPt X
$52K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$52K
Total assetsLn 16$52K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$330K
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Total revenueLn 12$330K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$52K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$52K
Total assetsLn 16$52K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$52K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 66
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$534K$52K
Total assetsLn 16$534K$52K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$534K$52K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$160K$160K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$1K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$2K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$355$355
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$307K$307K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$317K$317K
Office expensesLn 13$13K$13K
Information technologyLn 14$12K$12K
Total functional expensesLn 25$812K$812K$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $185K$176K$9K$59K 990 PDF
FY2023 $182K$141K$42K$50K 990 PDF
FY2022 $213K$256K−$43K$9K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $330K$812K−$483K$52K 990 PDF
FY2020 $748K$214K$534K$534K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $329,525 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $748,000$329,525
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $748,000$329,525
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $50,000$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $35,849$163,333
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $127,667$649,136
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $213,516$812,469
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $534,484−$482,944
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-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $329,525 across 9 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$329,525
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$329,525
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$329,525
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $812,469 across 8 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $159,718$159,718
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,487$1,487
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $2,128$2,128
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $355$355
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $306,905$306,905
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $316,912$316,912
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $13,115$13,115
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $11,849$11,849
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $812,469 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$812,469
Part X · Balance sheet $51,540 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $534,484$51,540
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $534,484$51,540
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$0
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $0$0
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $0$0
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $0$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $534,484$51,540
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $534,484$51,540
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $534,484$51,540
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $51,540 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$329,525
XI-2 Total expenses$812,469
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$482,944
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$534,484
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$51,540

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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