Impact & Measurement
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
Bail Project Inc.
Pasadena CA | IRS ruling year: 2017 | EIN: 81-4985512 
An EIN is a unique nine-digit number that identifies a business for tax purposes.
An EIN is a unique nine-digit number that identifies a business for tax purposes.Organization Mission
PAYS BAIL FOR PEOPLE IN NEED, REUNITING FAMILIES AND RESTORING THE PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE.Rating Information
Not currently rated
Ratings are calculated from one or more beacon scores. Currently, we require either an Accountability & Finance beacon or an Impact & Measurement beacon to be eligible for a Charity Navigator rating. Note: The absence of a rating does not indicate a positive or negative assessment; it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated this organization.
See rating report below to learn why this organization is not currently eligible.
Historical Ratings 
Historical Ratings 
Charity Navigator's ratings previously did not consider Leadership & Adaptability, Culture & Community, or Impact & Measurement. The historic rating mainly reflects a version of today’s Accountability and Finance score. More information on our previous rating methodologies can be found on our rating methodology page.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
Rating Report
Accountability & Finance
Not Currently Scored
Unknown Reason
Charity Navigator is unable to evaluate this nonprofit at this time. Please see our Encompass Rating methodology for more information.
Additional Information
Total Revenue and Expenses - Data Available
Total Revenue and Expenses - Data Available
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons - Data Available
Salary of Key Persons - Data Available
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Robin Steinberg, Board Member / Ceo
$327,100
Bradley Dudding, Chief Impact Officer
$224,150
Twyla Carter, National Director Of Policy
$200,385
Kaitlin Koga, Chief Of Staff
$183,925
Tara Watford, Chief Data Officer
$173,929
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2022
IRS Published Data (Business Master File) - Data Available
IRS Published Data (Business Master File) - Data Available
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources (IRS Forms 990) - Data Available
Data Sources (IRS Forms 990) - Data Available
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage accountability and finance data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Bail Project Inc.) or EIN (814985512) in the 'Search Term' field.
Impact & Measurement
Not Currently Scored
Bail Project Inc. cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Measurement methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Culture & Community
Score
100
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Metrics
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No CreditConstituent Feedback - Data Available100/100 points
Constituent Feedback - Data Available100/100 points
33.33% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. The methodology leveraged for Constituent Feedback is based on The Core Principles of Constituent Feedback, which describes listening and responding well to feedback. Charity Navigator participates in a consortium with other feedback experts and leading nonprofit infrastructure platforms to drive Constituent Feedback's advancement, promotion, and data collection.
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Equity Practices - Data Available100/100 points
Equity Practices - Data Available100/100 points
66.67% of beacon score
This organization's score of 100 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 14 Equity Practices.
The Equity Strategies Checklist, developed by Equity in the Center, consists of practices and policies that promote racial equity in operations and programs. This data is collected in partnership with Candid.
| Equity Practices (7/7) | |
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
| Equity Policies and Procedures (7/7) | |
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Leadership & Adaptability
Score
100
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
- Strategic Partnerships
- Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
- Thought Leadership
- Raising Awareness
- Community Building
- Policy Advocacy
Metrics
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditMission 10/10 points
Mission 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Note: The organization did not respond to this question.
Vision 10/10 points
Vision 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Note: The organization did not respond to this question.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals 20/20 points
Goals 20/20 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Serving more than 40,000 people, averting two million pretrial jail days, in a portfolio of geographically, demographically, and politically diverse sites with varying momentum for statewide reform.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Goal Two: Proving our model produces positive results for our clients and for communities by high court appearance rate, fairer case outcomes without impacting overall public safety, and with cost savings.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Using data and stories, we will work at local, state, and national levels to advocate to end money bail practices with broad adoption of our model of community release with support.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development 15/15 points
Leadership Development 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
The Bail Project continually invests in leadership development. Over the last six months, we have invested in a 7-part Managers Training for our Operations leadership focused on mastering supervision, developing a feedback culture, managing conflict and understanding trauma-informed leadership. We have also invested in a Train-the-Trainer program for 5 senior leaders that will enable them to conduct internal leadership development training for all staff in the organization.
Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points
Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
The Bail Project consists of a Support Hub and a network of local staff advocates—Bail Disruptors and Client Advocates. Our staff is now more than 100 people strong. We advocate, collaborate, and partner locally and nationally. We conduct asset-mapping to provide robust client support at each site.
Our clients’ case outcomes speak volumes. Nationally, about one in three of our clients have all their cases dismissed. Overall, of our clients whose cases have closed, about 90% are not required to spend any additional time in jail.
We work with local and national media outlets and use social media to raise awareness for this work.
We are expanding into jurisdictions with diverse demographics, sizes, and geographies to create powerful proof points to show that cash bail is harmful and unnecessary. We are expanding our reach in the South to provide further proof for our model. We will continue to advocate for replacing cash bail with broad adoption of Community Release with Support.
Adaptability Story 30/30 points
Adaptability Story 30/30 points
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
In advocating for bail reform, we constantly adapt on local, state, and national levels. Here are some examples:
- Illinois passed the Pretrial Fairness Act, which will eliminate the use of cash bail in the state. Until this bill goes into effect in 2023, our team will continue doing bailouts in Chicago while working to shape what bail reform's implementation looks like, advocating for a more humane, equitable pretrial system. We will be piloting what Community Release with Support can do for people and communities after cash bail has been dismantled.
- Launched in 2018 as the inaugural site of The Bail Project, the organization’s St. Louis City site served more than 3,000 low-income residents while working with the campaign to Close the Workhouse to advocate for closing the infamous jail and redirect public funding to social services. Finally, the decision was made to close the Workhouse jail at the end of 2020. The Bail Project continues to provide court notifications and support for existing clients. We will shift resources to fund the Freedom Community Center, a new organization founded by one of our former staff members.
In February 2020, The Bail Project published “After Cash Bail: A Framework for Reimagining Pretrial Justice” (see AfterCashBail.org). This white paper outlines our vision for the policies that we want jurisdictions to adopt and implement instead of cash bail and offers guidelines for implementing meaningful bail reform.
As part of our advocacy efforts to approach justice more humanely, we are also raising awareness for the health threats of COVID in jails and advocating for decreasing jail populations and improving pretrial systems.