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Business for Social Responsibility

EIN 52-1764268 · San Francisco, CA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak44 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

BSR IS A GLOBAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH ITS NETWORK OF MORE THAN 300 MEMBER COMPANIES TO BUILD A JUST AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD. FROM ITS OFFICES IN ASIA, EUROPE, AND NORTH AMERICA, BSR DEVELOPS SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS.

Income
$38.0 million
Spending
$40.7 million
Spent on programs
75%
Reserves
1.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 90%
Employees
164
Volunteers
7
Highest pay
$645,491, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 44 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 50% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 9% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    75% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    7 of 8 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $3.6 million spent. RISE RISE (REIMAGINING INDUSTRY TO SUPPORT EQUALITY) IS AN INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT COLLABORATIVE INDUSTRY ACTION AT SCALE, TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUALITY IN GLOBAL GARMENT, FOOTWEAR AND HOME TEXTILE SUPPLY CHAINS. THE GOAL OF RISE'S WORK IS FOR WOMEN WORKING IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS TO EXPERIENCE THEIR INHERENT DIGNITY THROUGH AGENCY, EQUALITY AND RIGHTS. THROUGH RISE'S THEORY OF CHANGE, THE PROGRAM WORKS TO ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: - BEHAVIOR CHANGE: ALL WORKERS, INCLUDING WOMEN, HAVE THE AGENCY TO SECURE OPPORTUNITIES AND RIGHTS. MEN IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS ENGAGE AND TAKE ACTION TOWARD GENDER EQUALITY.- MARKET CHANGE: BUSINESSES IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS FULFILL THE NEEDS AND RIGHTS OF WOMEN WORKERS. WOMEN'S VOICES AND DECISION-MAKING ARE REPRESENTED IN WORKPLACE AND SECTORAL DIALOGUES.- SYSTEMS CHANGE: POLICIES ARE IN PLACE WITHIN THE WORLD OF WORK TO ENHANCE GENDER EQUALITY. SOCIAL NORMS WITHIN THE WORLD OF WORK REINFORCE EQUALITY OF ALL GENDERS.
  2. $3.3 million spent. HUMAN RIGHTS BSR'S HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS ENGAGE WITH A NETWORK OF PARTNERS FROM BUSINESS AND CIVIL SOCIETY TO HELP COMPANIES IN ALL SECTORS TO MEET AND EXCEED GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS. BSR'S HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY SERVICES ARE PRAGMATIC AND FORWARD-LOOKING, MEETING COMPANIES WHERE THEY ARE ON THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS JOURNEY AND TAILORING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF EACH INDUSTRY AND THE COMPLEXITIES OF LOCAL CONTEXTS. BSR HELPS COMPANIES TO UNDERSTAND AND NAVIGATE THE INCREASINGLY FRAGMENTED GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS LANDSCAPE, PREPARE TO COMPLY WITH EMERGING LEGISLATION, AND PARTNER ACROSS THEIR VALUE CHAINS TO COLLABORATIVELY MANAGE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES AND ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC CAUSES OF HUMAN RIGHTS HARM.
  3. $2.9 million spent. CLIMATE AND NATURE BSR'S CLIMATE AND NATURE TEAM SUPPORTS COMPANY EFFORTS TO BUILD BUSINESS RESILIENCE AND STRENGTHEN LONG-TERM VALUE CHAIN STABILITY, WHILE ENABLING A HEALTHY PLANET AND A JUST FUTURE FOR ALL. WE HELP COMPANIES TO ASSESS THEIR CLIMATE AND NATURE RISKS, TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIC NATURE PRESERVATION AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION EFFORTS, AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF TRANSITION PLANS TO PURSUE NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND COMPLY WITH REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.
  4. $20.5 million spent. INCLUSIVE BUSINESS, SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT, MEMBERSHIP, GENERAL PROGRAM

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 1994.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.