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Community Builders Network of Metro St Louis

EIN 80-0847990 · St Louis, MO

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceGood80 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis (CBN) is a coalition of community building organizations, including both place-based nonprofits and supporting partners. Our mission is to gather community leaders of all backgrounds to build engaged and equitable neighborhoods.

Income
$567,021
Spending
$508,986
Spent on programs
84%
Reserves
7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 98%
Employees
5
Volunteers
12

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

Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 78% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 7.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 1% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 101% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    84% of spending went to programs.

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

Governance

Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 13 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (3)
  1. $321,472 spent. Supportive Systems Civic capacity building initiatives under CBNs Supportive Systems pillar build bridges across places, sectors, and silos and advocate for policies that strengthen our civic muscle. In 2020, CBN worked with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) Coalition to start compiling the St. Louis Affordable Housing Report Card, a first-of-its-kind tool created for community organizations, housing advocates, decision-makers, and residents in St. Louis City and County who want growth in and more equitable use of affordable housing resources. The Vacancy Collaborative released its first 18-month Work Plan to comprehensively address St. Louis vacancy challenge and made progress toward short- and long-term goals under all 5 action categories. The Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Coalition coordinated collective impact data and stakeholder outreach and prepared a CDFI systems strategy for supporting Black and Latinx businesses.
  2. $57,479 spent. Strong Organizations - Organizational capacity building programs under CBNs Strong Organizations pillar support CBN member organizations and their partners so that they can do their best work. In 2020, CBN started hosting monthly all-member calls (which started as weekly calls at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic) to hold space for members to check in, support and collaborate with each other, share resources, and lead discussion on issues theyre grappling with. CBN staff was also part of the technical support team for the CDC Stability funding stream under Invest STLs Neighborhood Solidarity Fund, a grant pool to help place-based entities respond to and stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, CBN staff spent time planning a workshop series on sustainable business models for place-based organizations, which kicked off with a series on residential real estate in early 2021.
  3. $46,406 spent. Sharing Stories Public awareness building initiatives under CBNs Sharing Stories pillar spread the word about what it takes to make our neighborhoods great places to live and why strong communities matter. . In 2020, CBN focused our communications resources on keeping community builders connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, including by creating a COVID-19 response section on our website. CBN staff also started a CBN Member Bright Spots Blog to highlight the important work our member organizations are doing. CBN continued partnering with Humans of St. Louis to compile unique photostories about our Annual Community Building Awards honorees, crafted to help spread the word about what community building looks like through the eyes of folks who are doing the work every day. Due to COVID-19, CBN pivoted our Annual Community Building Awards to a successful virtual event that was held in July 2020.

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 September 2014.

    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.