Basic Rights Education Fund
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
BASIC RIGHTS EDUCATION FUND WILL ENSURE THAT ALL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER OREGONIANS EXPERIENCE EQUALITY BY BUILDING A BROAD AND INCLUSIVE POLITICALLY POWERFUL MOVEMENT, SHIFTING PUBLIC OPINION AND ACHIEVING POLICY VICTORIES.
- Income
- $890,713
- Spending
- $1.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 4.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 96%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 60
- Highest pay
- $150,979, executive director
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
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 86% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 33% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1568% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 33 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 12 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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)
- $1.1 million spent. TRANSGENDER JUSTICE WORK: WITHIN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS FACE DISPROPORTIONATE RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT, POVERTY, HARASSMENT, ASSAULT AND HOMELESSNESS. INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE AND IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AS WELL AS DISCRIMINATION AND MISTREATMENT BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CONTRIBUTE TO THESE ADVERSE OUTCOMES. OUR TRANSGENDER JUSTICE PROGRAM SEEKS TO ADDRESS AND COUNTER THESE CONDITIONS THROUGH OUR WORK WITH POLICY MAKERS AND STATE AGENCY STAFF ON THREE KEY ISSUES: TRANSGENDER-INCLUSIVE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE, FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR STATE'S EXISTING NONDISCRIMINATION LAW AND IMPROVING THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF TRANSGENDER OREGONIANS IN JAILS AND PRISONS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)ACCORDING TO THE 2015 U.S. TRANS SURVEY, TRANSGENDER PEOPLE ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO BE UNEMPLOYED AND TWICE AS LIKELY TO LIVE IN POVERTY THAN THEIR NON-TRANSGENDER PEERS. TO HELP ADDRESS THIS CRISIS, WE ADMINISTER OUR FAIR WORKPLACE TRAINING, WHICH AIMS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF OREGON EMPLOYERS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING AN INCLUSIVE AND AFFIRMING WORKPLACE FOR TRANSGENDER EMPLOYEES. DEMAND FOR THE PROGRAM HAS PROVEN HIGH, AND SINCE LAUNCHING IT IN OCTOBER 2016, WE'VE DELIVERED OVER 200 TRAININGS. RECIPIENTS HAVE INCLUDED BUSINESSES, LIKE AMAZON AND PACIFIC BELL, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, LIKE THE BUREAU OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY AND THE BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION, AND HEALTH CENTERS, LIKE OHSU. IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE A WIDER VARIETY OF TRAINING REQUESTS, WE ARE DIVERSIFYING OUR CONTENT. WE NOW OFFER A SPECIFIC MODULE FOR MEDICAL CENTERS AND RETAIL SETTINGS.WE SIMILARLY PRESENT TRANSGENDER 101 TRAININGS ACROSS THE STATE. IN THE PAST WE'VE OFFERED SESSIONS IN COOS BAY, PENDLETON AND ALBANY, TO NAME A FEW. THESE TRAININGS, WHICH ARE HELD AT WELCOMING CHURCHES, ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND CREATE ALLIES. WE'VE FOUND A HIGH DEMAND FOR THESE PRESENTATIONS AS WELL, WITH THE EVENTS ACROSS THE STATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BASIC RIGHTS IS ALSO COMMITTED TO PRIORITIZING THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NONCONFORMING COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE DO THIS THROUGH OUR ONGOING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COHORT: CATALYST. THIS YEARLONG COHORT AFFORDS PARTICIPANTS REAL LIFE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE SKILLS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, AS WELL AS THE CHANCE TO FIND MENTORS IN THEIR CHOSEN FIELDS. IT FEATURES RESIDENTIAL WEEKEND RETREATS AND DAY-LONG TRAININGS, AS WELL AS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AT LOBBYING, ORGANIZING AND FUNDRAISING. WE PRIORITIZE DIVERSITY IN THE RECRUITMENT OF THIS 20-PERSON COHORT, WITH A GOAL OF AT LEAST 30% OF THE PARTICIPANTS LIVING OUTSIDE THE PORTLAND METRO AREA.
- $8,458 spent. RACIAL JUSTICE WORK: SINCE 2007, BASIC RIGHTS OREGON HAS WORKED TO COUNTERACT STRATEGIES PITTING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AGAINST LGBTQ COMMUNITIES. BASIC RIGHTS IS COMMITTED TO CREATING LGBTQ LEADERSHIP THAT TRULY REFLECTS OUR COMMUNITY. THIS MEANS PRIORITIZING GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED, SUCH AS QUEER AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE OF COLOR. WE DO THIS BY WORKING IN COALITION WITH IMPORTANT ORGANIZATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE STATE, INCLUDING THE FAIR SHOT COALITION.
- $25,912 spent. CIVIC & STATEWIDE ENGAGEMENT: BASIC RIGHTS OREGON SEEKS TO SERVE OREGON'S LGBTQ POPULATION IN EVERY COMMUNITY, EVERY COUNTY AND EVERY CORNER OF THE STATE. A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS APPROACH IS LOCATING AND SUPPORTING THE VIBRANT, GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM THAT'S ALREADY CREATING CHANGE AROUND US. TO HELP FACILITATE THIS EFFORT, WE ORGANIZED A STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT IN EUGENE, WHICH CONTINUED IN 2022. THE SUMMIT WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 100 COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AND LEADERS FROM THROUGHOUT OREGON. THE EVENT HELPED TO FOSTER A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF OUR MOVEMENT'S VALUES AND STRATEGIES AND HAD ESPECIALLY STRONG PARTICIPATION FROM YOUTH AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IN FY22 THE ORGANIZATION CARRIED OUT A STATEWIDE TOUR, VISTING 8 CITIES ACROSS THE STATE TO PERFORM TRANS 101 AND OTHER TRAININGS AND COORDINATE WITH LOCAL ADVOCATES.
- $14,909 spent. ADVOCACY
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2000.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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.