Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

The information on this page was last updated 5/1/2024. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

Becket is a non-profit, public interest legal and educational institution. We are the leaders in the fight for religious liberty and the only law firm that defends all religious beliefs.


Contact information

Mailing address:
Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
1919 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20006

Website: becketlaw.org

Phone: (202) 955-0095

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 521858532

CEO/President: Mark Rienzi

Chairman: William P. Mumma

Board size: 13

Founder: Kevin "Seamus" Hasson

Ruling year: 1994

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 09/30

Member of ECFA: No

Member of ECFA since:


Purpose

Becket defends religious liberty for all-in principle and in practice. At Becket, we know that religious liberty is a universal human right. Our cases span a wide range of beliefs and practices, but all share a common vision of a world where freedom of exercise and expression is a protected right, free from government reach. With this vision as our goal, we take cases that will set strong and lasting precedent for all faiths-and we win.


Mission statement

Our mission is to protect the expression of all faiths, from A to Z-Anglican to Zoroastrian. Becket was founded on a simple principle: that because the religious impulse is natural to human beings, religious expression is natural to human culture. We advance this principle in three arenas-the court of law, the court of public opinion, and the academy-both at home and abroad.


Statement of faith

Donor confidence score

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Transparency grade

D

To understand our transparency grade, click here.


Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Advocacy

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating501 of 111713 of 38
Fund acquisition rating388 of 111811 of 38
Resource allocation rating263 of 11189 of 38
Asset utilization rating927 of 111731 of 38

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20242023202220212020
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
9%6%5%7%7%9%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
7%4%4%5%6%9%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
96%78%81%79%83%100%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
8%7%6%8%8%10%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
4%22%19%21%17%0%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20242023202220212020
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
80%87%87%86%86%85%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
95%65%62%68%72%97%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
76%57%54%58%62%82%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
5%35%38%32%28%3%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
8%27%37%39%32%3%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
10%7%6%7%6%6%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20242023202220212020
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
0.980.370.380.610.741.05
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
1.311.261.371.041.071.03
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.730.460.510.630.791.08
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20242023202220212020
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
16.1433.8913.616.349.7236.47
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.060.030.070.160.100.03
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
6.2225.2221.6315.9213.5610.80
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20242023202220212020
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
20%26%36%26%10%4%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
0%0%0%0%0%0%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
69%201%169%121%121%91%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20242023202220212020
Cash$19,963,181$15,884,478$11,895,032$5,199,140$3,332,055
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$6,626,107$4,866,937$2,986,699$4,977,708$3,325,658
Short-term investments$886$887$323$2,377$63,428
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$26,590,174$20,752,302$14,882,054$10,179,225$6,721,141
Long-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Fixed assets$145,388$156,614$213,818$228,448$109,678
Other long-term assets$6,698,598$7,485,335$445,470$445,675$80,322
Total long-term assets$6,843,986$7,641,949$659,288$674,123$190,000
Total assets$33,434,160$28,394,251$15,541,342$10,853,348$6,911,141
 
Liabilities20242023202220212020
Payables and accrued expenses$784,587$1,524,342$2,348,602$143,761$146,739
Other current liabilities$0$0$0$903,286$37,572
Total current liabilities$784,587$1,524,342$2,348,602$1,047,047$184,311
Debt$0$0$0$0$0
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$7,929,709$8,791,201$1,717,925$44,366$103,481
Total long-term liabilities$7,929,709$8,791,201$1,717,925$44,366$103,481
Total liabilities$8,714,296$10,315,543$4,066,527$1,091,413$287,792
 
Net assets20242023202220212020
Without donor restrictions$18,702,857$13,322,320$8,790,669$6,934,435$3,693,619
With donor restrictions$6,017,007$4,756,388$2,684,146$2,827,500$2,929,730
Net assets$24,719,864$18,078,708$11,474,815$9,761,935$6,623,349
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20242023202220212020
Total contributions$14,683,920$14,000,297$11,013,891$9,325,788$7,479,873
Program service revenue$3,988,006$3,398,521$3,308,893$2,159,119$1,875
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$623,376$263,265$1,838$13,943($1,633)
Other revenue($445,630)($389,460)($351,009)($282,471)$124
Total other revenue$4,165,752$3,272,326$2,959,722$1,890,591$366
Total revenue$18,849,672$17,272,623$13,973,613$11,216,379$7,480,239
 
Expenses20242023202220212020
Program services$10,669,948$9,292,233$8,092,263$6,948,485$6,163,517
Management and general$798,381$686,296$638,867$466,964$402,903
Fundraising$810,768$690,201$716,603$663,586$696,953
Total expenses$12,279,097$10,668,730$9,447,733$8,079,035$7,263,373
 
Change in net assets20242023202220212020
Surplus (deficit)$6,570,575$6,603,893$4,525,880$3,137,344$216,866
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$6,570,575$6,603,893$4,525,880$3,137,344$216,866

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Mark RienziPresident and CEO$414,925
Eric BaxterVP & Senior Counsel$366,946
Eric RassbachVP & Senior Counsel$347,385
Luke GoodrichVP & Senior Counsel$344,446
Daniel BlombergVP & Senior Counsel$331,947
Lori WindhamVP & Senior Counsel$326,354
Eric HinesChief Financial Officer$251,937
Montse AlvaradoCOO & Executive Director - through May 2023$128,242
William MummaBoard Chair$46,416

Compensation data as of: 9/30/2024


Response from ministry

No response has been provided by this ministry.


The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 5/1/2024. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

Since its founding in 1994, Becket's record shows it is the only law firm that defends religious liberty for all faiths.

In just over 25 years, Becket has become the premier religious liberty law firm and the only non-profit, public-interest legal and educational institute that protects the free expression of all religious traditions.

In 1994, founder Kevin "Seamus" Hasson left a top D.C. law firm and opened Becket in Washington, D.C. Since then, Becket has grown into a vibrant law firm that has national and international reach. Though certainly not the largest, it is widely regarded-across political and religious lines-as the best religious liberty law firm in the United States. Since its founding, Becket has maintained an average 85% win rate in its cases.

Becket's principal work has always been First Amendment litigation, not only on behalf of people of faith against the government, but also in defense of the government when it is sued for being religion-friendly. The firm files most of its lawsuits in federal court, but beginning in 2004, it started filing suits before international tribunals under international law. Most of its academic work is accomplished under the umbrella of the Becket Institute, which was founded at St. Hugh's College of Oxford University in 1997.

Becket is named after Thomas Becket (1118-70 AD), who stood resolutely at the intersection of church and state. As a friend of King Henry II, Becket served as Chancellor of England and oversaw the laws of the kingdom. But as Archbishop of Canterbury, he steadfastly refused to allow the King to interfere in the affairs of the Church and was martyred by the King's knights for defending the principles of religious liberty.


Program accomplishments


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