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Non-profit

The Bridgespan Group

Tax ID:

31-1625487
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $54,704,306
Expenses: $54,067,964
Assets: $68,749,194
Website:

https://www.bridgespan.org/
Location:

Boston, MA
Type:

Non-Profit Consulting Firm
Formation:

1998
Managing Partner:

Jeffery Bradach

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The Bridgespan Group is a charitable organization that provides consulting services to non-profits across the United States and around the globe. The Bridgespan Group was formed in 1998 by Tom Tierney and Jeff Bradach, both of whom had experience in the management consulting firm, Bain and Company. Tierney and Bradach formed Bridgespan as a means to bring “Bain-like” consulting to the non-profit sector. Bridgespan has received financial support and resources from Bain and Company. 1

The Bridgespan group has consulted for many left-of-center non-profits and grant making organizations. These organizations notably include: Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Public Radio, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Family Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Rockefeller Foundation. 2 In 2019, MacKenzie Scott, billionaire ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, pledged to give away most of her wealth. Scott retained Bridgespan group to consult with her in the process. 3

Bridgespan group has received grants from many left-of-center organizations, including: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, as well as Pew Charitable Trusts. 4 5

History and Leadership

Tom Tierney and Jeff Bradach formed The Bridgespan Group in 1998. Tierney previously worked as the head of the San Francisco office of the management consulting firm, Bain and Company. There, Tierney worked to expand Bain’s consulting to include non-profits. Jeff Bradach was a former Bain consultant, and he taught at Harvard Business School. Tierney and Bradach conducted research into the potential of consulting in the non-profit market, and Tierney decided to create an independent organization to provide Bain-like consulting to non-profits. Tiereny, Bradach, and former Bain partner Paul Carttar, pitched the idea to Bain and Company, and Bain’s North American office voted unanimously to sponsor the new charitable consultancy. 6 7

The founders opened the first office of The Bridgespan Group in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2000. Since then, Bridgespan has grown to include more than 150 consultants, with offices around the globe. 8 9 10 As of 2021, Tierney and Bradach continue to head Bridgespan, with Tierney serving as the chairman of the organization’s Board of Trustees and Bradach serving as the managing partner. 11 12 According to the most available tax documents, Bradach received compensation of $620,231 in 2019 for his work at Bridgespan. 13

Along with support from Bain & Company, Bridgespan has also received grants from left-of-center organizations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, and Pew Charitable Trusts. 14 15

The Bridgespan Group consults with large non-profits and grantmaking organizations. Bridgespan launched its Leading for Impact program to consult with small, local non-profits in different American cities for five years at a time. 16 17 In 2015, Bridgespan established its Bridgespan India Initiative to bring its consulting to NGOs in India. 18 In 2019, the group established its Bridgespan Africa Initiative to bring its consulting to organizations across Africa. 19

Political Activism

As of 2019, Bridgespan Group had consulted for numerous left-of-center non-profits, including: A Better Chicago, the Anti-Defamation League, the Bail Project, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence,  the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, Immigrant Justice Corps, National Public Radio, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, PolicyLink, Upstream USA, and Zero to Three. 20 Jeff Bradach has described one of the services that Bridgespan provides as helping clients to reach “transformative scale” in their impacts. Bradach listed ways to achieve that scale as “through government policy change, through analyzing markets, [and] through influencing practices and behaviors of others.” 21

Bridgespan Group also consulted for many left-of-center grantmaking organizations, including: the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Family Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners, the ClimateWorks Foundation, Co-Impact, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Pritzker Family Foundation, the Raikes Foundation, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the Skoll Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Bridgespan Group also consults for the centrist Peter G. Peterson Foundation. 22

MacKenzie Scott, billionaire ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, pledged in 2019 to donate the majority of her wealth. She retained The Bridgespan Group to consult with her on the process. 23 Scott donated nearly $6 billion in 2020, and in June of 2021 she announced another 2.7 billion dollars in donations. 24 25 As reported in the New York Times, Scott has been criticized for lack of transparency in her process of deciding how and where to donate funds. 26

Bridgespan also controls TBG Social Impact, an organization that offers consulting to for-profit “social justice” groups. 27

References

  1. Kalafatus, John. “The Bridgespan Group.” Harvard Business School. November 1, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101221210/http://www.bain.com/bainweb/PDFs/cms/Public/HBS_CS_Bridgespan_group.pdf
  2. 2019 Bridgespan Client List.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/about-us/client-lists/2019-bridgespan-client-list
  3. Kulish, Nicholas. “Giving Billions Fast, MacKenzie Scott Upends Philanthropy.” The New York Times. June 15, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/20/business/mackenzie-scott-philanthropy.html
  4. Krauss, Alan. “Want a Business Plan? Log on for Free Advice.” The New York Times. November 10, 2008. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/giving/11BRIDGE.html?_r=0
  5. Romens, Kristin, and Sheri Gentekos. “Pew Grantee the Bridgespan Group Seeks to Bolster Philadelphia-Area Nonprofits.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, April 1, 2021. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/04/01/pew-grantee-the-bridgespan-group-seeks-to-bolster-philadelphia-area-nonprofits.
  6. Kalafatus, John. “The Bridgespan Group.” Harvard Business School. November 1, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101221210/http://www.bain.com/bainweb/PDFs/cms/Public/HBS_CS_Bridgespan_group.pdf
  7. “About the Bridgespan Group.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/about-us/about-bridgespan
  8. “Bridgespan Non-Profit Consulting Interviews and Culture.” FirmProfile. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://managementconsulted.com/bridgespan/
  9. “The Bridgespan Group.” LinkedIn.com. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bridgespan-group/about/
  10. “The Bridgespan Group.” Vault. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.vault.com/company-profiles/management-strategy/the-bridgespan-group
  11. “Thomas J. Tierney.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/about-us/team-members/thomas-j-tierney
  12. “Jeffery L. Bradach.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/about-us/team-members/jeffrey-l-bradach
  13. The Bridgespan Group Inc Form 990. 2019. Accessed July 14, 2021.  https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/311625487/04_2021_prefixes_31-32%2F311625487_201912_990_2021040217866904
  14. Krauss, Alan. “Want a Business Plan? Log on for Free Advice.” The New York Times. November 10, 2008. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/giving/11BRIDGE.html?_r=0
  15. Romens, Kristin, and Sheri Gentekos. “Pew Grantee the Bridgespan Group Seeks to Bolster Philadelphia-Area Nonprofits.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, April 1, 2021. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/04/01/pew-grantee-the-bridgespan-group-seeks-to-bolster-philadelphia-area-nonprofits.
  16. “Leading for Impact.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/bridgespan-services/philanthropy/leading-for-impact-consulting-for-nonprofit-leader
  17. “Romens, Kristin and Sheri Gentekos. “Pew Grantee The Bridgespan Group Seeks to Bolster Philadelphia-Area Nonprofits.” PEW. April 1, 2021. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/04/01/pew-grantee-the-bridgespan-group-seeks-to-bolster-philadelphia-area-nonprofits
  18. “Bridgespan India.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/locations/bridgespan-india
  19. “Bridgespan Africa Initiative.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/locations/bridgespan-africa
  20. “2019 Bridgespan Client List.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/about-us/client-lists/2019-bridgespan-client-list
  21. “Transformative Scale.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/insights/initiatives/transformative-scale
  22. “2019 Bridgespan Client List.” The Bridgespan Group. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bridgespan.org/about-us/client-lists/2019-bridgespan-client-list
  23. Kulish, Nicholas. “Giving Billions Fast, MacKenzie Scott Upends Philanthropy.” The New York Times. June 15, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/20/business/mackenzie-scott-philanthropy.html
  24. Alexander, Sophie and Ben Severman. “MacKenzie Scott’s Remarkable Giveaway Is Transforming the Bezos Fortune.” Bloomberg Businessweek. Accessed July 14, 2021. https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2021-bezos-scott-philanthropy/?sref=ExbtjcSG
  25. Scott, MacKenzie. “Seeding by Ceding.” Medium.com. June 15, 2021. https://mackenzie-scott.medium.com/seeding-by-ceding-ea6de642bf
  26. Kulish, Nicholas. “Giving Billions Fast, MacKenzie Scott Upends Philanthropy.” The New York Times. June 15, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/20/business/mackenzie-scott-philanthropy.html
  27. “About Us.” TBG Social Impact. Accessed July 14, 2021. http://www.tbgsocialimpact.com/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: April 1, 1999

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2019 Dec Form 990 $54,704,306 $54,067,964 $68,749,194 $18,961,739 Y $12,497,902 $41,506,844 $397,850 $4,127,880 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $36,612,929 $50,565,034 $63,600,879 $15,940,352 Y $2,024,903 $34,073,903 $223,843 $3,843,702 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $39,141,842 $47,303,748 $77,034,167 $15,134,578 Y $10,926,351 $27,609,538 $113,059 $3,438,705 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $39,287,570 $38,882,933 $82,513,489 $12,308,316 N $11,942,242 $27,029,016 $68,331 $3,494,804 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $38,556,484 $32,335,401 $80,669,121 $10,107,808 N $16,242,525 $22,024,204 $12,363 $3,325,357 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $74,297,307 $28,465,481 $73,860,759 $9,138,270 N $52,184,228 $21,841,704 $13,925 $3,058,746 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $27,537,678 $29,754,677 $25,652,196 $6,982,435 N $4,675,791 $22,740,046 $17,979 $3,032,832 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $31,945,539 $33,059,452 $26,715,460 $6,382,363 N $8,734,700 $23,061,007 $42,191 $3,095,152 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $29,453,448 $31,350,908 $27,617,518 $6,199,286 N $5,429,554 $23,874,189 $24,169 $2,643,816 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)