Oregon · Nonprofit
BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION
BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION (Oregon) receives grants from 4 organizations whose IRS filings report $393,611 to it, the largest being THE OREGON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ($308,500). 3 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 80% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- Revenue FY2024
- $184k
- Funders on record
- 4
- Grants received
- $394k
- Net assets
- $1.6M
What Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation does
Mission
The mission of BEST is to build a successful community by bringing people together to promote transportation options, safe streets, and walkable neighborhoods. BEST pursues this mission by conducting research, engaging the public, convening community leaders, helping forge consensus, and advocating in the public interest.
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2023 return the organization reported starting a significant new program and a significant change in how it conducts a program.
In 2023, BEST became the fiscal sponsor for Salem Bike Vision.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
In 2023, BEST combined the Safe Streets, Transportation Options, and Walkable Neighborhoods program areas for the purposes of accounting.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 3).
Safe Streets: In 2015 and 2016, Lane County had more traffic fatalities than any other county in Oregon. BEST is promoting coordinated government efforts to save lives and reduce life-changing injuries for everyone in Lane County. Although BEST does not provide direct services, our efforts benefit roughly 300,000 people. Transportation Options: BEST is promoting bus rapid transit, bike share, and other transportation options in the Eugene-Springfield area. Although BEST does not provide direct services, our efforts benefit roughly 200,000 people. Walkable Neighborhoods: BEST is working collaboratively with partners to increase housing affordability, diversity and supply in Lane County, in particular, in areas well served by transportation options. Although BEST does not provide direct services, our efforts benefit roughly 300,000 people.
$95,257 spent$670 earned by the program66% of program spendingNexus for Eugene Sustainable Transportation (NEST): BEST is supporting sustainable transportation efforts by managing a collaborating work space at 455 West 1st Avenue in Eugene used by BEST and other nonprofits to provide the community with bike share and other micromobility services, valet bike parking for community events, educational and fun rides, a bicycle courier service, and more. Although BEST does not provide direct services, our efforts benefit roughly 200,000 people.
$47,628 spent$64,956 earned by the program33% of program spendingSalem Bike Vision (SBV), a fiscally sponsored project of BEST, believes Salem needs a safe and efficient transportation system for all residents to get around the city including those who bike, roll, or use mobility devices. Although SBV does not provide direct services, their efforts benefit roughly 200,000 people.
$1,036 spent1% of program spendingOther program services, not described on the e-filed return.
$0 spent0% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2023 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $143,921.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2021, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2021, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2021 to 2022, from $50k to $1.6M (+3168%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2022 0% · 2023 4% · 2024 7%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
62% of BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION’s revenue is contributions — about as donation-reliant as the typical peer (83% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 1 of the last 4 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Rob Zako
Executive Director
As listed on its FY2024 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 1 funder to 2 funders, grant income rose $16k → $46k.
3 of 4 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 80% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION leans on a few funders — its largest provides 78% of grant income and the top three 100%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
80% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 100% · 2018 100% · 2019 100% · 2020 52% · 2021 54% · 2022 100% · 2023 100% — broadly stable.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
80% of BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION's grant income arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors, whose addresses record where the money is held rather than where the donor is. Of the $80k that is directly attributable, 100% of it comes from Oregon funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $314k arriving through sponsors registered in 3 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION has grown faster than three-quarters of the 5,688 youth development nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 5,688 youth development nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2024
Government funding BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $17k on record.
- DISTRIBUTION TO NON-GOVERNMENTS$15k
- EMPLOYEE RECRUIT, WELLNESS & SAFETY$2k
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Oregon
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
88% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
94%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Part of a family of 1 related entity
- Nexus for Eugene Sustainable Transportation LLC · disregarded
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION?
- BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION (Oregon) receives grants from 4 organizations whose IRS filings report $393,611 to it, the largest being THE OREGON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ($308,500). 3 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 80% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- How many funders does BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION have?
- IRS filings report 4 organizations giving $393,611 in grants to BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION, 3 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION?
- THE OREGON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $308,500 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like BETTER EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD TRANSPORTATION find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Oregon. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2021–2024), and the filings of 4 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing