Polaris Project

Overview

Mission

Polaris works to end sex and labor trafficking and restore freedom to survivors.

What it reported doing in 2024

National human trafficking hotline - polaris continued operating the u.s. National human trafficking hotline (nhth), with funding from the u.s. Department of health and human services, office on trafficking in persons (otip) and private donations. The nhth provides victims and survivors of human trafficking access to critical support and services to get help and stay safe, 24-7, in more than 200 languages across five modes of communication - phone, chat, text, webform, and email.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
030391561
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2027906300
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Human Rights

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 11
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84.5%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 70.6%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.85 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -19.6%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.71; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.02; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.7%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 84.5% of revenue deployed · 70.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $9.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $257K · 22 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $192K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 annual filings from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

22 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • CATHERINE CHEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO): $257,135 total reported compensation
  • PATRICK MCINTRE (CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER): $213,705 total reported compensation
  • MICHELLE NICHOLSON (CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER): $207,505 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.