Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism

Overview

Mission

Uaf is a global women's fund that protects, strengthens and sustains women's human rights activists at critical moments. We intervene quickly when activists are poised to make great gains or face serious threats to their lives and work.

What it reported doing in 2024

Support women and trans* human rights defenders by providing opportunity and security grants as well as convenings and advocacy for women and lgbtq+ human rights defenders.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 61% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 75% of its reported program spending out as grants.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
030419743
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Alameda, CA, USA
Phone
4155230360
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Human Rights

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 78
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 26
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 87.9%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.55 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 63.6%; rating input score 64; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: -39.6%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.63; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.3; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.1%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 20.2% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.8% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 87.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $16.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $290K · 18 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $208K reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 35 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 11 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 45 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 38 filed related-organization links
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • KATE KROEGER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $289,712 total reported compensation
  • SHALINI EDDENS (DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $238,671 total reported compensation
  • OTIBHO OBIANWU (DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS): $214,102 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.