Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates of Southern California
Overview
Mission
To strengthen the power of immigrant workers, tenants, and their families to shape their lives, workplaces, homes, communities, cities, and world. Korean immigrant workers advocates of southern California (kiwa) seeks to develop a membership base that supports the kiwa's mission and to develop the leadership of workers, particularly immigrant workers in low-wage industries, to improve their workplaces and communities, in los angeles and beyond. Kiwa is committed to bringing our region, country, and world closer to social and economic justice and environmental sustainability. To fulfill its mission, the organization engages in strategies including organizing, leadership development, policy advocacy, the development of safe, clean, affordable housing, education, and services.
What it reported doing in 2024
Through a range of campaigns, projects, and services, KIWA organizes immigrant workers, renters, and their families to promote workplace and housing justice, immigrants' rights, democratic and sustainable community development, civic participation, and racial and gender justice. Programs and activities include worker organizing and leadership development; strategic enforcement of workplace rights; worker and renter clinics; outreach and education; policy and advocacy campaigns for social and economic justice; English and other classes and workshops; civic engagement; and affordable housing.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 78% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 88% 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
- 954392004
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2013–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Headquarters
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Phone
- 2137389050
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Community Service Clubs
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 83
- Transparency & Controls: 79
- Accountability: 90
- Sustainability: 47
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 83.3%; rating input score 83
- Program expense ratio: 87.5%; rating input score 88
- Fundraising efficiency: $27.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
- Compensation committee: Missing
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Missing
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 16th 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: 5.5%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.25; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 14.2%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 17.6% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 18.8% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 26.4% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 83.3% of revenue deployed · 87.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $5.5M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $184K · 11 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $239K reported
- Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 12 annual filings from 2013 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 22 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 15 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
11 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- ALEXANDRA SUH (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (CEO)): $183,762 total reported compensation
- JOSE HERNANDEZ (CHIEF OF STAFF): $180,669 total reported compensation
- Flor Rodriguez (CLEAN Executive Director): $146,250 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.