Action Now Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
454083809
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Phone
7135541349
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Reported finances

Revenue
$19,104,199
Expenses
$17,973,461
Assets
$4,434,541
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KELLI RHEE (PRESIDENT AND CEO)

People named in this filing

  • KELLI RHEE (PRESIDENT AND CEO)
  • ELIZABETH BANKS (TREASURER)
  • JOHN ARNOLD (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Action now inc.'s philanthropic work tackles some of the most pressing problems in the united states. We focus on correcting systemic failures through evidence-based solutions.

What it reported doing in 2025

Action now, inc. Invests in evidence-based solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. Action now, inc. Invests in sustainable change, building it from the ground up based on research, deep thinking, and a strong foundation of evidence to drive public conversation, craft policy, and inspire action through education and advocacy.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 95
  • Accountability: 53
  • Sustainability: 46
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 94.1%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 50%; rating input score 50; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.9%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.25; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 37% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 39.4% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 36% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 94.1% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 4 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $18M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 15 of 16 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 68 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 88 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 50/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.