Amar International Charitable Foundation in the USA D/b/a Aspire International

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
271871182
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2019
Forms available
Form 990 2019
Location
Springfield, VA, USA
Phone
2026380330
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,747,343
Expenses
$1,738,474
Assets
$585,206
Liabilities
$336,387

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2019. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRISTOPHER STRAUB (PRESIDENT/TREASURER)
  • MARGARET CASSCELLS-HAMBY (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • CHRISTOPHER KYRIACOU (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • CHRISTOPHER KYRIACOU (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $115,670 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2019. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Aspire international's purposes is to relieve poverty, distress or suffering by providing medical, rehabilitative, financial, public health, or educational assistance to individuals or communities in any part of the world, in particularly victims of war, civil disturbance, natural disasters or breaches of human rights.

What it reported doing in 2019

Aspire international established six inclusive vocational and entrepreneurship skills training (invest) centers in babil, dohuk, erbil, najaf, baghdad al-rusafa, and baghdad al-karkh in january 2016. The project aims to address the vulnerability of displaced people and the burden placed on host communities by providing them with skills that assist in their ability to earn a living and support themselves and their families. To increase their employability and entrepreneurship opportunities, each center offered classes in english, it/computer skills, arabic/kurdish literacy, math, sewing, hairdressing, and computer and mobile phone maintenance. Since the centers served both displaced people and members of the host communities, aspire international provided handicraft classes to bring communities together and to provide psychological benefits to those who have suffered trauma. The centers offered weekly educational lectures on health and human rights, and full-time lawyers were available to offer legal assistance to center participants. Kindergarten and daycare services offered at each center provided a safe and reliable space for women to leave their children, allowing them to attend classes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 93% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 71% 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.1%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 92.6%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $112.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 74th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.5%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.34; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.57; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.7%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 21.8% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.1% of revenue deployed · 92.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $116K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2014 to 2019
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 38/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: CEO compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 50/100.