Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
364808338
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Cambridge, MA, USA
Phone
6177152000
Rating
68
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Cultural, Ethnic Awareness

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$15,329,973
Expenses
$4,811,476
Assets
$16,750,513
Liabilities
$726,022

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Arman Jilavyan (CEO (THRU 09/24)/VICE CHAIR (AS OF 09/24))
  • Armine Afeyan (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (AS OF 09/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • Armine Afeyan (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (AS OF 09/24)): $180,000 total reported compensation
  • SALLIE LYNCH (DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT): $180,000 total reported compensation
  • LARRY CHRISTOFORI (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (AS OF 04/24)): $114,423 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To support people and promote global projects tackling the needs of the most helpless and destitute Aurora is rooted in the events of the Armenian Genocide one hundred years ago and the enhancement of its position in the world's memory. We will uncover and tell stories of survival and humanity that transpired during the Genocide. In addition, the goal of the Organization is to generate global and local conversations about gratitude; about survivors and saviors from any time and from any place around the world; and about "on the ground" humanitarian projects that make a lasting difference.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is a foundation that seeks to address on-the-ground humanitarian challenges around the world with the focus on helping the most destitute. Its mission is rooted in the Armenian history as the Initiative was founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, and strives to transform this experience into a global movement. See Schedule F for more details.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 40% for direct work, and 60% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 53
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 81
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 27.4%; rating input score 27
  • Program expense ratio: 87.4%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $80.42 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 36th 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: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 68.6%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.48; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.1%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.9% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 26.8% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 37.5% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 27.4% of revenue deployed · 87.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $4.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $180K · 13 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $832K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 4 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 27/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 20/100.