Blacksmith Institute Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
134075779
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2128703490
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Management & Technical Assistance

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$18,493,014
Expenses
$6,837,260
Assets
$26,845,709
Liabilities
$496,037

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANDREW MCCARTOR (PRESIDENT/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • CAROL SUMKIN (VP, DEVELOPMENT): $243,156 total reported compensation
  • RICHARD FULLER CEO THRU NOV (HEAD OF SPECIAL INITIATIVES): $204,990 total reported compensation
  • ANDREW MCCARTOR (PRESIDENT/CEO): $187,008 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Pure earth partners with governments, communities and industry leaders to identify and implement solutions that stop toxic exposures, protect health, and restore environments. We prioritize actions to protect the developing brains and bodies of children and pregnant women living in toxic hot spots. We work to stop the multigenerational cycle of poisoning that is endemic in many low and middle-income countries.

What it reported doing in 2024

Our objectivelead and mercury are two of the most prevalent pollutants in low- and middle-income countries, and pose a greater risk than all other top ten chemicals of concern identified by who. Through 2030, pure earth is focusing on these pollutants through two core programmatic areas in nine countries.the objective of our global lead program is to measurably and sustainably reduce lead pollution and poisoning using a 5-phase approach, which includes health surveillance, exposure source analysis, source specific interventions, communications, and institutional strengthening.our global mercury program aims to reduce mercury pollution from the leading source of emissions - artisanal and small-scale gold mining (asgm). The goal is to reduce mercury exposure and poisoning, by targeting the most severely affected populations: miners and surrounding communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 77% for direct work, and 23% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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: 52
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 80
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 30.7%; rating input score 31
  • Program expense ratio: 80.7%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $43.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 73; 73rd 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: Missing
    • 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: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 27th 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: 63%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.93; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.4%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.2% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 30.7% of revenue deployed · 80.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 16 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $243K · 21 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $156K reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 40 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 31/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.