Center for Labor Education and Research Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
222604923
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2009
Location
Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
Phone
6175248778
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Immigrant’s Rights

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$729,585
Expenses
$892,298
Assets
$1,101,315
Liabilities
$213,018

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARCELLE GRAIR (PRESIDENT)
  • LILY HUANG (FORMER CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • ALICIA FLEMING (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • LILY HUANG (FORMER CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $144,922 total reported compensation
  • ALICIA FLEMING (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $140,122 total reported compensation
  • ISAAC BEARS (DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS): $90,069 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The center for labor education and research, inc. (clear) supports projects that help educate the public about workers' rights and the effects of the changing economy on working people. We encourage the formulation of original and progressive public policy solutions to these issues.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization operates the following programs and fiscally sponsored projects; Massachusetts jobs with justice ("mass jwj")- a coalition that educates the public in Massachusetts on issues of workers' rights, immigrant rights, global justice, health care and other related issues. This program also includes western Massachusetts jobs with justice.mass undocufund ("ma uf") - a fundraising project that operates within Massachusetts jobs with justice. Ma uf was a covid-19 relief fund that provided financial assistance and organizing assistance to undocumented workers across Massachusetts. This has evolved into the immigrant organizing project.immigrant organizing project - formerly known as mass undocufund ("ma uf"), the immigrant organizing project is a fundraising project that operates within mass jwj. This project began as a covid-19 relief fund and organizing project that provides financial assistance to undocumented workers across Massachusetts and conducts organizing work with and in support of undocumented immigrant communities in Massachusetts.in fy 2024 and fy 2025, clear partnered with other non-profit organizations through the provision of sub-grants to use the remaining restricted relief funds to provide support to undocumented workers and families. Remaining organizing and general operating funds continue to support the project work to organize and support undocumented immigrant communities.Massachusetts interfaith worker justice ("miwj") (fiscally sponsored project) - seeks to educate faith communities on issues of workers' rights and economic justice.Massachusetts temporary protected status committee ("Massachusetts tps" committee) (fiscally sponsored project) - seeks to secure the renewal of tps and generate a path to permanent residency for all tps beneficiaries. Mass tps committee operates radio jornalera ma- it is a tool for educational communication and leadership development. Radio jornalera is the only media focused on defending the rights of migrants and low-income workers, building the power of people through popular education and the knowledge and exercise of our rights. Massachusetts tps committee discontinued its fiscal sponsorship relationship in fy2024.student immigrant movement ("sim") (fiscally sponsored project) - seeks to educate the public on issues facing immigrant students in Massachusetts. Sim discontinued its fiscal sponsorship relationship in fy2025.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 83% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 86
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 77.7%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 62.6%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.16 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -22.3%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.23; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 42%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.7% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.5% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 77.7% of revenue deployed · 62.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $558K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $145K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 31/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 32/100.