Crazy Love Africa

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
842201439
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2021
Location
Denver, CO, USA
Phone
3039564021
Rating
61
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Economic Development

Reported finances

Revenue
$255,573
Expenses
$251,461
Assets
$68,613
Liabilities
$24,866

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Jessica Wiederholt (Executive Director)
  • Karen Sear (Board President)
  • Kim Benage (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Jessica Wiederholt (Executive Director): $30,287 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of Crazy Love Africa is to serve restore empower and strengthen vulnerable women in Uganda. We will positively impact the children in their care through education community support and sustainable job creation. By working alongside women as global sisters we create change address inequality and strengthen families and communities.

What it reported doing in 2025

Crazy Love Africa celebrates the artistry and industriousness of the extraordinary women of the Tooro Kingdom in Uganda. These talented artisans create beautiful colorful jewelry baskets and textiles - each one a true work of art and a story of resilience. Revenue from every purchase directly funds our programs meaning the womens creativity and hard work are helping to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty. We provide ongoing artisan training so our sisters can continue to learn new techniques refine their craft and expand their opportunities. As a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation Crazy Love Africa is committed to all nine Fair Trade principles - ensuring fair wages safe working conditions and respect for both people and the planet.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 69% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 90% 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 - 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 the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 78
  • Accountability: 26
  • Sustainability: 27
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.8%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 73.9%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.57 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • 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: 94.5%; rating input score 95; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.6%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.27; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.36; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.7% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.8% of revenue deployed · 73.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 8 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $186K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $30K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 45 of 45 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2022 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 40/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.