Dalberg Catalyst

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
812108637
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2016
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2028009104
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,985,311
Expenses
$8,605,086
Assets
$7,139,919
Liabilities
$661,754

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SONILA COOK (President/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • SONILA COOK (President/CEO): $270,403 total reported compensation
  • CHRIS DEVAIRAKKAM (COO/CFO): $250,000 total reported compensation
  • JORDAN K FABYANSKE (CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER): $249,996 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dalberg catalyst exists to co-create and actively accelerate systems solutions that have a tangible and durable impact on the pressing societal and planetary challenges of our time. We tackle challenges with agility and accountability, doing what it takes to have transformative impact. Our solutions combine: 1. The systems approach that complex problems require, 2. Building from local contexts, amplifying local voices, 3. Intellectual rigor, openness, and humility, and 4. Critical actors who collectively bring the capacity and legitimacy required to shift the paradigm and implement the necessary solutions.

What it reported doing in 2024

Climate smart forest economy program: csfep aims to build radically new economies that balance the needs of ecosystems and people. By using using bio-based products to meet basic human needs like housing, while creating local jobs and generating revenue for sustainable forest management, csfep empowers communities to tackle their biggest challenges while also decarbonizing and reversing biodiversity loss. Csfep supports breakthrough initiatives that demonstrate the full potential of sustainable forests and forest products to pave the way for future green growth.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 73% for direct work, and 27% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 85
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 88%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • 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: Fail
    • 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: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 13th 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: -43.8%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.83; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.1%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 26.8% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 23% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 88% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $7.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $270K · 8 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.4M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.