Disability Rights Fund Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
275026293
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2011
Location
Boston, MA, USA
Phone
8572652365
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
International Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,258,220
Expenses
$8,408,361
Assets
$20,531,945
Liabilities
$4,548,521

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CONNIE LAURIN-BOWIE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (SINCE APR '25))

Highest reported compensation

  • JENNIFER BOKOFF (DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT): $195,703 total reported compensation
  • MELANIE KAWANO-CHIU (DIR OF MONITORING, EVALUATION): $179,603 total reported compensation
  • VICTORIA LEE (DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY RIGHTS): $169,872 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 disability rights fund's mission is to support persons with disabilities around the world to build diverse movements, ensure inclusive development agendas, and achieve equal rights and opportunity for all.

What it reported doing in 2025

Disability rights fund's program accomplishments during calendar year 2025 included the following -1. Elaborated programs and organizational structures aligned with the 4 pillars of the strategic plan (investment and support to disability movements; peer and collective learning; advocacy and organizational strengthening) to effectively implement the strategy. 2. Supporting organizations of persons with disabilities through 165 downstream grants in 42 countries. 3. Reinforced collaboration with international actors in disability rights, climate, human rights, and philanthropic spaces through participation in fora such as the conference of states parties, global partnerships conference (uk), women deliver, wilton park, edge , geo and cop30.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 80% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 70% of its reported program spending out as 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: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 66
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 45.8%; rating input score 46
  • Program expense ratio: 72.2%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $28.32 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 36.6%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.44; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.6%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.6% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 20.4% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 45.8% of revenue deployed · 72.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $6.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $196K · 16 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 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: Mission deployment rate scored 46/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.