Dominicanos USA Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
463738190
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bronx, NY, USA
Phone
7186650400
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Ethnic, Immigrant Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$931,479
Expenses
$791,763
Assets
$408,620
Liabilities
$57,856

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • EDWARD CUESTA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • MANUEL MATOS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • EDWARD CUESTA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $127,999 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dominicanos USA is a non-partisan organization that seeks to increase the participation of Dominicans in the American civic community, including the democratic process, through empowerment, leadership training, education, charity and civic participation.

What it reported doing in 2024

VOTER EDUCATION CIVIC ENGAGEMENT - From May 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025, Dominicanos USA strengthened civic engagement and voter education through youth leadership, partnerships, and outreach. We held four Youth Ambassador cohorts at several High Schools in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Implementing an 8-week curriculum in civics. We also conducted nonpartisan voter materials for the June and November general elections via phone and text campaigns. We also held at Hostos Community College and City College, monthly tabling events provided voter registration and citizenship assistance. Registration drives at schools, naturalization ceremonies, and community events yielded 2,120 new voter registrations, reaching over 37,000 people digitally and 20,000 via SMS.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 72% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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

MIXED - 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: 52
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 52.5%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 61.3%; rating input score 61
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • 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 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 15%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.52; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.2%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -13% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -10% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 52.5% of revenue deployed · 61.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $485K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $128K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 31 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 22/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.