El Refugio
Legal name: El Refugio Ministry Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 455544736
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2018–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2017, Form 990-N 2015
- Location
- Decatur, GA, United States
- Phone
- 404-480-4780
- Rating
- 83
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Single Organization Support
- Affiliation
- Religious (unspecified)
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $314,037
- Expenses
- $397,891
- Assets
- $841,367
- Liabilities
- $2,100
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
12 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- AMILCAR VALENCIA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- AMILCAR VALENCIA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $64,210 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
El Refugio accompanies immigrants at Stewart Detention Center and their loved ones through hospitality, visitation, support, and advocacy. We envision a world without immigration detention. and Vision _El Refugio accompanies immigrants at Stewart Detention Center and their loved ones through hospitality, visitation, support, and advocacy._ _We envision a world without immigration detention._. _El Refugio accompanies immigrants at Stewart Detention Center and their loved ones through hospitality, visitation, support, and advocacy._ _We envision a world without immigration detention._ Patio.jpg View fullsize.
What it reported doing in 2024
El refugio attended more than 600 calls from people detained and their loved ones, providing resources, information, and connections to those detained at stewart detention center (sdc). We made 428 commissary deposits to people detained ($20 average deposit). We sent a total of 448 books to people detained, covering a range of topics from legal rights to personal development, to provide educational and emotional support. Six families impacted by detention and deportation received financial support to help cover bills, food, and transportation costs. Five familes received a $500 grant, and one family received a $1,000 grant. In collaboration with koinonia farm, we fulfilled 210 requests for clothing from people being deported. The bags typically include 1-2 changes of clothing, a pair of shoes, and a backpack. We hosted 826 families and friends at our hospitality house while they visited their loved ones at the detention center. We conducted 210 visits with people detained at sdc. Through these visits, we offered connection and friendship to those detained. We conducted 24 educational presentations and talks on immigration detention, and more than 570 individuals participated in these sessions. We distributed 286 gas gift cards to families that were hosted at our hospitality house. Families often travel 300 miles or more to visit their loved ones in detention so the gas cards help offset their travel costs. Over $7,000 in gift cards were shared with these families.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 91% 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
STRONG - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 70
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 32
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 83%; rating input score 83
- Program expense ratio: 65.5%; rating input score 65
- Fundraising efficiency: $3.8 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th 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: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th 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: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -26.7%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.11; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 16.1%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 18.7% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 15.1% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 83% of revenue deployed · 65.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $260K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $64K · 12 people listed
- Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
- 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 17/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 23/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.