Gambiarising

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
276775063
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2017
Location
Emeryville, CA, USA
Phone
4159021195
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$583,512
Expenses
$620,420
Assets
$219,894
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Bjorn Betzler (Trustee)
  • Brian Carroll (Trustee)
  • Philipa von Kerckerinck (Trustee)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

GambiaRising's primary program is to support the education of those who without help will not be able to attend school, with a special emphasis on girls. Where lack of schools or school infrastructure is the primary obstacle to students getting an education, we have occasionally supported campaigns to fund rural school construction, the building of teachers' housing, school toilets and/or school kitchens and gardens. We also provide fiscal sponsorship and advisory support to three Gambian non-profits, Working Water Gambia, Forest Gardens Gambia, and West Africa Medicine and Education.

What it reported doing in 2024

GambiaRising's primary program is to support the education of those who without help will not be able to attend school, with a special emphasis on girls. In the school year beginning in September 2024, more than 6,100 students were in school with scholarship support consisting of whatever was needed to have them start, continue, or go back to school. This included school uniforms, books & supplies, tuition, study fees as needed and occasionally bicycles, car fare, lunch money, medicine, shoes, etc. as well. Some university and college students were also provided laptops and even plane tickets and visa fees for those able to win full scholarships to study in the U.S. for graduate degrees. Of all these students, 73% were girls.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - 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: 99
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 78
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 99%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: $175.68 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • 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: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: -6.3%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.35; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.2% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 16.8% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.6% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 12 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $614K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 22/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 17/100.