GiveLight Foundation

Legal name: Givelight Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
562500794
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
San Jose, CA, US
Phone
650-469-3041
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Relief
Affiliation
Islam

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,270,848
Expenses
$1,528,879
Assets
$12,058,855
Liabilities
$493

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Dian Alyan (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Dian Alyan (President): $134,108 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To build beautiful homes, character and futures for global orphans.

What it reported doing in 2024

GiveLight Foundation made strong stride in 2023 with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of children served eponentially by 2028. The highlight of the year was the opening of the newest home in Multan, Pakistan, with the capacity to care for 80 children, that was 100% donor funded. With 7 homes in operation and approaching its 20-year anniversary, GiveLight initiated a two-year process to focus on updating the infrastructure to ensure that operations are streamlined and that we are prepared to scale our operations over the next 4-5 years. To do this a full-time operational leader was hired and the Operations Director moved to full-time, bringing GiveLight to 3FTE with web and IT support through consultants. GiveLight continues to be supported by an extensive network of dedicated volunteers who plan and manage fundraising and outreach events, tutor and mentor the children in GiveLight Homes, and advise the organization. Effectively incorporating passionate volunteers has been a cornerstone of GiveLights success since the beginning that, along with prudent fiscal stewardship, has allowed GiveLight to make a profound impact in the lives of more than 1,000 children a year. We look forward with excitement to 2024 as our staff and volunteers continue with the preparatory steps to scale GiveLights program significantly.

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 78% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 75
  • Transparency & Controls: 49
  • Accountability: 80
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 61.9%; rating input score 62
  • Program expense ratio: 90.1%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $962.91 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 86.7%; rating input score 87; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 6th 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • 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: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 32.7%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.89; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.8%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 17 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 61.9% of revenue deployed · 90.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported · 5 of 6 affiliation controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $134K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 31 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule D land buildings reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.