Ignite Change
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 821275245
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2020–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990-EZ 2024, Form 990-N 2016
- Location
- Apex, NC, USA
- Phone
- 9193356321
- Rating
- 81
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- International Economic Development
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $106,952
- Expenses
- $82,628
- Assets
- $158,187
- Liabilities
- $3,193
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
6 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Emily Johns (Executive Director)
People named in this filing
- Emily Johns (Executive Director)
- Fred Hathaway (Board Chair)
- June Johnston (Secretary)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Ignite Change equips vulnerable youth and caregivers in Northern Uganda with practical vocational skills, savings training, and holistic support to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen families. Per our founding documents, "The purpose of Ignite Change is: * To provide affordable and quality education that prepares students to live successful lives * To help families of orphan and vulnerable children develop sustainable income generating activities * To assist with other needs in the community such as vocational training, life skills, and healthcare as needed
What it reported doing in 2024
Ignite Change operated a hands-on vocational training institute (VTI) serving youth ages 16-22 in Northern Uganda. During the reporting year, 52 students were enrolled in carpentry and joinery, building and construction, garment design, and motorcycle mechanics. Students received practical technical instruction, entrepreneurship training, life skills education, and mentorship support. The institute expanded facilities and introduced additional training modules to enhance workforce readiness. Students completed practical projects and developed marketable skills enabling them to pursue employment or self-employment opportunities.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 88% 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 total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and liabilities are high compared with assets.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 65
- Transparency & Controls: 100
- Sustainability: 71
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 58.5%; rating input score 58
- Program expense ratio: 75.7%; rating input score 76
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 22.7%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.91; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 33.8% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 16.3% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 38.4% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 58.5% of revenue deployed · 75.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 2 filed program accomplishments · $63K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
- Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules
- Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- 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 58/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.