Indigenous Roots

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024, the Organization heavily invested into organizational, strategic growth as we expanded to be an international organization. Having run on low administrative overhead for close to a decade, we leaned into process improvement with the help of past audits and hired 2 additional full time staff - a Partnerships Director and an Administrative Director who doubles as our youth workforce manager. Indigenous Roots also fulfills their mission by focusing its efforts in the following primary service areas: Culture Bearers: Culture Bearers practice intergenerational lifeways and living, evolving cultural art practices that educate, exchange, and share in order to preserve ancestral knowledge. In this work, Culture Bearers hold a direct throughline from ancestors and teachers and center sharing their practice with youth. The role of a culture bearer is particularly important within ancestral cultures undergoing transition or experiencing threat from outside and dominating culture(s). Culture Bearers accept a responsibility to share ancestral and cultural knowledge. The practice of being a Culture Bearer is distinct from other individual art practices because the practice is a full life tradition (not separate) and includes intergenerational transmission of learning. While we honor the role of guests within lineages, the intent of this opportunity is to first resource individuals and cultures that are from the cultural and heritage lineage that they practice. Culture Bearers recognize a need in the community for reconnection with ancestral teachings, a need of Culture Bearers for space. Additionally, funding and supportive structures share their teachings and a need to connect across cultures. The Organization will continue to build the Culture Bearer Exchange Network. This network will be centered around processing decolonization with our participants to make space for intercultural, intergenerational, and intertribal learning and connection to encourage a flourishing exchange of traditional arts and cultural practices extending far beyond our neighborhood and city.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 59.6%; rating input score 60
• Program expense ratio: 74.6%; rating input score 75
• Fundraising efficiency: $76.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 84; 84th 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: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • 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: 50%; rating input score 50; 29th 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: 9 of 9 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: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 20.1%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.07; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.8%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 21.3% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 20.3% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 36.9% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings