International Crisis Group

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
525170039
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2027851601
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Human Rights

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$25,550,791
Expenses
$27,455,180
Assets
$65,513,589
Liabilities
$2,638,379

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • COMFORT ERO (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • RICHARD ATWOOD (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • COMFORT ERO (PRESIDENT & CEO): $401,504 total reported compensation
  • AMANDA WEINGARTEN (CHIEF OF EXT RELATIONS - UNTIL 10/24): $386,333 total reported compensation
  • RICHARD ATWOOD (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT): $367,302 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Crisis group works to prevent and resolve deadly conflict around the world by informing and influencing the perceptions and actions of policymakers and other key conflict actors. To this end, we endeavour to talk to all sides and provide expert, independent field-centered research, analysis and policy engagement.

What it reported doing in 2024

Africa central africa: crisis group's nairobi-based team monitors and reports on the fragile security situation in the central african republic as well as the stalemated transition in chad. The team also reports on the conflict in cameroon's anglophone region. Great lakes: crisis group's great lakes project tracks the multiple security and political challenges in the democratic republic of congo and reports on wider tensions within and among its key neighbours, burundi, uganda and rwanda.west africa: crisis group's west africa project covers nigeria and examines political issues of succession, democracy and risks to the country's stability as a whole, including boko haram and niger delta militancy. Dakar-based analysts also watch events closely in cote d'ivoire and monitor guinea, guinea-bissau, liberia and sierra leone. Sahel: crisis group's dakar based analysts focus on the crisis engulfing parts of mali, niger, burkina faso, togo and benin.horn of africa: crisis group's region-based analysts focus on conflicts and crises in sudan and south sudan as well as tensions between the two countries. The project covers ethiopia's complex internal conflicts and monitors eritrea.east and southern africa: crisis group's region based-analysts report on somalia's conflict with al-shabaab and its problematic transition. They also cover mozambique's insurgency and zimbabwe's continuing crisis. Analysts monitor developments in kenya, madagascar, mozambique and angola and report on the regional organization sadc's peace initiatives. They also conduct advocacy with the south african government and sadc.african union: crisis group's region-based staff working on african union relations undertakes advocacy, research and engagement with the african union focusing on aspects of crisis group's work, including conflicts, contested transitions and relations with the union's strategic partners in addis ababa.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 64% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 54
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.6%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 72.3%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.69 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 21st 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: -7.5%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.39; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.5%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.6% of revenue deployed · 72.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 9 filed program accomplishments · $19.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $402K · 17 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $799K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 45/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 22/100.