LEAD Africa

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
831204471
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
6493791154
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,073,536
Expenses
$1,557,500
Assets
$3,491,700
Liabilities
$303,530

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Anita Farsad (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Anita Farsad (Executive Director): $121,613 total reported compensation
  • William H Smith (Board Chair): $10,560 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

LEAD Edus mission is to establish, support, and grow programs that empower a generation of ethical, empathetic, and entrepreneurial leaders. We develop leaders through a holistic combination of education, sports, and leadership training delivered by locally-led LEAD Hubs.

What it reported doing in 2025

LEAD Global Network: LEAD Edu supported 8 alumni from LEAD Hubs to pursue secondary and post-secondary education opportunities in the United States by covering essential incidental costs such as visa processing, airfare, technology, and living adjustment expenses. All students were selected through a competitive internal review process and received full scholarships from their host institutions. For most, this marked the first time they had traveled internationally. LEAD Edu also supported 11 alumni from LEAD Hubs to pursue post-secondary education at local universities in Liberia. These investments ensure that high-potential young leaders can access life-changing educational opportunities and continue their leadership development globally, advancing our mission to equip youth to lead in their communities and beyond. Amount: $27,981 (Global Youth Network - secondary) $12,392 (University support, both in the U.S. and Liberia) Total: $40,373

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 82% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 67
  • Sustainability: 73
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 33.3%; rating input score 33
  • Program expense ratio: 86.6%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $50.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 14th 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: 95.6%; rating input score 96; 36th 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; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 61.8%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.24; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.5%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 25% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 34.2% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 45.3% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 33.3% of revenue deployed · 86.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $122K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 31 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2019 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 33/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.