The North Fund

Legal name: North Fund

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
834011547
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Washington, DC, United States
Phone
2029711330
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Government and Public Administration

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$45,031,127
Expenses
$53,888,860
Assets
$50,510,009
Liabilities
$3,312,166

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JIM GERSTEIN (PRESIDENT AND CHAIR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JESSICA FLOYD (PROJECT DIRECTOR): $115,447 total reported compensation
  • SUSAN HILL (GENERAL COUNSEL): $9,041 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Protecting Democracy North Fund projects secure, protect, and defend the voting rights of all Americans by fighting against voter suppression, ensuring all votes are counted, and supporting improvements to our voting systems. Fighting Inequality North Fund projects support organizations that advance economic opportunity, promote affordable education, housing, and health care, and advocate for specific policies like paid family and medical leave that help ensure economic security for all. Advancing Equity North Fund projects seek to accelerate progress towards racial and gender equality across the United States… civic engagement… laws that secure rights for all people.

What it reported doing in 2024

Technology and innovation: north fund's technology and innovation program includes protecting and increasing data privacy, ensuring fairness and accountability in corporate technology practices, elevating a variety of voices in the technology space, and promoting clear and accurate information through online networks.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 65% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 99
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 96.9%; rating input score 97
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6,066.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 41st 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -19.7%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.94; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.2%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.4% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 25.2% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 96.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $52.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $115K · 6 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $7.5M reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 76 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 70 filed related-organization links
  • 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 scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.