Oram - Organization for Refuge Asylum & Migration

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
263748676
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone
6126772390
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
International Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,549,987
Expenses
$1,606,943
Assets
$338,122
Liabilities
$698,850

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STEPHAN ROTH (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARK WHITE (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $287,813 total reported compensation
  • STEPHAN ROTH (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $195,066 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Oram protects and empowers lgbtiq asylum seekers and refugees globally, creating sustainability and systemic change. Oram is recognized as one of the first international ngos to assist people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression and has since become a thought leader in lgbtiq migration.

What it reported doing in 2024

Oram's programs fall under three main pillars: protection, empowerment and advocacy. Under empowerment, oram provides skills and vocational training sessions to lgbtiq asylum seekers and refugees in germany, kenya and mexico. This is followed by business skills trainings and mentorships, as well as seed-funding to help start or grow small-scale businesses. Oram also helps connect lgbtiq individuals to existing businesses. These efforts help foster greater self-reliance through income generating activities. Oram also support lgbtiq refugee-led organizations with capacity strengthening, to help support their activities of direct service provision. Under protection, oram provides short-term housing in germany, kenya and mexico. Oram also provides cash assistance when possible, to those who are exceptionally vulnerable. Lastly, under our advocacy efforts, oram provides inclusion training sessions to a variety of stakeholders working with refugees and in the humanitarian sector. Oram also conducts research, issues publications and training tools, and through campaigns and in-person events raises the awareness of the challenges and needs of lgbtiq refugees globally.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 71% for direct work, and 29% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 67
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 19
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 77%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 74.4%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.53 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: 79.9%; rating input score 80; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.7%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.21; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.07; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.5%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 20.7% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.4% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 77% of revenue deployed · 74.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $288K · 8 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $413K reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 35 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 5 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: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 10/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 24/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.