Pacific Forum International

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
824525112
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Honolulu, HI, USA
Phone
8085216745
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Promotion of International Understanding

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,384,169
Expenses
$4,108,127
Assets
$7,648,529
Liabilities
$1,094,587

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • David Santoro (President)
  • Ralph Cossa (WSD Handa Chair/President Emeritus)
  • Carl W Baker (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • David Santoro (President): $197,365 total reported compensation
  • Carl W Baker (Executive Director): $137,500 total reported compensation
  • Brooke Mizuno (Director of Development): $100,177 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To engage generally in the activity of providing a private, nonpartisan international consultative forum for addressing common policy problems and issues affecting the economic development, resources, security, and stability of the countries of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, and to provide a means for an active and continuing exchange of information, ideas, and views on economic development policies, investment and trade, defense and broader security, energy, and other matters of mutual interest and concern; and the opportunity to propose international programs and policy actions to governments and international organizations.

What it reported doing in 2024

National Security and Defense - Pacific Forum's National Security and Defense Program advances practical, solution-oriented research and dialogue on the evolving security challenges shaping the Indo-Pacifica region at the center of strategic gravity, technological innovation, and economic competition. The program bridges policy development and operational execution by publishing and convening senior defense officials, military leaders, policymakers, industry partners, and strategic thinkers on issues to address deterrence and readiness requirements, alliance and partner coordination, crisis management, and defense and technology innovation. Key areas of focus include: Readiness, deterrence, and alliance resilience Gray-zone and hybrid challenges below the threshold of conflict Strengthening the defense industrial base Logistics and critical infrastructure Integration of emerging technologiesAI, space, and cyberinto defense planning Through flagship convenings such as the Honolulu Defense Forum and the Honolulu International Forum, alongside targeted publications, the program provides trusted venues for new innovative ideas and frank exchange across governments, allied militaries, and the private sector.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 89
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 72.3%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 74.8%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $40.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 81.2%; rating input score 81; 15th 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: 6.3%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.86; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.6%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 72.3% of revenue deployed · 74.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 16 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $3.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $197K · 18 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $342K reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 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.

Key Signals

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

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 54/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.