PICO California Action Fund

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
843224688
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2019
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
9162025350
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Civil Liberties

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,090,730
Expenses
$952,966
Assets
$904,979
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Jennifer Martinez (Chair)
  • Eddie Carmona (Secretary)
  • Gabby Trejo (Board Member)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The PICO Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that works with multi-racial faith-based community organizations to build power and impact systemic change. We work at the state and local level to build capacity for civic engagement in communities throughout California and to advocate through electoral campaigns for policies and programs that build a more equitable and just society.

What it reported doing in 2024

Driven by commitment to justice and equity, PICO California is uniting communities to build a Moral Economy where everyone thrives. Through the power of faith and collective action, we came together to engage and educate 81,053 devout and diverse voters across California about ballot measures impacting housing and restorative justicereaching into every county, assembly, and senate district.Together with our partners in the Million Voters Project, we knocked on doors, made calls, held nonpartisan candidate forums, and hosted nonpartisan voter education parties across 20 counties. Our efforts were not just about votes; they were about fostering community, building bridges, and nurturing the shared threads of our faiths. With each step, we were answering a sacred callthe duty of voting as an act of love, justice, and commitment to our shared future.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Revenue has declined or grown slowly and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 63
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.1%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 90.6%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 12.6%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.95; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16.5% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 26% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 79.1% of revenue deployed · 90.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $863K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.