Policylink

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943297479
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Oakland, CA, USA
Phone
5106632333
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Community Coalitions

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$48,219,263
Expenses
$58,084,593
Assets
$115,891,084
Liabilities
$4,652,055

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHAEL A MCAFEE (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
  • ASHLEIGH G GARDERE (PRESIDENT)
  • VANICE DUNN (VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS)
  • ABIGAIL J LANGSTON (VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH)
  • JERRY MALDONADO (VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS)
  • SHELDON BALLOM (SENIOR ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MICHAEL A MCAFEE (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $666,239 total reported compensation
  • ASHLEIGH G GARDERE (PRESIDENT): $557,382 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL J HASSID (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $460,036 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Policylink is a national research and action institute working to build a future where all people in the united states of america can participate in a flourishing multiracial democracy, prosper in an equitable economy, and live in thriving communities of opportunity.

What it reported doing in 2024

The crosscutting strategies portfolio includes initiatives that provide an underlying service to all areas of policylink's work, creating an enabling environment for policy change, supporting and growing the equity movement, and building new alliances and partnerships. These include: a. Data + research - developing data and research to equip community leaders and policymakers with the tools necessary to advance equitable growth and to inform community action.b. Communications - establishing a national voicethrough narrative, arts, and cultureto advance policy and catalyze the imagination necessary to envision alternative futures and build the will to make them real.c. Impact - leveraging results-based accountability to measure the effectiveness of our work and drive continuous improvement of our programs and internal operations.d. Other programs - included here are: the equity summitheld every few yearswhich assembles thousands of leaders to co-design and chart the course of the equity movement; fiscal sponsorship of projects aligned with policylink's mission; our podcasts; and consulting engagements.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 72% for direct work, and 28% for 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: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 83.2%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.19 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 80%; rating input score 80; 16th 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: -20.5%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.9%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.9% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.7% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22.9% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 83.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 10 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $48.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $666K · 23 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $5.5M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 143 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 128 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.