Race Forward

What it reported doing in 2024

For more than 43 years, race forward has brought a systemic analysis and an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity. In 2024, we released our new strategic plan. Our vision and mission: -vision: race forward imagines a just, multiracial, democratic society in which people of color thrive with purpose and power. -mission: we support communities and public institutions to achieve a just multiracial democratic society through governance that advances racial justice. -theory of change: 1) communities of color win governing power: collaborative networks of community organizations share common narratives of racial justice and a shared agenda for democratic practices and governance. 2) public institutions are transformed and better equipped to advance racial justice: a wide network of informed and engaged public servants work within institutions to advance racial justice and change prevailing narratives. 3) communities and cross-sector institutions effectively collaborate for change: strong communication channels and dialogue among community organizers and public servants across sectors advance racial justice through co-governance between communities and public institutions. 2024 programmatic achievements institutional and sectoral change: establishes sustainable racial equity practice in sectors by facilitating learning cohorts, developing tools for long-term change, and tracking shifts that demonstrate success. Our government alliance on race and equity (gare), a network of local and regional government jurisdictions, our federal initiative to govern for racial equity (fire), and our housing, land and development network (hldn) are housed in this department. Select highlights: -over 670 members attended gare's annual membership meeting. -gare also: 1) hosted 21 online programs and launched new informal, unrecorded spaces (coffee hours and sensemaking), with attendees. 2) launched the California statewide innovation community, a 10-month learning exchange of 24 practitioners, representing government and community sectors. 3) received the council of governments' stuart a. Freudberg award for regional partnership. 4) released a self-paced learning resource framework for institutional change for racial equity. -our fire team: 1) trained 2,250 staff at the u.s. Forest services equity summit. 2) initiated a digital documentation project for federal public records on racial equity, collecting and archiving more than 300 public equity documents and records prepared by federal agencies/departments during the biden-harris administration. 3) participated in several conferences and events: network of schools of public policy, affairs and administration; center for american progress; environmental protection agency region 4 environmental justice academy program; annual conference of the international association of transportation regulators. 4) launched an online portal for federal racial equity practitioners. -the housing, land and development networking group grew to 330 members (32% increase). The team: 1) hosted 11 virtual meetings on housing reparations, legal strategies, equitable zoning reform, and collaborative governance; established a public repository of race-informed housing policies and plans, and published a series of briefs on the "root causes of housing and land injustice" 2) partnered with habitat for humanity's advancing black homeownership initiative to strengthen the organization's commitment to building black community wealth. Movement capacity building: builds leadership and capacity of grassroots and other organizations within communities of color. Select highlights: -heal (honest education action and leadership) together launched public school strong, a national campaign that has engaged over 5,000 educators, parents, and students to push back against privatization, censorship, and disinvestment in our schools. The campaign registered teams in all 50 states, an

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 81.9%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $17.77 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.5%; rating input score 99; 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; 66th 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: -24.1%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.27; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 7.4%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 22.2% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.9% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 18.4% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings