Seattle International Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
208350995
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Phone
2066222294
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Public Foundations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,771,932
Expenses
$4,507,717
Assets
$4,659,648
Liabilities
$109,730

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TONY MESTRES (PRESIDENT)
  • MICHELE FRIX DASSEL (VICE PRESIDENT/SECRETARY)
  • ADRIANA BELTRAN (SIF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MICHELE FRIX DASSEL (VICE PRESIDENT/SECRETARY): $325,581 total reported compensation
  • ADRIANA BELTRAN (SIF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $206,318 total reported compensation
  • ERIC OLSON (DIR. OF POLICY & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES): $160,756 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Seattle international foundation (sif) champions equity and rule of law in central america through good governance and a robust civil society. Sif works with other donors to the region to increase philanthropy and to promote collaboration, learning, and coordination of efforts to address inequality in central america. Sif was founded as a type i supporting organization under irc section 509(a)(3) to seattle foundation for the purpose of increasing and enhancing international philanthropy efforts and development efforts from the pacific northwest.

What it reported doing in 2024

Since 2008, sif has granted more than $40 million to 275 organizations in 84 countries, including $18 million in grants to central america. Sif hosts the central america donors forum, the premier networking and learning space to advance philanthropy and development efforts incentral america. The event brings together leaders from business, philanthropy, international donors, and civil society to discuss priority issues and successful models of development, and to explore co-investment for social impact. Sif also hosts the central america & mexico youthfund which supports leaders in central america in designing and implementing projects to improves the lives of local youth and their communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 47% for direct work, and 53% 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 assets have declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 85
  • Sustainability: 65
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 63.2%; rating input score 63
  • Program expense ratio: 80%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $281.1 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 5th 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • 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: Pass
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 21.9%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.03; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.8%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -10.9% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 63.2% of revenue deployed · 80% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $326K · 9 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $947K reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 31 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 14 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: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.