Spark Microgrants Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Spark believes in the collective power of people. Yet too often, communities facing poverty are sidelined by the very programs meant to uplift them. Spark updates the development model, from prescriptive to community-led, so that every village can define their own future. Spark's key innovation is the facilitated collective action process, or fcap pairs a village planning process with a seed grant to facilitate cooperative solutions to poverty. Research shows that the fcap results in families doubling the meals they eat and a sevenfold increase in women engaging in leadership roles. More than 80 percent of communities create inclusive village councils that last. Since 2010, spark has reached more than 500,000 people in eight countries, including through its flagship program with the government of rwanda. Over the next three years, spark will accelerate its impact by scaling the national program in rwanda and expanding to two new countries, producing new research on community-led development, and curating a global community of practice. Today, spark trains partner organizations and works with governments to scale the fcap as the system of choice to advance social and economic development, improve lives, and secure lasting change. Spark has offices in kigali, kampala, and New York and operates in six countries in east and west africa.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 71.7%; rating input score 72
• Program expense ratio: 77.9%; rating input score 78
• Fundraising efficiency: $21.96 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Pass
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 98.4%; rating input score 98; 35th percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 8.8%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.7; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.8%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 24.8% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 32.1% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings