The Gathering for Justice Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 472966777
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2015–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- New York, NY, USA
- Phone
- 2125479857
- Rating
- 77
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Human Service Organizations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,077,981
- Expenses
- $1,222,953
- Assets
- $421,838
- Liabilities
- $32,837
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
11 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Carmen Perez (President & CEO)
Highest reported compensation
- Dannese Mapanda (COO): $179,921 total reported compensation
- Jessica Persaud (Director of Policy): $124,570 total reported compensation
- Carmen Perez (President & CEO): $107,260 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The Gathering for Justice works to transform the criminal legal system and advance civil rights to build a beloved community grounded in justice, equity, and compassion. By developing leaders, leveraging cultural organizing, and uniting our communitys collective power across generations, we aim to dismantle systemic injustice and end racial inequity for all. Founded in 2005 by the late Harry Belafonte, The Gathering continues his legacy of using culture, organizing, and leadership development to build a more just and equitable world.
What it reported doing in 2024
Youth Programming and Initiatives (Youth Organizers United YOU Program) The YOU Program continued to foster youth leadership by providing mentorship, training, and organizing opportunities to more than 200 students across five high schools in Oxnard, California. Through a series of 20 workshops and leadership sessions, youth organizers developed campaigns, learned advocacy skills, and helped shape policy priorities. The Youth Policy Roundtable produced a Youth Agenda addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. Community Engagement and EventsThe Gathering organized numerous community events, including the MLK Freedom and Unity Weekend in Oxnard, which brought together activists and residents to honor Dr. Kings legacy through action and dialogue. Additional events included the Stockton Healing Circles, which supported 150 participants in processing trauma and building community resilience, and the Stockton Backyard BBQ, which provided free food, music, and resources for local youth and families. The organization also held Youth Justice Month activities and the Youth Justice Action Month Resource Fair in partnership with Ventura County agencies. Cultural and Policy Advocacy InitiativesThe Gathering continued its cultural organizing and advocacy through its Radical Readz Live events in New York, Oxnard, and Stockton, featuring authors and thought leaders such as Brea Baker and Dr. Jamila T. Davis. These events fostered community conversations about justice, land ownership, and collective healing. The organization also advanced policy priorities through campaigns such as #Right2RemainSilent, Close Rikers, and End Qualified Immunity Advocacy Day, mobilizing hundreds of advocates across New York. Partnerships with Christian Louboutin, Agency Footwear, and other brands elevated awareness and generated support for the mission.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 89% 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 74
- Transparency & Controls: 79
- Accountability: 89
- Sustainability: 17
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 77.4%; rating input score 77
- Program expense ratio: 68.2%; rating input score 68
- Fundraising efficiency: $48.42 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Compensation committee: Missing
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
- 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: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -13.4%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.34; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 33.7%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 77.4% of revenue deployed · 68.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $834K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $180K · 11 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
- Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
- 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.