The Okra Project

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
881826091
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Phone
3142654222
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$291,276
Expenses
$373,552
Assets
$146,724
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • GABRIELLE SOUZA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • GABRIELLE SOUZA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $112,000 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 okra project is a charitable organization whose mission is to support underserved members of the lgbtqia+ community, particularly members of the black trans community.

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024, the okra project deepened its commitment to nourishing and affirming black transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive communities through direct action, intentional partnerships, and sustainable program growth. Our mental health initiative expanded access to therapy by distributing hundreds of free counseling vouchers, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. We provided consistent food assistance, grocery stipends, and collaborations with local black-owned and ran organizations, ensuring culturally affirming nourishment reached those most in need. Our housing support efforts connected individuals to safe and stable living situations, while our co-community events fostered spaces of joy, healing, and solidarity. Through workshops, mutual aid, and targeted resource distribution, we not only addressed urgent needs but also invested in long-term resilience. This year's achievements reflect our core belief that dignity, safety, and care are not luxuries, but rightsrights we will continue to fight for in the year ahead.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.4%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 72.1%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $29.13 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -28.2%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.39; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 30%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -102.9% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -101.4% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -20.9% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.4% of revenue deployed · 72.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $269K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $112K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 10/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 20/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 11/100.