The Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133768443
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2011
Location
Brightwaters, NY, USA
Phone
6316658500
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and Public Policy Analysis

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,554,736
Expenses
$1,560,064
Assets
$1,357,161
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR SIR KIRANI JAMES (President)
  • CALUM NL MACPHERSON PHD (Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • DR SIR KIRANI JAMES (President)
  • CALUM NL MACPHERSON PHD (Vice President)
  • MARGARET LAMBERT MA (Secretary/Treas)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

To advance health and sustainable environmental development through multi-disciplinary research and education programs. To promote collaborative relationships between internationally recognized scholars and regional scientists, and by adhering to the highest ethical and academic standards in the design and conduct of research.

What it reported doing in 2024

The foundation was engaged in 20 active grant-funded projects supported by a diverse range of international agencies, governments, and private donors. These initiatives collectively advance research, community development, environmental resilience, health equity, and education across Grenada and the wider Caribbean.Several grants focus on sustainability and ecological restoration. These include the Grenada Wastewater Recycling Project (Caribbean Development Bank), the Safeguarding Telescopes Coastline project (Caribbean Biodiversity Fund), and Coral Reef Restoration in the Grenville Bay Area (GEF Small Grants Programme). Additional environmental initiativessuch as the Innovative Nature-based Solutions to Enhance Community Resilience (ING) Program, the Global Water Partnership Project, and the Caribbean Measurement, Reporting, and Verification Hubsupport regional adaptation to climate change and sustainable resource management.Health-focused initiatives span diagnostics, cancer care, and child development. These include the Sample-to-Answer Arboviral Diagnostics Project (NIH sub-award from UCSC), the Caribbean Cancer Portal (PAHO), the Caribbean Center for Child Neurodevelopment (Private Donors), and the Improving Metastatic Breast Cancer Care and Equity in the Caribbean Project (UTT). The Baroness Howells Sports for Health Program also promotes wellness through physical activity. Educational and social empowerment projects include the Caribbean Research Ethics Education Initiative (NIH-Fogarty International Center), Conscious Discipline Grenada Renewal (Becky Bailey Foundation), and the Integrated Early Childhood Development Strategy (UNICEF). Community-based programs, such as Afterschool Programmes (McGuinness Foundation) and the Return of Childrens Happiness Programme, strengthen youth engagement and well-being in mainland Grenada and Carriacou. Several projects address violence prevention and gender equity, including Preventing Intergenerational Violence through Empowerment Coaching for Fathers (CFLI) and the Community-based Intervention Program to Support Childrens Rights and Prevent Gender-based Violence (European Commission). The Consultancy for Construction and Deployment of FADs (UBEC, Government of Grenada, World Bank) supports sustainable fisheries within the blue economy framework. Meanwhile, the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Center for the Caribbean (RCC St. Georges) enhances regional capacity for climate action and coordination. These initiatives underscore WINDREFs continued leadership in environmental conservation, public health innovation, and community resilience.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 84% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 58
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 95%; rating input score 95
  • Program expense ratio: 94.6%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.3%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.87; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16.4% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.5% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 95% of revenue deployed · 94.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 0 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 16 of 16 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 7 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.