The Young Center for Immigrant Childrens Rights

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
261839249
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
7733608920
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Ethnic, Immigrant Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$20,967,292
Expenses
$19,087,799
Assets
$16,987,142
Liabilities
$2,972,066

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

Leadership & pay

29 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Gladis Molina Alt (Executive Dir.): $263,386 total reported compensation
  • Daniel Doucette (COO): $221,983 total reported compensation
  • Jennifer Nagda (CPO): $216,096 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 organization protects and advances the rights and best interests of immigrant children according to the convention on the rights of the child and state and federal law. The organization is a champion for the best interest of children who arrive in the united states on their own, from all corners of the world and children who have been separated from their parents upon arrival in the united states. We serve as trusted allies for these children while they are in deportation proceedings, advocating for their best interests, and standing for the creation of a dedicated children's immigrant justice system that ensures the safety and well being of every child. The organization's goal is to change the immigration system so that children in immigration proceedings are recognized as children, and the best interests are made a part of the decision making process.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Organization is appointed under federal law as the independent Child Advocate by the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The role of the Child Advocate is to accompany unaccompanied and separated immigrant children and advocate for their best interests as determined by their wishes, their safety, and their rights to family, liberty, development, and identity. The Organization is appointed as Child Advocate to the most vulnerable children in federal custody and removal cases, including infants and toddlers, children with physical or mental health needs, children with disabilities, pregnant and parenting teens, children at risk of turning 18 while in custody, children at risk of trafficking, and children eligible for protection under immigration law. Child Advocates submit best interests determinations (BIDs) to federal agencies, state courts, and other stakeholders.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 60% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.6%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 76.6%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 9%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.89; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.8% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.4% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.6% of revenue deployed · 76.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $14.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $263K · 29 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $645K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 44/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 32/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.