Umoja of Africa Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
990413917
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2024
Location
Denver, CO, USA
Phone
6234994435
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Reported finances

Revenue
$249,408
Expenses
$252,134
Assets
$11,125
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Omary Zakwani (Executive Director)
  • Ibrahim Kabongo (Board President Chair)

People named in this filing

  • Omary Zakwani (Executive Director)
  • Ibrahim Kabongo (Board President Chair)
  • Ester Zagabe (Treasurer)

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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

UMOJA OF AFRICA FOUNDATION is a community-centered 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to uniting educating supporting and empowering African immigrants and refugees across the United States. Our mission is to strengthen communities through cultural unity youth development housing navigation support education mentorship and community assistance programs. Umoja of Africa works to address barriers related to housing access language employment social integration and access to community resources while promoting cultural inclusion and civic empowerment. The organization also provides culturally responsive outreach leadership development and emergency support services to families experiencing hardship. Through collaboration education and community engagement Umoja of Africa seeks to build a stronger more connected and self-sufficient African immigrant and refugee community.

What it reported doing in 2025

Umoja of Africa Foundation provided culturally responsive housing navigation services for immigrant and refugee families including rental assistance referrals housing education workshops eviction prevention guidance and connections to community housing resources in Colorado.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 55% for grants, and 45% for member benefits.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 45
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 42.6%; rating input score 43
  • Program expense ratio: 42.2%; rating input score 42
  • Fundraising efficiency: $36.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 68; 68th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 80%; rating input score 80; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1.1%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.04; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 42.6% of revenue deployed · 42.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 5 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $106K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 43/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 42/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 4/100.