USA for UNHCR

Legal name: United States Association for UNHCR

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521662800
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Washington, DC, United States
Phone
1-855-862-4277
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
United Nations Association

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$95,683,592
Expenses
$95,541,311
Assets
$45,098,982
Liabilities
$21,558,717

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

Leadership & pay

22 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Suzanne Ehlers (Executive Director & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • Suzanne Ehlers (Executive Director & CEO): $545,152 total reported compensation
  • Brian Davis (Chief Financial Officer): $414,541 total reported compensation
  • Lacey Stone (Chief Development Officer): $404,674 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

USA for UNHCR protects and supports refugees by mobilizing resources, elevating awareness, and driving action through a network of engaged supporters.

What it reported doing in 2025

Refugee Resettlement Programs: USA for UNHCR (U4U) raises funds and mobilizes resources to support Refugee Resettlement Programs. These programs are designed to provide a robust support network for refugees during their transition into new communities. They facilitate various aspects of the resettlement process, including initial placement, housing support, and comprehensive orientation about life in their new location.These programs also emphasize self-sufficiency by providing refugees with necessary tools and resources, such as language classes, job training, education support, and access to health services. U4U strives to empower refugees, helping them become active, contributing members of their communities.Furthermore, U4U works closely with local communities to foster positive relationships and mutual understanding between refugees and their new neighbors. The overarching goal is to create a welcoming environment where refugees can rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 87% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.5%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 66.3%; rating input score 66
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.57 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th 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: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.1%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.47; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.48; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.7%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 4 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 66.5% of revenue deployed · 66.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $63.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $545K · 22 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $11.3M reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 12 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 48/100.