Unicef USA

Legal name: United States Fund for Unicef

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
131760110
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2126865522
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
United Nations Association

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$835,217,861
Expenses
$594,076,448
Assets
$514,509,936
Liabilities
$72,742,787

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

Leadership & pay

32 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Michael J Nyenhuis (Director/President/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • Michael J Nyenhuis (Director/President/CEO): $976,864 total reported compensation
  • Cristina Shapiro-Alster (Chief Strategy Officer & Pres. of IF4C): $534,273 total reported compensation
  • Michele Walsh (EVP, Asst. Secretary): $499,584 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To relentlessly pursue a more equitable world for every child. UNICEF has a global presence in over 190 countries and territories — including the United States. UNICEF USA is one of 33 National Committees created to support UNICEF's mission, working relentlessly to pursue a more equitable world for children. The vast majority of UNICEF staff are in the field, working with governments and other partners to implement lifesaving and life-changing and life-sustaining programs for children in **Africa****,****Asia****,****Europe****,****the Middle East****,****North America****and****South America.** _**Learn more about what UNICEF does in different regions of the world.**__Or visit the_ _**UNICEF data**_ _hub for details on UNICEF program activities and imp.

What it reported doing in 2024

Public information: unicef USA has rallied the american public to support the world's most vulnerable children, reaching hundreds of thousands of supporters through issue-oriented videos, television and public radio service announcements, a variety of press and publications, the internet via our website (www.unicefusa.org) and other mobile and social platforms. The unicef USA communications team works relentlessly to educate the public about the challenges facing the world's children. This year, children and adults added meaning to their halloween-ing by supporting our trademark fundraiser, trick-or-treat for unicef. Tens of thousands of companies and individuals were informed about the work of unicef and unicef USA through in-person and other events, speakers' series and program visits. Together, uusa and its supporters were able to harness a collective, global voice to improve the lives of children.

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 95% 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 total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 71
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.3%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 83.1%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.25 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • 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: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 46th 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: 28.9%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.87; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site
  • Where the money goes: 59.3% of revenue deployed · 83.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $493.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $977K · 32 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $49.4M reported
  • Consistency: 43 of 44 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 12 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 19 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 6 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 59/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.