Vital Strategies Action Fund Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Food policy program: vital strategies action fund supports partners work in low and middle-income countries to advocate for legislation, regulations and government programs to achieve healthy food policy goals that address the global harm to health caused by ultra-processed products (upps) and promote healthier food environments. In fy 2024, the food policy program provided subgrants for legislative lobbying activities in brazil, south africa, colombia, barbados, and panama. In brazil, the food policy program contracted with act, health promotion (act) to conduct mass media communication campaigns in support of a tax reform on ultra-processed products (upps) and sugary and sweetened beverages. After two years of discussion in congress, brazil's tax reform regulation bill was approved on dec. 17, 2024. The selective tax includes soft drinks as well as tobacco and alcoholic beverages. The new legislation also introduced a basic food basket of healthy and sustainable products that are exempt from the new taxes. In brazil, the food policy program also contracted with the brazilian institute for consumer rights (idec) to prepare a new campaign phase for regional healthy school food legislation. The campaign is scheduled for 2025.in south africa, the food policy program contracted with community media trust to conduct mass media communication campaigns with the goal of increasing taxes on sugary beverages, including fruit juices. In 2024, cmt published the episode "is the sugar industry lying to us?" of its "chew on this" podcast which was used strategically to set the agenda for the tax ahead of the mid-term budget policy statement. From october-november 2024, cmt also implemented the "are you drinking yourself sick?" campaign which reached nearly 10 million people. In colombia, the food policy program contracted with corporacin colombiana de padres y madres (red papaz) to conduct mass media communication campaigns in support of legislative actions to regulate the marketing of upps, particularly to children. In 2024 red papaz implemented the "don't eat more lies anymore" campaign which reached 32.8 million people combined through its two phases and gathered 11,700 signatures. At the end of 2024 red papaz also launched "don't eat more lies: part 2" which garnered over 49,500 signatures in 3 months and reached over 4.8 million people. In colombia, the coalition, led by red papaz, also submitted the marketing restriction bill to congress on nov. 6, 2024, as well as the healthy school environments bill on nov. 12, 2024, led by fian colombia. All coalition organizations actively supported both filings. Furthermore, on nov. 6, 2024, a below-the-line activity was conducted in congress to support the #leyniezcomidachatarra bill.in barbados, the food policy program worked with the heart and stroke foundation of barbados to support the development of a mass media communication campaign strategy to advocate for front-of-package-warning label legislation. In panama, the food policy program contracted with fundacin movimiento de alimentacin saludable to implement communication strategy to advocate for the national front-of-package labeling legislation.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 52.2%; rating input score 52
• Program expense ratio: 90.4%; rating input score 90
• Fundraising efficiency: $309.76 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• 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: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 41st 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Fail
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 42.3%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.17; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 62.2% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 59.7% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 90.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings