We Care Solar

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
300627106
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Berkeley, CA, USA
Phone
5107660206
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health Support Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,950,499
Expenses
$8,956,934
Assets
$17,256,066
Liabilities
$738,071

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LAURA E STACHEL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH JUDD (DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT): $172,034 total reported compensation
  • LAURA E STACHEL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $168,084 total reported compensation
  • SAMANTHA PARSONS (MANAGING DIRECTOR): $165,294 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We care solar designs and implements solar energy programs to improve healthcare and education.

What it reported doing in 2024

Education - we share solar, the education program of we care solar, empowers teachers to help students become global solar solutionaries. Our stem education program equips teachers with professional development, solar-stem training, ready-to-use curricula, and hands-on solar suitcase lab kits. These tools empower educators to inspire middle- and high-school students to tackle real-world problems with solar electricity. Our integrated curriculum blends stem fundamentals, creative problem-solving, and humanitarian service. Through a unique sponsorship model, solar suitcases are donated to off-grid schools in africa, giving students a direct connection to global impact. Since 2013, over 69,000 students learned with wss and we have provided light to 600,000+ students through solar suitcase installations.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 54
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 71
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 60.1%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 85.3%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $29.32 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • 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: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 25th 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: Fail
    • 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: 30.8%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.93; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.9%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.5% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 60.1% of revenue deployed · 85.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $7.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $172K · 19 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $475K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.