Worldwide Fistula Fund

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
300139210
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Schaumburg, IL, USA
Phone
8475922438
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Voluntary Health Associations & Medical Disciplines N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$818,292
Expenses
$1,030,367
Assets
$2,413,097
Liabilities
$127,467

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

People named in this filing

  • MARY ROSE KELLER PHD (CHAIR)
  • KATHLEEN DAVIS MD (VICE CHAIR)
  • Holly E Richter PhD MD (Secretary)

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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Worldwide fistula fund protects and restores the health and dignity of the world's most vulnerable women by preventing and treating devastating childbirth injuries.

What it reported doing in 2024

Wffs figo certified fistula surgeon and trainer launched arena in 2017 and began providing fistula services. Initially, working through shared clinical space, expert fistula repair was completed and followed by prevention and education in the ward. The new arena medical center opened in november 2021 with survivor reintegration training (injury prevention, income generating activities) and midwife training. In june 2022, the center began offering surgeries. Arena conducts outreach into the community to educate health professionals and community members in treatment availability and prevention. Arena employs regional ambassadors to advocate for safe childbirth and conduct patient outreach. They began to organize survivors in solidarity groups for mutual benefit. To date, burkina faso has provided 484 women with free fistula surgeries, 451 women received reintegration training, 593 doctors and medical professionals received training, and reached over 532,000 community members with prevention and free treatment messaging.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 41% for direct work, and 59% for grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.4%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 76.6%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th 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: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -25.9%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.34; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.4% of revenue deployed · 76.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $789K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $445K reported
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 7/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.