Celebrating 30 years of helping you give wisely
America's most independent,
assertive charity watchdog
Top Rated

Accion International

CharityWatch rating issued
February 2025

Top-Rated Charity
A-
CharityWatch Rating
Our independent rating based
on a number of factors.
 
75%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$14
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Accion International
1101 15th Street NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005

Other Names

None

Tax Status

501(c)3

Website

www.accion.org

Stated Mission

To give people the financial tools they need to improve their lives.

View similar charities
Charity  
ActionAid USA  
Africare (DISSOLVED)  
Aid for Starving Children  
Alight  
All Hands and Hearts  
American Friends Service Committee  
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)  
Americares  
Archewell Foundation  
Brother's Brother Foundation  
CARE  
Catholic Medical Mission Board  
Catholic Relief Services  
Central Asia Institute  
charity: water  
Church World Service (CWS)  
Comic Relief  
Convoy of Hope  
CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort)  
David Livingstone Missionary Foundation  
Direct Relief & Direct Relief Foundation  
Doctors Without Borders USA  
Engineers Without Borders - USA  
Episcopal Relief & Development  
FINCA International  
Fistula Foundation  
GiveDirectly  
Global Communities  
GlobalGiving Foundation  
Grameen Foundation USA  
HealthRight International  
Heifer International  
HIAS  
Humanity & Inclusion  
International Justice Mission  
International Medical Corps  
International Rescue Committee  
Islamic Relief-USA  
Lutheran World Relief & IMA World Health  
MAP International  
Medical Teams International  
Mennonite Central Committee U.S.  
Mercy Corps  
Muslim Aid USA  
New Incentives  
One Acre Fund  
Operation USA  
Opportunity International  
Oxfam-America  
Partners In Health  
Planet Aid  
Project HOPE  
Refugees International  
ReSurge International  
Rotary Foundation of Rotary International  
Salesian Missions  
Samaritan's Purse  
Sudan Relief Fund  
Team Rubicon  
Tearfund USA  
TechnoServe  
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)  
United States Association for UNHCR  
United States Fund for UNICEF  
United to End Genocide (DISSOLVED)  
White Stork  
World Central Kitchen  
World Concern  
World Emergency Relief  
World Neighbors  
World Villages for Children  
Zakat Foundation of America  
Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2023

Program Percentage: 75%

The percentage of Accion International's cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$37,000,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $14

How many dollars Accion International spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$22,000,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Accion International & Subsidiaries Consolidated Audited Financial Statements Multiple
Accion International IRS Form 990 13-2535763
Entity: Accion International & Subsidiaries
Document Type: Consolidated Audited Financial Statements
Tax ID: Multiple
Entity: Accion International
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 13-2535763

Governance & Transparency

CharityWatch evaluates certain criteria related to a charity's Governance and Transparency. Donors may want to consider a charity's willingness to be open and transparent with CharityWatch to be a good litmus test for determining its commitment to public accountability.
This charity is Top-Rated
What does it mean to be Top-Rated?
 
Accion International
meets governance benchmarks.
 
Accion International
meets transparency benchmarks.
Transparency
Provides Financial Information
Audit Accessibility
Governance: Policies
Reports regularly & consistently monitoring & enforcing compliance with a written Conflict of Interest Policy
Reports required, annual disclosure by officers, directors, and key staff of interests that could give rise to conflicts
Reports having a written Whistleblower Policy
Reports having a written Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Governance: Financials
Reports providing copy of tax form to all board members prior to filing it with IRS
Reports that financial statements were audited by an independent accountant
Governance: Board of Directors
Reports at least 5 voting board members
51% or more of voting board members reported as independent
Reports documenting minutes of board and board committee meetings
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy Opt-Out Policy  

  Name Title Compensation
1 Esteban Altschul COO $697,123
2 Michael Schlein CEO $597,531
3 John Fischer CIO $410,129
1
Name: Esteban Altschul
Title: COO
Compensation: $697,123
2
Name: Michael Schlein
Title: CEO
Compensation: $597,531
3
Name: John Fischer
Title: CIO
Compensation: $410,129

CharityWatch Analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charities' audited financial statements and IRS tax filings, and often review other documents such as state filings, annual reports, and fundraising contracts during their evaluations. Below are select notes that CharityWatch believes may be of interest to donors.

CharityWatch's rating of Accion International also includes the financial activities of the subsidiaries included in the Accion audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023. In addition to the U.S.-based Accion International, the accounts of 13 related entities are included in the Accion 2023 audited consolidated financial statements, according to Note 2, Principles of Consolidation.

According to the Accion International consolidated audit of December 31, 2023 (Note 2 re: Donated Services), Accion received in-kind donated services in 2023 on which it placed a total value of $637,602.

[Note: CharityWatch generally excludes the value of in-kind (non-cash) donations of goods and services from its calculations of Program % and Cost to Raise $100. More information on how grades are calculated and the treatment of in-kind donations can be found on the Our Process page.]

According to the Accion International consolidated audit of December 31, 2023 (Note 12, Subsequent Events):

"Management has reviewed the Organization's operations for potential disclosure or financial statement impacts related to events occurring after December 31, 2023 through August 9, 2024, the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. 

On April 4, 2024, Accion had successfully transferred its Accion Venture Lab Holdings, LLC investment warehousing portfolio to Accion Venture Lab Fund II, LP. As a result of this transaction, Accion received a total payment of $14,773,169. This payment comprised the purchase price of $13,749,817, an interest payment of $964,540, and reimbursable expenses totaling $58,813."

According to the Accion International 2023 tax filing, Accion reports re: Compensation, Supplemental Information (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part III):

Regarding severance payments to officers, directors, trustees, key employees and highest compensated employees (Schedule J, Part I, line 4a):

"Mayada El-Zoghbi received severance payments in 2023 for $154,172."

[Mayada El-Zoghbi is reported as "Senior VP;" their reported total compensation in 2023 is $393,912 (IRS Form 990, Part VII, Section A).]


Regarding nonfixed payments to officers, directors, trustees, key employees and highest compensated employees (Schedule J, Part I, line 7):

"Employees identified in Schedule J, Part II (A) [Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees compensated more than $150,000], lines 1 – 14 were eligible for limited incentive compensation based upon performance in the prior tax year. Any such compensation that is awarded is part of and subject to the total compensation review and approval process."


Accion reports "Bonus & incentive compensation" payments to 6 individuals in 2023, including $57,940 paid to Esteban Altschul, COO, whose reported total compensation in 2023 is $697,123. The other five reported "Bonus & incentive compensation" payments ranged from $7,950 to $46,000, with associated reported total compensation ranging from $233,585 to $350,430 (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part II).


Related External Articles