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USA for UNFPA

CharityWatch rating issued
April 2025

 
CharityWatch Rating
risk WARNING: See Analysts’ Notes
 

Contact Information

USA for UNFPA
605 3rd Avenue
4th Floor
New York, NY 10158

Other Names

Americans for UNFPA (formerly)
Friends of Americans for UNFPA (formerly)
Friends of UNFPA (formerly)
US Committee for UN Population Fund (formerly)

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

Building awareness and financial support within the U.S. for the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA's) work and the overall advancement of reproductive health and rights around the world.

View similar charities
Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2023

*Why a Question Mark Rating?

CharityWatch currently has concerns about this organization and/or is unable to provide complete rating information due to the organization's nondisclosure of financial information. Please see the Analysts' Notes section for a more detailed explanation.


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.
USA for UNFPA
meets governance benchmarks.
 
USA for UNFPA
does not meet 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 Anupama Surendran CEO $245,319
2 Jacob T. Geers Director of Individual Giving $157,290
1
Name: Anupama Surendran
Title: CEO
Compensation: $245,319
2
Name: Jacob T. Geers
Title: Director of Individual Giving
Compensation: $157,290

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 is currently unable to assign a letter grade rating to USA for UNFPA based on its fiscal year ended 12/31/2023 due to our specific concerns about the charity's financial reporting. For this reason, we have assigned it a "?" rating for fiscal 2023.

In certain past years, USA for UNFPA has both granted funds to, and received funds from, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) in the same fiscal year. When this occurs, prior to computing USA for UNFPA's program efficiency ratio, CharityWatch makes certain adjustments to the charity's reported program spending to avoid giving it credit for the same funds twice. For example, if USA for UNFPA receives a $500,000 grant from UNPF in a given year, but in that same year grants UNPF $800,000, CharityWatch would adjust $500,000 out of USA for UNFPA's reported program spending prior to computing its program efficiency ratio. If USA for UNFPA grants funds to UNPF in a given year, but receives no grants from UNPF that same year, CharityWatch would not make an adjustment to USA for UNFPA's reported program spending.

In addition, CharityWatch excludes from USA for UNFPA's reported contributions any grants it receives from UNPF prior to computing its fundraising efficiency ratio, on the basis that USA for UNFPA presumably does not expend more than a negligible amount of fundraising dollars to bring in grants from UNPF. This adjustment allows us to arrive at a fundraising ratio that better reflects how efficiently USA for UNFPA is raising funds from independent sources.

CharityWatch contacted USA for UNFPA via U.S. mail and the online contact form of the charity's website on February 19, 2025, asking for information about any funds it granted to, or received from, UNPF in fiscal 2023, and for clarification regarding the recipient of a $1,146,909 grant (IRS Form 990, Schedule I, Grants and Other Assistance to Organizations, Governments, and Individuals in the United States). The charity's IRS Form 990 reflects that the grant recipient was itself, "USA for UNFPA" and was made for "general support." Since a charity cannot grant funds to itself, it is not possible for CharityWatch to compute a meaningful program expense efficiency ratio for USA for UNFPA without clarification about who received this grant. 

As of March 30. 2025, CharityWatch has not received a response. Should USA for UNFPA provide information to CharityWatch in the future that allows us to complete a meaningful evaluation of its fiscal 2023 financial activities, we may update the rating at that time.

For more information on adjustments CharityWatch makes to charities' financial reporting during our evaluation process, please visit CharityWatch's Our Process page.

According to the USA for UNFPA consolidated audit of December 31, 2023 (Note 6, Significant Contributions):

"During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, approximately 20% and 23%, respectively, of the Organization's revenue (excluding in-kind services) was derived from contributions received from one donor."

USA for UNFPA reports providing "bonus & incentive compensation" of $22,500 to Anupama Surendran, CEO, with total reported compensation of $245,319 during 2023 (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Compensation, Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highly Compensated Employees).


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