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Top Rated

Human Rights First

CharityWatch rating issued
March 2022

Top-Rated Charity
A
CharityWatch Rating
Our independent rating based
on a number of factors.
 
83%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$7
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Human Rights First
75 Broad Street
Floor 31
New York, NY 10004

Other Names

None

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

To empower Americans to work for justice in our own communities and around the world.

View similar charities
Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2020

Program Percentage: 83%

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

$10,000,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $7

How many dollars Human Rights First spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$12,000,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Human Rights First IRS Form 990 13-3116646
Human Rights First Audited Financial Statements 13-3116646
Entity: Human Rights First
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 13-3116646
Entity: Human Rights First
Document Type: Audited Financial Statements
Tax ID: 13-3116646

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?
 
Human Rights First
meets governance benchmarks.
 
Human Rights First
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 No Sharing  

  Name Title Compensation
1 Michael Breen President/CEO $309,784
2 Welton Chang Chief Technology Officer $229,724
3 Robert Berschinski Senior VP, Policy $183,490
1
Name: Michael Breen
Title: President/CEO
Compensation: $309,784
2
Name: Welton Chang
Title: Chief Technology Officer
Compensation: $229,724
3
Name: Robert Berschinski
Title: Senior VP, Policy
Compensation: $183,490

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.

According to the Human Rights First (HRF) audit of December 31, 2020 (Note 10, Contributed Services), HRF reports receiving in-kind "contributed program service revenue and legal and related expenses" in 2020 on which it placed a total value of $49,761,138.

[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 Human Rights First audit of December 31, 2020 (Note 7, Paycheck Protection Program Loan):

"During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Organization obtained a loan from the SBA [Small Business Administration] in the amount of $1,080,785 through the Paycheck Protection Program. Terms of the loan indicate that if certain conditions are met, which include maintaining average work forces during periods subsequent to receipt of the loan funds that are greater than pre-determined historical periods, that the loan, or a potion thereof, will be forgiven. Portions that are not forgiven will be payable over a two-year period, with a ten-month deferral of payments and interest will accrue at 1%.

"The Organization has opted to treat the Paycheck Protection Program proceeds as a loan payable... Under this treatment, the proceeds from the loan will remain as a liability until either the loan is forgiven by the SBA or the Organization pays it off."

According to the Human Rights First audit of December 31, 2020 (Note 15, Other Matters):

"On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' and on March 10, 2020, declared it to be a pandemic. Actions taken around the world to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus include restrictions on travel, quarantines in certain areas, and forced closures for certain types of public places and businesses. The coronavirus and actions taken to mitigate it have had and are expected to continue to have an adverse impact on the economies and financial markets of many countries, including the geographical area in which the Organization operates. It is unknown how long these conditions will last and what the complete financial effect will be. Management continues to monitor the outbreak, however, as of the date of these [audited] financial statements [April 29, 2021], the potential impact cannot be quantified."