CharityWatch reduces the grade of any charity that has available assets equal to three to five years of operating expenses. Charities with "years of available assets" of more than five years receive an "F" grade regardless of other measurements. In CharityWatch's view, a reserve of less than three years is reasonable and does not affect a charity's grade. These reductions in grades are based solely on the charities' asset reserves as compared to budget. The CharityWatch definition of "years of available assets" includes funds currently available for the charity's use, including investments that the charity has set aside as a reserve but could choose to spend if it wanted to do so. Southern Poverty Law Center's letter grade rating has been downgraded because it has 3 or more years of available assets.
See Our Process to learn more about how CharityWatch considers a charity’s asset reserves and the High Asset List for a list of charities whose ratings have been reduced due to high assets.
Southern Poverty Law Center's rating was adjusted for Joint Costs. If you are a donor who considers direct mail, telemarketing, and other Joint Cost solicitations to be true charitable programs, the below efficiency ratios, which were not adjusted for joint costs, may better reflect your goals.
| Program % | Cost to Raise $100 |
|---|---|
| 74% | $14 |
| Entity | Document Type | Tax ID |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Poverty Law Center | IRS Form 990 | 63-0598743 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center | Audited Consolidated Financial Statements | multiple |
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Entity: Southern Poverty Law Center Document Type: IRS Form 990 Tax ID: 63-0598743 |
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Entity: Southern Poverty Law Center Document Type: Audited Consolidated Financial Statements Tax ID: multiple |
| Name | Title | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Margaret Huang | President/CEO | $364,719 |
| 2 | Kathryn Kendell | Co-Interim Legal Director | $290,591 |
| 3 | Kim Anderson | Co-Interim Legal Director | $289,137 |
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1 Name: Margaret Huang Title: President/CEO Compensation: $364,719 |
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2 Name: Kathryn Kendell Title: Co-Interim Legal Director Compensation: $290,591 |
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3 Name: Kim Anderson Title: Co-Interim Legal Director Compensation: $289,137 |
CharityWatch's rating of Southern Poverty Law Center is for the 501(c)(3) public charity entity (tax ID #63-0598743). The rating does not include the financial activities of the related 501(c)(4) tax-exempt, social welfare organization, SPLC Action Fund (tax ID #83-1085161). According to the Southern Poverty Law Center tax filing for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2021, the Center made a "Gift, grant, or capital contribution" in the amount of $3,000,000 to SPLC Action Fund in fiscal 2021 (IRS Form 990, Schedule R, Part V). SPLC Action Fund's contributions from unrelated sources in fiscal 2021 totaled $942,196, according to its fiscal 2021 tax filing. Given its relatively small size, CharityWatch does not provide a separate rating for SPLC Action Fund at this time.
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According to the Southern Poverty Law Center consolidated audit of October 31, 2021 (Note 2 re: Investment valuation): "...Investments in marketable securities traded on a national securities exchange and investments in United States government securities are stated at fair value based on the last reported sales price on the valuation date... "Investment securities are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, market, liquidity, valuation, and credit. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities and the level of uncertainty related to changes in the value of investment securities, it is at least reasonably possible that changes in risks in the near term would materially affect the amounts reported in the [audited] consolidated statement of financial position and the [audited] consolidated statement of activities." |