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United States Association for UNHCR

CharityWatch rating issued
March 2025

 
NOT
RATABLE
CharityWatch Rating
 

Contact Information

United States Association for UNHCR
1310 L Street, NW
Suite 450
Washington, DC 20005

Other Names

None

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

Protects refugees and empowers them with hope and opportunity.

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Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2023

*Why Not Ratable?

CharityWatch is unable to rate this organization due to how it is structured. This does not imply a negative or positive evaluation.

Some charities engage in significant financial transactions with a related organization outside of the U.S. for which sufficient audited financial information is either not available, is not presented in combined form, and/or is not based on U.S. reporting standards. CharityWatch's methodology is not designed to measure how efficiently one entity of a charity grants funds to its affiliates, partners, or related organization(s) outside of the U.S. In many of these cases, the charity is essentially functioning as a U.S. based fundraising arm. Therefore, when applicable, CharityWatch has calculated a Cost to Raise $100 fundraising ratio for such charities.

Please see the Analysts' Notes section for a more detailed explanation and for this organization's Cost to Raise $100, if applicable.


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.
United States Association for UNHCR
meets governance benchmarks.
 
United States Association for UNHCR
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 Anne-Marie Grey Past Executive Director / CEO $566,315
2 Suzanne Ehlers Executive Director / CEO $458,009
3 Brian Davis Chief Financial Officer $378,235
1
Name: Anne-Marie Grey
Title: Past Executive Director / CEO
Compensation: $566,315
2
Name: Suzanne Ehlers
Title: Executive Director / CEO
Compensation: $458,009
3
Name: Brian Davis
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Compensation: $378,235

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 unable to provide a complete rating of the United States Association for UNHCR (the Association) due to how the organization is structured. The Association raises funds from the public then later makes grants to a separate agency, the UNHCR. The UNHCR then uses the grants it receives from the Association, along with revenues from other sources, to carry out its humanitarian efforts.

The UNHCR is not a charity, but rather a multi-lateral government agency made up of government members from many countries around the world. CharityWatch's methodology is designed to evaluate charitable organizations, not governmental agencies, and therefore cannot be applied in a meaningful or consistent way to judge the efficiency with which the UNHCR spends funds in support of its humanitarian efforts.

United States Association for UNHCR spends a comparatively small amount of its cash on programs (approximately $4.4 million in 2023) once program spending that consists of cash grants to UNHCR (over $37 million in 2023) are excluded. In short, the Association constructively functions as the U.S.-based fundraising arm for the UNHCR. In 2023, the Association transferred to UNHCR approximately $37.4 million of the approximately $68.9 million in cash funds it raised.

For this reason, CharityWatch is able to provide a Cost to Raise $100 fundraising ratio for The Association:

For the year-ended 12/31/2023, the United States Association for UNHCR spent approximately $23.3 million on fundraising to raise approximately $68.9 million in cash contributions. This equates to spending about $34 to raise each $100 in cash donations.

CharityWatch, however, is unable to provide a Program % for the United States Association for UNHCR, as we do not believe it is fair to publish this ratio alongside those of other charities that conduct their own programs and/or primarily make grants to other, independent charities.

CharityWatch's inability to provide a complete rating of the United States Association for UNHCR is strictly due to how the organization is structured. The Association posts its audited financial statements on its website at www.unrefugees.org for those donors who are interested in reviewing additional information about its financial activities.

According to the United States Association for UNHCR (the Association) audit of December 31, 2023 (Note 10, Contributed Nonfinancial Assets):

The Association received contributed nonfinancial assets during the fiscal year-ended December 31, 2023, on which it placed a total value of $69,608,023. 

[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 United States Association for UNHCR (the Association) tax filing for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Association 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):

"Anne-Marie Grey received severance payments of $303,363."

[Anne-Marie Grey, past Executive Director & CEO, had total reported compensation of $566,315 during 2023 (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part II)].


The Association reports providing "bonus & incentive compensation" during 2023 to seven individuals. Suzanne Ehlers, Executive Director & CEO, received $40,796 of bonus & incentive compensation, with total reported compensation of $458,009. The remaining six individuals received $12,541 to $17,155 with total compensation ranging from $250,863 to $566,315. 


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