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Top Rated

Alight

CharityWatch rating issued
July 2025

Top-Rated Charity
A
CharityWatch Rating
Our independent rating based
on a number of factors.
 
85%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$6
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Alight
1325 Quincy St NE
Suite A1
Minneapolis, MN 55413-1540

Other Names

American Refugee Committee
American Refugee Committee International
Eastern Congo Initiative
Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM)
Questscope

Tax Status

501(c)3

Website

wearealight.org

Stated Mission

To build a meaningful life for and with the displaced.

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Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 03/31/2023

Program Percentage: 85%

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

$77,000,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $6

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

$57,000,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

25% to 49%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Alight IRS Form 990 36-3241033
Alight Consolidated Audited Financial Statements Multiple
Entity: Alight
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 36-3241033
Entity: Alight
Document Type: Consolidated Audited Financial Statements
Tax ID: Multiple

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?
 
Alight
meets governance benchmarks.
 
Alight
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 Jocelyn Watt President $368,242
2 Sarah Hartman CO / Experience Officer $313,656
3 Bernad Ochieng Ojwang Country Director $292,173
1
Name: Jocelyn Watt
Title: President
Compensation: $368,242
2
Name: Sarah Hartman
Title: CO / Experience Officer
Compensation: $313,656
3
Name: Bernad Ochieng Ojwang
Title: Country Director
Compensation: $292,173

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 Alight also includes the financial activities of its related entities, which are consolidated in the Alight audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. The related entities include: Kuja Kuja, Inc., Questscope, LTD. (U.S.) and Questscope (UK); Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM); Eastern Congo Initiative and Affiliate (ECI); and Upwardly Global. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the audit consolidation.


According to the Alight consolidated audit of March 31, 2023 (Note 1 re: Organization):

"The [audited] consolidated financial statements include the operations of Alight, one for-profit organizations [sic], and several non-profit organizations (collectively, related entities) in which Alight's Board of Directors maintain control through governance arrangements with each organization. The agreements with the related entities allow each of the organizations to retain their unique identities, values and leadership, while leveraging each entities [sic] strengths and unique qualities...

Kuja Kuja, Inc. is a for-profit majority owned organization incorporated as a Delaware C-corporation to operate as a for-profit social enterprise. As of March 31, 2023 and 2022, Alight held 583,700 shares of Kuja Kuja's Common Stock representing 82.739% equity and voting ownership. Two individuals and two organizations own the remaining 17.261% equity and voting ownership, which represents the noncontrolling interest in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Questscope, LTD. is a non-profit organization with registration in the United States. Questscope, LTD. is a supporting organization for Questscope. Questscope is a UK registered charity under the United Kingdom Articles of Charitable Companies. Questscope is also legally registered to conduct business in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (Jordan). Both Questscope, LTD. and Questscope receive grants and contributions to manage educational and refugee programs in Jordan and Syria.

ORAM – Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM), is a non-profit organization incorporated in 2008 in the state of California and registered in Germany. ORAM advocates for the protection and well-being of extremely vulnerable LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees globally and is recognized as the first international non-profit to assist people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and has since become a thought leader in LGBTIQ migration.

ECI – Eastern Congo Initiative and Affiliate (ECI) is a public charity incorporated in 2011 in the state of Washington and registered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). ECI is the first U.S. based advocacy and grant making initiative wholly focused on working with and for the people of the DRC.

...Asili is a social enterprise organization in the DRC that supports water, medical care, and agricultural services to local communities. ECI's mission is to increase the quality and quantity of investments into DRC through Congolese led solutions, collaborative partnerships, and by promoting public policy changes through grassroots advocacy..."


According to the Alight consolidated audit of March 31, 2023 (Note 5, Contributed Services):

Alight received contributed services during the fiscal year-ended March 31, 2023, on which it placed a total value of $8,118,265.

[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 Alight consolidated audit of March 31, 2023 (Note 12, Contingencies, Foreign operations):

"Alight and related entities provide capital assistance, technical assistance and training in numerous developing countries through its field offices in each of those countries. The future results of those programs could be adversely affected by a number of potential factors, such as currency devaluations or changes in the political climate.

As of March 31, 2023 and 2022, Alight and related entities had cash, property, furniture, equipment and software and prepaid expenses in various countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia, totaling approximately $20,256,000 and $8,800,000, which represented approximately 38% and 18%, respectively, of Alight and related entities' total assets."


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