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The Life You Can Save
The Life You Can Save reported $10.9 million in revenue and $11.4 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $88.81 went to program services, $4.51 to management and general costs and $6.68 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 98.6% of the total. Revenue rose 218% between 2020 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $11MFor context, the median across 1,001 covered philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking charities: $91.65 programs, $6.50 management, $1.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $11MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 88.8% | 90.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 4.5% | 6.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 6.7% | 1.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.02 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 98.6% | 79.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | Not reported | $325,675 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | Not reported | 1.56% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 1.6 | 56.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 3 of 3 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseRASING FUNDS FOR EFFECTIVE CHARITIES: In 2024, we directly processed US $9.9M for our recommended charities as agency funds. In addition to donations directly processed by our organization, we inspired donors to give large amounts either directly to our recommended charities themselves or through other mission aligned organization. Globally we estimate that we either directly raised or inspired US $20.3M in donations to effective charities (Our "Total Money Moved" Metric)
5 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2024 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b3 · 3 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aNo
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 54
- Volunteers Part I, line 67
Private foundation grants it received
16 private foundations reported grants to The Life You Can Save totaling $325K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from The Life You Can Save's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Life You Can Save, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Life You Can Save spent in 2024, $88.81 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Mosdos Hatorah Vhachesed of Pnei MenachemBrooklyn, NY · revenue $11M · programs 83.8% · FY2025
- Hospice Foundation of WnyCheektowaga, NY · revenue $11M · programs 67.7% · 2024
- The Jewish Federation of Greater New HavenWoodbridge, CT · revenue $11M · programs 72.9% · FY2024
- All Within My HandsSan Rafael, CA · revenue $11M · programs 98.7% · 2024
- Community Foundation of Howard CountyKokomo, IN · revenue $11M · programs 87.2% · 2024
All philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of The Life You Can Save's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, The Life You Can Save reported that 88.8% of its $11.4 million in expenses went to program services, 4.5% to management and general and 6.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
Where does The Life You Can Save get its money?
Of $10.9 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 98.6% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Life You Can Save a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 46-2100400 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202503099349303160 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202442909349300119 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202313159349300616 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202213199349304501 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202103189349300265 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 46-2100400: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.