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Thousand Currents
Thousand Currents reported $20.0 million in revenue and $54.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $93.28 went to program services, $3.56 to management and general costs and $3.16 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 95.5% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $294,058 (PRESIDENT & CEO). 11 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 77% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $55MFor context, the median across 469 covered international, foreign affairs & national security charities: $89.04 programs, $8.28 management, $2.68 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $20MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 93.3% | 86.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 3.6% | 8.0% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.2% | 2.6% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.09 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 95.5% | 96.6% |
| 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 | $294,058 | $341,362 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.54% | 1.06% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 11 | 10 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 6.0 | 7.5 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 8 of 8 | 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
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseGrants and grantee services: in addition to providing financial resources to partners in africa, asia, and latin america, Thousand Currents organizes local and transnational learning exchanges and facilitates strategic networks and alliances. Through the climate leaders in movement action fund (clima), Thousand Currents works in collaboration with peers to increase resources to our grassroots partners
Philanthropic organizing and outreach: Thousand Currents works to educate, train and support philanthropists to engage in meaningful and transformative giving through programs such as the Thousand Currents academy which are housed under Thousand Currents' center for transforming philanthropy. The center for transforming philanthropy is a comprehensive, timely, and field-building approach to shifting practices in the philanthropy
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT & CEO Officer, 38.00 hrs/week | $267,780 | $0 | $26,278 | $294,058 |
| (FORMER) DIR OF LEARNING INIT Former, 38.00 hrs/week | $250,930 | $0 | $3,011 | $253,941 |
| VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL OPERATIONS Key employee, 38.00 hrs/week | $187,938 | $0 | $50,147 | $238,085 |
| VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL PROGRAMS Key employee, 38.00 hrs/week | $187,938 | $0 | $37,539 | $225,477 |
| VP, CTR FOR TRANSFORM PHILANTHROPY Key employee, 38.00 hrs/week | $187,597 | $0 | $27,617 | $215,214 |
| VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE Officer, 38.00 hrs/week | $180,121 | $0 | $34,818 | $214,939 |
| DONOR ORGANIZING DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 38.00 hrs/week | $129,821 | $0 | $29,376 | $159,197 |
| DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Highest compensated employee, 38.00 hrs/week | $141,389 | $0 | $15,515 | $156,904 |
11 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Thousand Currents (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.3M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · 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–1b8 · 8 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 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- 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 4Yes
- 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 531
- Volunteers Part I, line 68
Private foundation grants it received
35 private foundations reported grants to Thousand Currents totaling $14M 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 Thousand Currents's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Thousand Currents, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Thousand Currents spent in FY2025, $93.28 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All international, foreign affairs & national security charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of Thousand Currents's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Thousand Currents reported that 93.3% of its $54.5 million in expenses went to program services, 3.6% to management and general and 3.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Thousand Currents pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Thousand Currents reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $294,058, for the role of PRESIDENT & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Thousand Currents get its money?
Of $20.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 95.5% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Thousand Currents a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 77-0071852 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 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202621359349311027 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501359349307800 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431359349309148 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202332199349301308 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202231369349310088 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202100719349300715 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 77-0071852: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.