Charity Impact Media

Home › Community improvement & capacity building

Race Forward

Washington, DC · EIN 94-2759879 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for calendar year 2024 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Race Forward reported $20.5 million in revenue and $25.5 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $81.93 went to program services, $14.55 to management and general costs and $3.52 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 77.8% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $326,762 (PRESIDENT). 49 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 86% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.

Where $100 of spending went

Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $25M

For context, the median across 479 covered community improvement & capacity building charities: $90.45 programs, $9.31 management, $0.24 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 $21M

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

2024 filing. Median across 479 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure2024Median
Program services
Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)
81.9%89.1%
Management & general
Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)
14.5%9.2%
Fundraising
Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)
3.5%0.2%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions
Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h
$0.06$0.00
Contributions & grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1h ÷ 12
77.8%80.1%
Government grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1e ÷ 12
0.0%14.9%
Program service revenue share
Part VIII 2g ÷ 12
17.5%11.9%
Highest reported compensation
Part VII-A, columns D–F
$326,762$291,103
Highest compensation as share of expenses
Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)
1.28%1.49%
People paid over $100,000
Part VII, line 2
495
Net assets, in months of expenses
Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses
13.49.2
Independent voting board members
Part VI 1a–1b
10 of 10100.0%

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 expense
$21M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · grants $494K · revenue $3.6M

For more than 43 years, Race Forward has brought a systemic analysis and an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity. In 2024, we released our new strategic plan. Our vision and mission: -vision: Race Forward imagines a just, multiracial, democratic society in which people of color thrive with purpose and power. -mission: we support communities and public institutions to achieve a just multiracial democratic society through governance that advances racial justice. -theory of change: 1) communities of color win governing power…

Highest reported compensation

2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here
RoleFrom this orgFrom related orgsOtherTotal
PRESIDENT
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$291,194$0$35,568$326,762
VICE PRESIDE
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$220,513$0$26,816$247,329
SVP, PROGRAM
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$204,762$0$35,713$240,475
VP, STRATEGI
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$173,431$0$31,971$205,402
SD, FED. STR
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$175,575$0$20,417$195,992
SENIOR STRAT
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$179,511$0$12,550$192,061
SENIOR FELLO
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$174,681$0$15,395$190,076
COO
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$108,479$0$10,068$118,547

49 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Race Forward (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $842K (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked
RevenueExpenses
$0$10M$20M$30M$40M201920202021202220232024$21M$25M
FilingRevenueExpensesProgramsNet assetsTop pay
2024 ⓘ$21M$25M81.9%$28M$326,762
2023 ⓘ$27M$26M80.8%$33M$317,086
2022 ⓘ$16M$25M80.1%$30M$310,090
2021 ⓘ$35M$16M80.2%$40M$242,920
2020 ⓘ$21M$13M72.8%$21M$221,106
2019 ⓘ$11M$12M75.7%$13M$212,866

Governance 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–1b10 · 10 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 14bNo
  • Employees Part I, line 5112
  • Volunteers Part I, line 670

Largest outside contractors

2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only
SWEETRUSH INC
Human resources
$323,525
CRAFTSMAN TECHNOLOGY GROUP LLC
Technology
$143,580
SPOTLIGHT PR LLC
Media planning
$128,300

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

19 private foundations reported grants to Race Forward totaling $11M 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 Race Forward's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Race Forward, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Similar-sized charities in this cause

All community improvement & capacity building charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia

Questions people ask

How much of Race Forward's spending goes to programs?

In calendar year 2024, Race Forward reported that 81.9% of its $25.5 million in expenses went to program services, 14.5% to management and general and 3.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Race Forward pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Race Forward reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $326,762, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Race Forward get its money?

Of $20.5 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 77.8% came from contributions and grants and 17.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Race Forward a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 94-2759879 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

  • 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202522799349300207 · read the filing · XML
  • 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202443199349318664 · read the filing
  • 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202313189349319376 · read the filing
  • 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202223149349307367 · read the filing
  • 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202113159349308101 · read the filing
  • 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202023199349300232 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 94-2759879: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.