Mission: Oxfam is a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. We offer lifesaving support in times of crisis and advocate for economic justice, gender equality, and climate action. We demand equal rights and equal treatment so that everyone can thrive, not just survive.
Inequality is the most pressing issue of our time. And for 80 years, people like you have fueled our mission to end poverty and injustice. From the highlands of Central America and the corn fields of Uganda to the shores of the southern Gulf Coast in the US, Oxfam and our supporters are fighting to guarantee a life of dignity for every person in crisis and to challenge billionaires, corporations, governments, and international financial institutions to do better.
The story of our future starts with you. Join Oxfam today and let's build a more equal future-together.
Oxfam America is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1988, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Contact Information
226 Causeway Street
5th Floor
Boston MA 02114
Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for Oxfam America is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
You are viewing this organization's new Charity Navigator profile page. To view the legacy version, click here.
Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Good
This charity's score is 82.27, earning it a 3-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 75.12 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 97.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019. More recent filing data is available, but it has not been factored into this score, due to COVID-19's effect on this organization.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Rating update postponed due to COVID-19's impact on this organization. View Oxfam America's response.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
76.3%
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expenses
7.4%
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expenses
16.1%
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
21.5%
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.16
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio
0.77 years
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth
1.61%
We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
| |
| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
| |
| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) | Partial |
Transparency
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
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Total Revenue and Expenses
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Maxman Abby, President
$336,897 (0.39% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Business Master File Data
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Supplying money, goods or services to the poor (BMF activity code: 560)
Emergency or disaster aid fund (BMF activity code: 902)
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Oxfam America reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
Balance Sheet
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Oxfam America achieved a total of $107,251,906 in contributions and grants in 2020. This represents 47% more than in 2019. However, this significant variance is not exclusively linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Beside extraordinary grants of institutional donors, we received a bequest of close to $10 million. Due to the COVID-19 related relevancy of Oxfam’s operations and messaging, Oxfam was benefitting from the generosity of our donors, both for unrestricted and restricted contributions. Not only did more donors give to Oxfam in 2020, but major donors and mid-level donors increased their average contribution substantially. Early in the pandemic, Oxfam made grants to strategic partnership countries to support flexibility within the COVID-19 context. COVID-19 reduced the pace of spending and some granting, including on time-bound foundation grants. Measures were taken to reduce spend on non-programmatic expenses ($2.7 million in discretionary resources cuts in April–June 2020).
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
With our pivot to an adjusted strategy in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, our response integrates humanitarian response, economic inequality, gender justice and, where appropriate, climate justice, with a focus on marginalized women. We’ve been responding by providing immediate humanitarian assistance, advocating for a fair recovery through our work to make sure everyone has free and fair access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, and calling on our leaders to tackle the systemic inequalities worsened by the pandemic. In 2020, Oxfam America and our affiliates reached more than 14 million people around the world—54 percent of them women, in more than 60 countries. - More than 9.5 million people were provided with water, sanitation, and hygiene support. - Over 1.6 million people were provided with food security and livelihood support. - Over 1 million people were supported with cash for basic needs.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
We prioritized and supported staff safety and wellness during peak pandemic periods in the U.S. We closed our offices with the exception of a few essential staff and shifted to fully remote work. And we implemented a ‘no travel’ policy and no in-person convening policy. We focused on virtual technology, ensuring staff have the equipment to work and collaborate globally from home. We offered flexible work and paid time-off to support caregiving and childcare duties of staff, and supported staff who needed to move temporarily. We instituted “quiet weeks” and ‘no meeting’ Fridays to make time for focused work and facilitate time off. We pivoted from in-person program/advocacy initiatives and events to virtual tactics. We found success experimenting with virtual convening to gather partner organizations for learning and advocacy events. We kept donors and activists engaged during the pandemic, including virtual webinars on COVID-19 advocacy and programmatic work.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We have developed new methods for engaging our partners and supporters virtually that we plan to continue in the long term, as they have helped us improve on our outcomes while reducing the monetary and environmental cost of in-person convenings. For example, we organized two virtual workshops for local humanitarian leaders from around the world—one a learning event and the second a focus group with USAID staff to inform their perspectives on supporting local actors in humanitarian emergencies. The virtual format increased participation, learning, and collaboration across geographical boundaries, and enabled USAID staff to hear critical perspectives. We also plan to continue our virtual donor engagement efforts—we have experimented with formats such as informal virtual “coffee breaks,” webinars, and film screenings, and have significantly increased the number and geographical diversity of people able to participate in these gatherings to connect with the work they are making possible.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 2/1/2020 | 2019 | 82.27 | |
| 2/1/2019 | 2018 | 83.65 | |
| 12/22/2017 | 2017 | 85.03 | |
| 5/1/2017 | 2016 | 88.32 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2015 | 86.17 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 12/1/2015 | 2015 | 82.40 | |
| 12/22/2014 | 2014 | 86.99 | |
| 3/1/2014 | 2013 | 90.29 |  |
| 10/1/2012 | 2011 | 90.31 | |
| 9/1/2012 | 2011 | 88.19 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 7/1/2012 | 2011 | 81.79 | |
| 4/1/2012 | 2010 | 94.58 | |
| 10/1/2011 | 2010 | 92.97 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2009 | 85.78 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 10/1/2010 | 2009 | 81.07 | |
| 10/1/2009 | 2008 | 93.01 | |
| 3/1/2009 | 2007 | 93.02 | |
| 8/1/2007 | 2006 | 90.40 | |
| 12/15/2006 | 2005 | 93.36 | |
| 2/1/2006 | 2004 | 82.15 | |
| 11/1/2004 | 2003 | 84.14 | |
| 11/1/2003 | 2002 | 86.05 | |
| 10/15/2002 | 2001 | 87.82 | |
| 4/15/2002 | 2000 | 87.81 | |
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
Oxfam America cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Do you work at Oxfam America? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
Oxfam America reported its three largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
$24,034,763
Spent in most recent FY
35%
Percent of program expenses
Saving Lives
$19,013,965
Spent in most recent FY
28%
Percent of program expenses
Campaigning for Social Justice
$18,904,617
Spent in most recent FY
28%
Percent of program expenses
Programs to Overcome Poverty and Injustice
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by Oxfam America is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
Oxfam is a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. We offer lifesaving support in times of crisis and advocate for economic justice, gender equality, and climate action. We demand equal rights and equal treatment so that everyone can thrive, not just survive. Inequality is the most pressing issue of our time. And for 80 years, people like you have fueled our mission to end poverty and injustice. From the highlands of Central America and the corn fields of Uganda to the shores of the southern Gulf Coast in the US, Oxfam and our supporters are fighting to guarantee a life of dignity for every person in crisis and to challenge billionaires, corporations, governments, and international financial institutions to do better. The story of our future starts with you. Join Oxfam today and let’s build a more equal future—together.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
We acknowledge that Oxfam’s mission to fight inequality to end poverty and injustice is not going to happen overnight. Changing and rebuilding broken systems takes time, and people are experiencing crises and need help right now. We approach our mission in two ways: 1: Right now, we offer lifesaving support to help people survive crises, as we are doing amidst the conflict in Yemen and other humanitarian crises. And 2: In the long term, we tackle the root causes of poverty, such as the unequal access to COVID-19 vaccines and how it poses a major threat to poor countries fighting to end the pandemic. We believe the future is equal. We want equal treatment free from discrimination, equal rights under the law, and equal opportunities to build a life and thrive. For everyone.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: To fight inequality to end poverty, focusing on systemic change in four areas: economic justice & equal rights, humanitarian response, climate action, and women’s rights and gender justice.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: To revolutionize how we work in open and humble collaboration with our partners, allies and supporters and leveraging the power of the US for good as we seek transformational change.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Three: To become a feminist and anti-racist organization, supported by management systems and funding that enable us and our partners to be effective and adapt in a highly volatile environment.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
Oxfam America has committed to becoming an anti-racist organization. As earliest steps to advance this commitment, we first looked to build shared understanding and initial competencies for leadership at all levels. The executive leadership team completed a series of trainings and workshops on systemic racism, white supremacy and anti-racism lead by the Racial Equity Institute. The leadership team is continuing on-going coaching to deepen our understanding and practices. This was complemented by broader offerings to support diversity, equity, and inclusion competencies of all staff. We also formed a Racial Equity Advisory Committee, with leaders from all parts and levels of the organization, to deepen their skills and to help set our change agenda.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Engaging with external partners and audiences to advance Oxfam's mission is at the core of all of our work. Senior leadership regularly provides thought leadership in a range of fora, from high-level UN panels to business roundtables to virtual townhalls with Member of Congress. Leadership also plays an active role in building and strengthening partnerships with other NGOs, businesses, elected officials, universities, and community organizers. They do this through 1:1 cultivation with crucial partners and allies, participation in key coalition spaces (both within the INGO sector and across sectors), and amplification of both Oxfam and partner organization’s messaging on social media. For example, our President/CEO is, among other things, a principal participant in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and Vice Chair of the Board for InterAction, an organization all our leadership is actively engaged in.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Our 2030 strategic framework was approved in March 2020 just as the COVID-19 pandemic was hitting the US. With compass, we were able to pivot to respond to the rapid onset of COVID-19 and its global and US economic, social and political impact, as well as racial injustice uprisings and US political volatility through the 2020 elections. While all demanded rapid shifts, the marginalization and inequality that our strategy targeted only heightened in importance. Times of crisis are also when great leaps forward in social and economic justice are possible. Our strategy anticipated a highly volatile future; we had spent time on imagining different possible future scenarios – this helped us respond quickly. We rapidly accelerated aspects of our initial strategic horizons: Open and collaborative partnerships with US partners, allies, country teams, and supporters, and Rapid experimentation with digital engagement and virtual collaboration. We executed a COVID-19 strategy focused on two goals. 1) Support the rights of marginalized people to an effective and equitable COVID-19 response. 2) Support a fair economic response and recovery that meets immediate critical needs and addresses underlying drivers of inequality. Building from a longer-term effort to ground our work in intersectional feminist principles, we accelerated with a commitment to become an anti-racist organization. Our early focus was on identifying, learning from and amplifying racial justice allies and launching a racial equity journey that complements planned DEI initiatives. We responded with allies to increasingly existential threats to our mission –whether erosion of US democratic institutions or closing civic space globally. We complement specific advocacy work, like on the rights of refugees, with calls for voting rights and protection of human rights defenders. We have made permanent shifts to how we work, using virtual technology to collaborate globally in new ways.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Abby Maxman
President
Smita Singh
Chair
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
100
out of 100
Oxfam America has earned a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating. The organization provided data about how it listens to constituents (Constituent Feedback) (see report below).
The Culture & Community Beacon is comprised of the following metrics:
Constituent Feedback: 100/100 (100% of beacon score)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Not Scored
Culture & Community Report
100
of 100 points
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
This organization has not provided information regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
100/100 points
100% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
View this organization's Constituent Feedback Practices
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
