Innocence Project Inc.
Innocence Project Inc.
40 WORTH ST RM 701
New York NY 10013-2994
New York NY | IRS ruling year: 2007 | EIN: 32-0077563
DEDICATED TO EXONERATING THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED AND REFORMING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
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40 WORTH ST RM 701
New York NY 10013-2994
New York NY | IRS ruling year: 2007 | EIN: 32-0077563
DEDICATED TO EXONERATING THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED AND REFORMING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
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This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 90% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Innocence Project Inc. is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
Innocence Project Inc. has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
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Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
---|---|
$1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
$500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
---|---|
Less than 50% | Full Credit |
50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
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.
Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
---|---|
70% or higher | Full Credit |
60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. 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
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
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:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
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)
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 search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Innocence Project Inc.) or EIN (320077563) in the 'Search Term' field.
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.
Innocence Project Inc. reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
We were lucky to be able to maintain the support of our committed community of donors and had steady revenue to cover our operating expenses, despite COVID-19 impacts.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
The pandemic has had immediate and far-reaching impacts particularly acute for those already persistently trauma exposed — including people incarcerated. The social isolation has challenged support networks for those incarcerated, many of whom have not been able to regularly see — or have lost touch with — their loved ones since the pandemic’s onset in March 2020. Physical isolation has also increased in prisons with restrictions on engagement activities and time outside of the prison cell’s four walls. Moreover, courts were closed and had limited operations with hearings significantly delayed. In response to these significant impacts to resilience, wellbeing, and connection for those wrongfully incarcerated, we have stepped up our holistic service delivery for our clients post-release. We are offering more and varied flexible financial assistance, including mental health supports, as well as creating regular opportunities for clients to build community toward healing with each other.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
The Innocence Project centered the health and wellbeing of our frontline staff who work directly with clients — attorneys, social workers, investigators and more — by adapting to remote work from home strategies. We continue to lean into this effort through a hybrid approach.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
In our policy reform work, we’ve learned that the remote nature of state legislative hearings due to COVID-19 had increased accessibility for our policy team and our community of advocates. We intend to continue to leverage that option in state legislatures still operating remotely during this year’s policy strategies and goals.
Not Currently Scored
Innocence Project Inc. cannot currently be evaluated by our 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.
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Innocence Project Inc. reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
LEGAL SERVICES (INCLUDES LEGAL, INTAKE AND SOCIAL WORK): THE INNOCENCE PROJECT LEVERAGES THE FACT-FINDING SCIENCE OF DNA TESTING TO EXPOSE ERRORS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND TO EXONERATE PEOPLE ... (More)
LEGAL SERVICES (INCLUDES LEGAL, INTAKE AND SOCIAL WORK): THE INNOCENCE PROJECT LEVERAGES THE FACT-FINDING SCIENCE OF DNA TESTING TO EXPOSE ERRORS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND TO EXONERATE PEOPLE IN PRISON OR ON DEATH ROW FOR CRIMES THEY DID NOT COMMIT. TO DETERMINE WHICH CASES WE CAN ACCEPT, OUR STEADFAST INTAKE TEAM REVIEWED 1806 LETTERS IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 FROM INCARCERATED PEOPLE REQUESTING INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR INNOCENCE CLAIMS. THE TEAM THEN CONDUCTS AN IN-DEPTH EVALUATION OF THE CASES TO DETERMINE WHETHER DNA TESTING CAN PROVE INNOCENCE AND PRESENTS THEM TO OUR LEGAL TEAM TO MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION OF WHICH CASES TO ACCEPT. ONCE CASES ARE ACCEPTED, OUR STAFF ATTORNEYS WORK WITH CARDOZO LAW SCHOOL CLINIC STUDENTS TO INVESTIGATE THE CASES, TO FIND BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE AND TO GAIN ACCESS TO POST-CONVICTION TESTING THROUGH AGREEMENTS OR COURT ORDERS. WHEN DNA RESULTS PROVE OUR CLIENTS' INNOCENCE, WE SEEK THEIR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, WE EXONERATED 4 INDIVIDUALS OF CRIMES THEY DID NOT COMMIT AND WORKED TO FREE MANY MORE. TO DATE THE INNOCENCE PROJECT HAS HELPED FREE MORE THAN 220 PEOPLE. FOR EACH EXONERATION CASE, INNOCENCE PROJECT SOCIAL WORKERS HELPED CLIENTS REUNITE WITH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO SECURE HOUSING, DAY-TO-DAY TRANSPORTATION, CRITICAL MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CARE, AND SUPPORT IN FINDING EMPLOYMENT. THE INNOCENCE PROJECT REPRESENTED 170 CLIENTS AND THE SOCIAL WORK TEAM WORKED WITH 19 FORMER CLIENTS DURING THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2020. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
POLICY: THE INNOCENCE PROJECT WORKS WITH CONGRESS, STATE LEGISLATURES AND COURTS, EXECUTIVE AGENCIES, LOCAL LEADERS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PASS LAWS, POLICIES, AND RULES TO REVEAL AND PREVENT WRONGFU ... (More)
POLICY: THE INNOCENCE PROJECT WORKS WITH CONGRESS, STATE LEGISLATURES AND COURTS, EXECUTIVE AGENCIES, LOCAL LEADERS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PASS LAWS, POLICIES, AND RULES TO REVEAL AND PREVENT WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS. OUR POLICY PRIORITIES REFLECT THE LESSONS (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
SCIENCE AND RESEARCH: THE INNOCENCE PROJECT PROVIDES RESOURCES TO ASSIST RESEARCHERS, LAWYERS, JOURNALISTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INTERESTED IN WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS. THESE RESOURCES INCLUDE STATIS ... (More)
SCIENCE AND RESEARCH: THE INNOCENCE PROJECT PROVIDES RESOURCES TO ASSIST RESEARCHERS, LAWYERS, JOURNALISTS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INTERESTED IN WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS. THESE RESOURCES INCLUDE STATISTICS ABOUT EXONERATION CASES, SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVI (Less)
Innocence Project Inc. cannot currently be evaluated by our Culture & Community methodology because we have not received data from the charity regarding its Constituent Feedback or Equity Practices strategies.
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.
Learn More
Innocence Project Inc. has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon 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.
Learn more
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
The Innocence Project's mission is to free the staggering number of innocent people who remain incarcerated, and to bring reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
We envision a criminal legal system beyond wrongful conviction, where all people are afforded the presumption of innocence in a system informed by verified science and grounded in anti-racism.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Restore freedom for the innocent and support their healing and reconnection to community.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Transform unjust criminal legal systems through policy reform and high-impact litigation.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Advance the innocence movement to strengthen our partners and maximize our collective impact.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Each employee at the Innocence Project has $500 available annually for professional development reimbursement. Support extends beyond current job scope and can include any training or other development opportunities the employee is interested in.
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
The Innocence Project is the headquarters of the Innocence Network — a powerful collection of 68 organizations working for the wrongfully convicted. As its headquarters, the IP’s Network Support Unit (NSU) is dedicated to building the capacity and sustainability of Network organizations and leaders, and harnessing the Network's collective power by fostering connection and increasing visibility towards our common mission. Additionally, the Innocence Movement has grown exponentially to include an over 3.3 million strong digital community fighting for justice and freedom alongside the innocent, especially in campaigns for innocent people fighting for their lives on death row and as advocates for local policy reform campaigns. Together we will expand public education; increase our exoneration capacity; and continue to engage, elevate, and center the exoneree community in the movement.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
As we head into our fourth decade, the Innocence Project is embracing its role in transforming the criminal legal system — to root it in equity and accountability, and center it on data and science. Thus, we are proudly launching a new, board-approved, five-year strategic plan that boldly deepens and expands upon our cutting-edge justice work. Grounded in three foundational pillars, we will work to: restore freedom for the innocent and support their healing and reconnection to community; transform unjust systems through policy reform and high-impact litigation; and advance the innocence movement to strengthen our partners and maximize our collective impact. We will also continue to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism in our work within the criminal legal system and our own organization. The strategic plan pillars will drive an expansion of our exoneration efforts beyond DNA, strengthen our scientific and forensic initiatives, and challenge the ways racial bias drives so many wrongful conviction cases.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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