Charity Navigator - Rating for Surge Institute

501(c)(3) organization

Donations are tax-deductible

www.surgeinstitute.org

2045 W GRAND AVE STE B PMB 63441
Chicago IL 60612-1577

Chicago IL | IRS ruling year: 2015 | EIN: 47-1995566

To educate and develop leaders of color who create transformative change for young people, their families, and our broader communities.

Rating Information

Great

This charity's score is 95%, 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: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.

Beacon Weights

Historical Ratings

Important note on the timeliness of ratings

The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Surge Institute is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.

Rating Report

Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability

Impact & ResultsAccountability & FinanceCulture & CommunityLeadership & Adaptability

Accountability & Finance

Surge Institute has earned a 94% 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.

Learn more

Accountability and Transparency

Full Credit

Partial Credit

No Credit

Not Applicable

Board Composition - 3/3 - 25/25 pts

Independent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 pts

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)

Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts

Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 pts

Document Retention and Destruction - Missing - 0/3 pts

Whistleblower Policy - Missing - 0/3 pts

Website - Listed - 3/3 pts

Financial Metrics

Full Credit

Partial Credit

No Credit

Not Applicable

Liabilities to Assets Ratio - 13.55% - 15/15 pts

Liabilities to Assets Ratio	Amount of Credit Received
Less than 50%	Full Credit
50% - 59.9%	Partial Credit
60% or more	No Credit

Program Expense Ratio - 70.05% - 25/25 pts

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

Unscored Information

Total Revenue and Expenses - Data Available

Salary of Key Persons - Data Available

IRS Published Data (Business Master File) - Data Available

Data Sources (IRS Forms 990) - Data Available

Pandemic Response - Data Available

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.

Surge Institute reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:

Program Delivery

How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:

We received a PPP loan and were able to retain our full staff. In 2020, our community had some major giants to tackle. The burden of COVID sat heavily on families. Basic needs that many take for granted—food, shelter, and security were rapidly growing concerns, particularly for those without the income to save ahead of the pandemic. The challenges were real, and Surge Fellows & Alumni all over the country were feeling the impact on themselves and the communities they serve. To help relieve some of the pressure on the families they were serving, in April 2020 we launched the Surge Relief Fund, created to address some of the most pressing needs of the communities that our Surge Fellows and Alums were serving. We raised more than $150,000 in donations and pledges, all of which were used to serve communities in need during this time! We are happy to announce that awards were made to 30 different Alumni & Fellow organizations across the nation.

How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:

Due to the pandemic, we were forced to stop all in-person, face-to-face, monthly Fellowship sessions, and other events. Everything became a virtual meeting via ZOOM.

How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:

All staff members were sequestered at home as of the 3/20/2020 shut-down of the entire state of Illinois and the city of Chicago. Staff members were provided all the equipment needed for them to set up an at-home office. All staff and team meetings were conducted via ZOOM. We never fully returned to the office locations.

Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:

We have become a virtual organization. Our employees are located in six different states at present, with more virtual locations planned for 2022. Our Chicago physical office was closed this past December 2021 and we will be closing our Oakland office in March 2022. As we ease into spring of 2022 we will be offering a combination of virtual and in-person sessions for our Fellowship programs and other events.

Equity Practices (5/7)
	We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
	We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios.
	We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
	We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
	We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
	We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured
	We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.

Equity Policies and Procedures (6/7)
	We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
	We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
	We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
	We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
	We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
	We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
	We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.

The Giving Basket is having some issues. If you wish to donate, please refresh the page. If the problem persists contact us.
Cart ID: Not Assigned

Surge Institute