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Washington DC | IRS ruling year: 2013 | EIN: 90-0874591
Organization Mission
Evidence Action reaches millions with the world's most effective health interventions. Our evidence-based solutions provide the greatest impact for communities per d ... (More)
Evidence Action reaches millions with the world's most effective health interventions. Our evidence-based solutions provide the greatest impact for communities per dollar spent. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 99%, 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, weighted as follows: 33% Accountability & Finance, 50% Impact & Results, 8% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. 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.
Charity Navigator's ratings previously did not consider Leadership & Adaptability, Culture & Community, or Impact & Results. The historic rating mainly reflects a version of today’s Accountability and Finance score. More information on our previous rating methodologies can be found on our rating methodology page.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
Score
Most Recent Fiscal Year:
FY 2021
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No CreditMajority Independent Board Members - 85% independent members10 out of 10 points Majority Independent Board Members - 85% independent members10 out of 10 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. We check to see that a majority of board members are identified as independent on their tax form.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Board Size - 6 independent members10 out of 10 points Independent Board Size - 6 independent members10 out of 10 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. For most organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least three independent board members. For large, donor-funded organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least five independent board members
Source: IRS Form 990
Financial Statements - Audit and Oversight Committee20 out of 20 points Financial Statements - Audit and Oversight Committee20 out of 20 points
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 |
| $2 million or higher and 40% or higher donor support | Expected to complete an audit and have an audit oversight committee |
| $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
Material Diversion of Assets - None20 out of 20 points Material Diversion of Assets - None20 out of 20 points
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 — also can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We review the charity's most recent IRS Form 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditWebsite Listed on Tax Form - Listed5 out of 5 points Website Listed on Tax Form - Listed5 out of 5 points
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the IRS 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
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed5 out of 5 points Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed5 out of 5 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the IRS 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
Whistleblower Policy - Listed5 out of 5 points Whistleblower Policy - Listed5 out of 5 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the IRS 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
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed5 out of 5 points Document Retention and Destruction - Listed5 out of 5 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the IRS 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
Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes5 out of 5 points Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes5 out of 5 points
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the IRS 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
Tax Form Distributed to Board Before Filing - Listed5 out of 5 points Tax Form Distributed to Board Before Filing - Listed5 out of 5 points
Providing copies of the IRS Form 990 to the governing body prior to filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice.
Loans to/from Officers - Missing5 out of 5 points Loans to/from Officers - Missing5 out of 5 points
Making loans to related parties, such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it diverts the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems.
The IRS requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers.
Although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it indicates that the organization is not financially secure. Our analysts check to see if any loans have been made.
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditTax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website - Listed5 out of 5 points Tax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website - Listed5 out of 5 points
For almost all charities, we check the charity's IRS Form 990 to see if it discloses that the Form 990 is available on the charity's website. As with the audited financial statement, donors need easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditLiabilities to Assets: Ratio - 2.89%25 out of 25 points Liabilities to Assets: Ratio - 2.89%25 out of 25 points
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent IRS Form 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization's solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense: Ratio - 80.27%25 out of 25 points Program Expense: Ratio - 80.27%25 out of 25 points
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three IRS Forms 990). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency: Ratio - $0.0325 out of 25 points Fundraising Efficiency: Ratio - $0.0325 out of 25 points
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 - 3.50 years25 out of 25 points Working Capital: Ratio - 3.50 years25 out of 25 points
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 IRS Form 990. 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
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
Kanika Bahl, Ceo
$322,982
John De Wet, Chief Fin. & Admin. Off/sec/treas.
$185,686
Ryan Noll, Chief People Officer
$161,559
Jeffrey Grosz, Sr. Dir., Accelerator
$158,269
Grace Hollister, Chief Engagement Officer
$155,544
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2021
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
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 (Evidence Action Inc) or EIN (900874591) in the 'Search Term' field.
Score
This beacon estimates the actual impact a charity has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
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Program
Dispensers for Safe Water
Activities
Evidence Action distributes water purification systems to beneficiaries.
Program Type
Water Purification
Beneficiaries Served
People living in poverty
Program Geography
Sub-Saharan Africa
Time Period of Data
1/1/18 to 12/31/18
Outcomes: Changes in the lives of those served by a nonprofit. They can be caused by the nonprofit.
Costs: The money spent by a nonprofit and its partners and beneficiaries.
Impact: Outcome caused by a nonprofit relative to its cost.
Cost-effectiveness: A judgment as to whether the cost was a good use of resources to cause the outcome.
Outcome Metric
A year of clean water provided to a person.
Outcome Data Source
Ratings are based on data the nonprofit itself collects on its work. We use the most recent year with sufficient data. Typically, this data allows us to calculate direct changes in participants' lives, such as increased income.
Output data collected during the program. Evidence Action publicly reports data on how many purifiers it distributes and how many people a purifier serves, which we use to calculate how many person-years of clean water a nonprofit provides.
Method for Attributing Outcomes
We don't know if the observed changes were caused by the nonprofit's program or something else happening at the same time (e.g., a participant got a raise). To determine causation, we take the outcomes we observe and subtract an estimate of the outcomes that would have happened even without the program (i.e., counterfactual outcomes).
We estimate the number of person-years of clean water the nonprofit provides by comparing the person-years actually achieved to the person-years that would have been achieved even in the absence of the nonprofit (the “counterfactual”). Some beneficiaries might have accessed clean water from other providers or on their own, these counterfactual successes must be netted out of the successes we observe. Otherwise, we would be attributing a change in a person’s life (gaining clean water) to the nonprofit when it would have happened anyway. Few nonprofits estimate the counterfactual themselves, so we construct our own counterfactual estimate based on research and publicly available data. We research the average rate with which clean water access is increasing year over year in that location, and assume that, if the nonprofit had not intervened, that trend would have continued.
Cost Data Source
After estimating the program's outcomes, we need to determine how much it cost to achieve those outcomes. All monetary costs are counted, whether they are borne by a nonprofit service deliverer or by the nonprofit’s public and private partners.
We collect cost information for this program from publicly available reports and from form 990 data from the IRS.
Cost Calculation
This impact rating was produced under a previous methodology that is no longer used to produce new ratings, and we are therefore unable to produce dollar-specific cost calculations.
We calculate impact, defined as the change in outcomes attributable to a program divided by the cost to achieve those outcomes.
Impact Calculation
This impact rating was produced under a previous methodology that is no longer used to produce new ratings, and we are therefore unable to produce dollar-specific calculations.
Benchmark for Rating
Impact & Results scores of water purification programs are based on the cost to provide clean water relative to the market cost that a person incurs to buy water in that country. Programs receive an Impact & Results score of 100 if they provide water for less than 75% of the estimated market costs, and a score of 80 if they do so for less than 125%. If a nonprofit reports impact but doesn't meet the benchmark for cost-effectiveness, it earns a score of 65.
Determination
Highly cost-effective
Score
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
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Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditConstituent Feedback - Data Available100/100 points Constituent Feedback - Data Available100/100 points
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. The methodology leveraged for Constituent Feedback is based on The Core Principles of Constituent Feedback, which describes listening and responding well to feedback. Charity Navigator participates in a consortium with other feedback experts and leading nonprofit infrastructure platforms to drive Constituent Feedback's advancement, promotion, and data collection.
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get honest feedback from our clients
Equity Practices - Data Available89/100 points Equity Practices - Data Available89/100 points
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 89 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 9 Equity Practices.
This assessment demonstrates the importance of implementing practices that contribute positively to an organization's overall culture, both internally and with respect to community engagement. Furthermore, equity centered frameworks and similar approaches have drawn much attention from donors, experts, and sector leaders who underscore its value to the nonprofit's overall health and capacity for mission success. Currently, the Equity Strategies Checklist assessment consists of practices and policies that promote racial equity in their operations and programs (per the Equity Strategies checklist administered by Candid). As we refine our DEI assessment, Charity Navigator partners with DEI consultants and field experts to broaden and deepen this work.
| Equity Practices (3/7) | |
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. | |
Score
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
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditMission 10/10 points Mission 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Evidence Action reaches millions with the world's most effective health interventions. Our evidence-based solutions provide the greatest impact for communities per dollar spent.
Vision 10/10 points Vision 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Evidence Action is building a world where hundreds of millions of people in the poorest places have
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals 20/20 points Goals 20/20 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Deworm the World: Help governments eliminate intestinal worms as a public health problem among children, and as a result, improving their health, access to education, and livelihoods potential.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Dispensers for Safe Water: Deliver free and reliable safe water access to rural communities, reducing diarrheal disease and improving and saving the lives of children under 5.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Accelerator: Identify evidence-based interventions with high potential for cost-effective impact and scale those that can measurably improve lives through robust delivery models.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Leadership Development 15/15 points Leadership Development 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
Evidence Action invests in leadership development opportunities across levels for its staff. Our US-based staff has access to leadership development courses through an external organization called The Management Center, based in Washington DC, and our HR team is researching other local training programs for our employees in the other countries we operate. All US-based staff are encouraged to take a training course called “Working for Change” which helps people define and “own” their workflows, and those in a managerial position receive an additional course in project management and effective leadership. We hold regular meetings for global and regional management teams that discuss key elements of leadership and contribute to skill building.
Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points
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
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Evidence Action’s work is inherently tied to the work of our partners. All of our programs operate in close coordination with national and sub-national governments, either through our role as a technical assistance partner or through direct implementation. In addition, our programs are built on strong community networks, including teachers who are trained to deliver deworming medication to children at school, and community volunteers who educate communities about the importance of using dispensers to ensure their water is safe to drink. We also regularly engage with research institutions to assess the performance and impact of our programs; work closely with other NGOs to advocate for policy interventions; and collaborate with private institutions to increase the impact of our programs. We are committed to sharing and helping others replicate how we translate research and evidence into at-scale impact, by participating in communities of practice, strategic events, and conferences.
Adaptability Story 30/30 points Adaptability Story 30/30 points
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
During the pandemic, Evidence Action was able to continue program operations and provide additional support to the communities we serve. By leveraging existing resources and relationships, we adapted our program delivery to enable the continuation of high-impact and cost-effective interventions in geographies where such programming is essential for maintaining the health of populations. Our Dispensers for Safe Water program adapted its model to ensure communities had continued access to safe water. In mid-2020, we undertook an emergency response to distribute soap, disinfectant, and hygiene education materials to +67,000 communities with the help of our community-elected volunteers we call promoters. Following initial COVID disruptions, by Oct. 2020 we repaired or replaced +5,000 dispensers and delivered approximately 500,000 liters of chlorine, keeping 27,000 dispensers stocked to provide safe water through Jan. 2021 before returning to normal operations. Our Deworm the World Initiative has worked to support governments in adapting school-based deworming programs in the midst of school closures. In Pakistan, we are working with provincial governments to conduct a new round of deworming treatments beginning July 2021. Following school closures in Kenya, we helped the government restart school-based deworming in early 2021, and successfully prototyped a new method to validate deworming coverage while maintaining social distancing. In Nigeria, we helped the government safely launch a new deworming program in Lagos in May 2021 and are working in other states to restart school-based treatment. In India, we helped the government shift school-based deworming and iron and folic acid supplementation programs to community-based delivery, providing children with continued access to treatment at home. We also used our analytics capabilities to support state governments' COVID-19 response with rapid data analysis, communications materials, and patient and contact tracing.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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