Mission: Direct Relief is a humanitarian organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies.
Nongovernmental, nonsectarian, and not-for-profit, Direct Relief assists people and communities without regard to politics, religion, ethnic identities, or ability to pay.
Direct Relief's assistance programs - which focus on emergency preparedness and disaster response and the prevention and treatment of disease - are tailored to the particular circumstances and needs of the world's most at-risk populations.
Direct Relief honors the generosity of its donors by following a firm policy of full transparency in all of its operations.
This tradition of transparent, direct, and targeted assistance, provided in a manner that respects and involves the people served, has been a hallmark of the organization since its founding in 1948 by refugee war immigrant William Zimdin.
Direct Relief is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1949, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Contact Information
6100 Wallace Becknell Road
Santa Barbara CA 93117
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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.
Exceptional
This charity's score is 100.00, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 100.00 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2020, the latest year published by the IRS.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
99.4%
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
0.3%
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
0.1%
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
1.6%
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
$0.00
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
0.71 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
15.63%
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) |
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
Thomas E. Tighe, President, CEO
$507,533 (0.03% 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 2021
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:
Gifts, grants, or loans to other organizations (BMF activity code: 602)
Gifts or grants to individuals (other than scholarships) (BMF activity code: 561)
Other health services (BMF activity code: 179)
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
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
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. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Direct Relief reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Revenue
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Donations to our organization were up during the early months of Covid, but demand similarly increased for Direct Relief's services, including for PPE, antibody therapies, Covid-19 testing supplies, and vaccine logistics. And while donations for Covid-19 have tapered, demand globally remains high.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Direct Relief had to procure significant quantities of PPE and other supplies to provide to its partner network. Direct Relief also stepped up its grant-making efforts in response to the financial losses experienced by the organizations with which it works.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Direct Relief expanded its support offerings to include procured medical supplies and transportation support globally. Direct Relief also built additional cold-storage capacity at its headquarters to handle Covid-19 vaccines.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Direct Relief developed new onboarding policies for employees. It also adjusted how it staffs its main warehouse and will permanently maintain its expanded refrigeration capacity to address vaccine and other temperature-sensitive medication needs in the U.S. and globally.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 8/3/2021 | 2020 | 100.00 | |
| 9/1/2020 | 2019 | 100.00 | |
| 7/1/2019 | 2018 | 98.23 | |
| 5/1/2018 | 2017 | 100.00 | |
| 5/1/2017 | 2016 | 100.00 | |
| 7/1/2016 | 2015 | 100.00 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 100.00 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 5/1/2015 | 2014 | 99.94 | |
| 7/1/2014 | 2013 | 99.71 | |
| 8/1/2013 | 2012 | 99.90 | |
| 5/1/2012 | 2011 | 99.91 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2010 | 99.92 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 2/1/2011 | 2010 | 99.88 | |
| 7/1/2010 | 2009 | 89.52 |  |
| 5/1/2009 | 2008 | 92.39 | |
| 6/1/2008 | 2007 | 99.88 | |
| 3/1/2007 | 2006 | 92.42 | |
| 3/1/2006 | 2005 | 94.91 | |
| 10/1/2004 | 2003 | 92.41 | |
| 1/1/2004 | 2002 | 86.34 | |
| 2/5/2003 | 2001 | 92.42 | |
| 10/15/2002 | 2000 | 92.41 | |
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
Direct Relief 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 Direct Relief? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
Direct Relief reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
$1,196,440,268
Spent in most recent FY
77%
Percent of program expenses
Community Health
$188,750,650
Spent in most recent FY
12%
Percent of program expenses
Disaster Response
$165,802,539
Spent in most recent FY
10%
Percent of program expenses
Disease Prevention and Treatment
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 Direct Relief 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
Direct Relief is a humanitarian organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies -- without regard to politics, religion, identity, or ability to pay. Nongovernmental, nonsectarian, and not-for-profit, Direct Relief's assistance programs focus on emergency preparedness, disaster response, and the prevention and treatment of disease and are tailored to the particular circumstances and needs of the world's most vulnerable and at-risk populations. Direct Relief honors the generosity of its donors by following a firm policy of full transparency in all of its operations. This tradition of transparent, direct, and targeted assistance, provided in a manner that respects and involves the people served, has been a hallmark of the organization since its founding in 1948 by refugee war immigrant William Zimdin.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Direct Relief aspires for a world in which its services are no longer needed.
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: Ensure health professionals in resource-poor communities are equipped to meet the challenges of diagnosing and caring for people in need.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Ensure disaster-prone communities are prepared for more frequent, more destructive emergencies.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Expand access to medications and health services for under-served populations.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
To effectively advance its mission, Direct Relief aims to recruit, train and retain high-performing employees and motivate, recognize, and reward excellent performance. To enhance employees’ knowledge, skills, and expertise related to their work, Direct Relief provides ongoing online and in-person learning opportunities to staff at every level. Additionally, Direct Relief offers financial assistance in complete or partial payment for approved training programs, courses, workshops, and seminars. Other professional development opportunities available to staff include membership to professional organizations, job-related certifications, licenses, continuing education credit courses, and subscriptions to job-related scholarly journals, books, and computer-based resources.
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
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Direct Relief has long sought partnerships with public and private-sector organizations that leverage for humanitarian purposes their expertise. This approach has led healthcare manufacturers and other corporations in sectors ranging from technology to transportation to contribute needed resources and services that match urgent health needs in over 80 countries worldwide, including the U.S.
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.
(1) PPE: When the virus broke out in January 2020, Direct Relief was one of the few non-profits prepared to make a substantial and immediate impact on the crisis with a large supply of PPE and critical care medications that it distributed to safety-net health centers and clinics, hospitals and public health agencies around the U.S. and globally. The year after the pandemic began, Direct Relief delivered more than 100 million PPE items,m including masks and gloves, free-of-charge, to health workers throughout the U.S. and world. (2) Critical Medicine: In addition to PPE, Direct Relief’s early identification of needed intensive care medication became an essential source of information during the crisis. Its pre-packaged ICU medications modules were requested and delivered to the most advanced hospitals, from Chan Zuckerberg General to the University of Miami Hospital. (3) COVID-19 Vaccines: To assist public health authorities and healthcare providers in distributing Covid-19 vaccines, Direct Relief invested approximately $2.5 million in cold-chain pharmaceutical distribution capabilities, increasing its medical refrigeration and freezer capacity three-fold. (4) Research: Collaborating with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Direct Relief launched the COVID-19 Mobility Data Network—an information and research hub using anonymized mobility data from phones to understand how people limited their movements during the pandemic. (5) Grants: As is the case in emergencies, the pre-existing gaps get bigger as resources are redirected to the crisis. That’s why Direct Relief’s focus since the onset of Covid-19 has been on supporting its partner network of community health centers, free and charitable clinics, and other safety-net health facilities that care for people who are among the least fortunate and most vulnerable to crises. These healthcare providers have expanded their services during the pandemic, often without reimbursement.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Thomas Tighe
President and CEO
Pamela Gann
Board 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
Direct Relief 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) and its Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) practices (see report below).
The Culture & Community Beacon is comprised of the following metrics:
Constituent Feedback: 100/100 (30% of beacon score)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: 100/100 (70% of beacon score)
Culture & Community Report
100
of 100 points
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
100/100 points
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 100 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 12 diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
View this organization's DEI Strategies
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
30% 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
