501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 11 volunteers and 88 employees.
Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $1.0M a year · 3% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
77%
of spending
Looks good: 77% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$2.7M
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.5 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $25K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$9.9M
55% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 55% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
17
of 18 voting members
Looks good: 17 of 18 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$40.9M
+18% vs prior year
Spent
$45.5M
To programs
77%
Net assets
$8.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$40.9M
FY2024▲ +18%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$28.4M
FY2021$35.6M
FY2022$37.8M
FY2023$34.6M
FY2024$40.9M
Expenses
$45.5M
FY2024▲ +23%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$26.5M
FY2021$33.3M
FY2022$40.2M
FY2023$37.1M
FY2024$45.5M
Net assets
$8.2M
FY2024▼ -48%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$4.3M
FY2021$6.4M
FY2022$4.1M
FY2023$15.9M
FY2024$8.2M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Nov 1982.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 77% · $34.9M Management & general 16% · $7.2M Fundraising 7% · $3.4M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

30 people listed on the 990; $2.7M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$328,557Pt VII · Sec A
$307,728Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director - Digital Peacebuilding
$233,994Pt VII · Sec A
Director Cg USA
$209,832Pt VII · Sec A
VP, Finance
$209,302Pt VII · Sec A
VP, Global Programs
$207,014Pt VII · Sec A
VP, People and Culture
$182,040Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Director, Program Effectiveness
$181,980Pt VII · Sec A

Shamil Idriss’s $329K as CEO is at the 68th percentile of top reported officer pay among 345 $10–100M international nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Shamil Idriss$328,557$312,900$298,000$298,000$240,000
Marjorie Williams$307,728$288,333———
Isameldein Ghanim——$49,543$297,255$285,000
Lena Slachmuijlder$233,994$253,481$244,507$234,202$226,720
Jennifer Parker$209,832$197,950$185,000——
Wasim Khan$209,302$207,461$195,718$187,469$181,480
Michael Watt$207,014————
Jacqueline Oburu$182,040$185,436$174,940$167,567$162,214

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Search for Common Ground executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Transforms conflict in Asia by engaging youth, media, and institutions through dialogue, capacity building, and joint activities.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $33.6M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

In africa, SFCG works to transform conflict across more than 12 countries. Our projects involve multiple stakeholders in activities including capacity building, dialogue, joint activities, and media outreach. Our work involves youth, women, civil society organizations and institutional partners.

$22.0Mprogram expense
02

SFCG'S global programs complement our programs around the world, offering specific tools and offering expertise to strengthen our impact. These programs also address diverse stakeholders in the united states, including both institutional and civil society partners.

$7.6Mprogram expense
03

In asia, SFCG works to transform conflict across more than five countries. Our programs engage youth, media and institutional partners through dialogue, capacity building, joint activities, including media production and outreach.

$4.0Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$25K
Grants paid · 22 grants · $5.0M · 2022–2024
American Bar AssociationIL · FY2024$1,522,513
Hopewell FundDC · FY2024$270,000
Plessy and Ferguson FoundationLA · FY2024$211,612
Soliya INCNY · FY2024$180,000
How to Build Up INCCA · FY2024$88,968
New Lines Inst for Strategy & Policy LLCFY2024$75,000
The Committee of SeventyPA · FY2024$24,500
Kroc Institute for Peace and JusticeCA · FY2024$24,481
American Bar AssociationIL · FY2023$1,581,740
Everyday Peace IndicatorsVA · FY2023$141,397
American UniversityDC · FY2023$123,998
Grameen Foundation USADC · FY2023$87,795
How to Build Up INCCA · FY2023$20,000
Kroc Institute for Peace and JusticeCA · FY2023$13,498
Unitemized GrantFY2023$11,795
See all 22 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$40.9M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$40.7M
Investment incomeLn 3$302K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$14K
Money outPt IX
$45.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$34.9M
Managementcol C$7.2M
Fundraisingcol D$3.4M
Owns and owesPt X
$8.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$5.6M
Total assetsLn 16$18.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$9.9M
PeoplePt VI, VII
30
listed · VII A
PaidVII A13
Voting boardVI 1a18
IndependentVI 1b17
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$40.7M
Government grantsLn 1e$21.0M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$87K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Fees for servicesLn 2g$14K
Investment incomeLn 3$302K
Gains on assetsLn 7$31K
Total revenueLn 12$40.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$5.6M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$5.6M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$5.1M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$874K
Total assetsLn 16$18.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$9.9M
Net assetsLn 32$8.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 588
VolunteersI 611
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$12.5M$5.6M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$7.6M$5.1M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$645K$0
Total assetsLn 16$27.0M$18.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$11.1M$9.9M
Net assetsLn 32$15.9M$8.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$2.5M$2.5M
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$5.3M$5.3M
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$2.6M$1.7M$601K$288K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0$0$0$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$13.3M$8.8M$3.0M$1.5M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$203K$134K$47K$22K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$4.3M$2.8M$983K$472K
Payroll taxesLn 10$0$0$0$0
Management feesLn 11a$4.1M$2.7M$1.1M$364K
Legal feesLn 11b$146K$75K$40K$31K
Accounting feesLn 11c$0$0$0$0
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0$0$0$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$401K$401K
Investment management feesLn 11f$0$0$0$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0$0$0$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$0$0$0$0
Office expensesLn 13$1.1M$748K$292K$37K
Information technologyLn 14$0$0$0$0
RoyaltiesLn 15$0$0$0$0
OccupancyLn 16$677K$504K$172K$2K
TravelLn 17$2.6M$2.1M$406K$112K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0$0$0$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$739K$624K$111K$4K
InterestLn 20$0$0$0$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0$0$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$28K$15K$12K
InsuranceLn 23$0$0$0$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$6.0M$5.6M$270K$116K
All other expensesLn 24e$1.6M$1.3M$169K$97K
Total functional expensesLn 25$45.5M$34.9M$7.2M$3.4M

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $40.9M$45.5M−$4.6M$8.2M 990 PDF
FY2023 $34.6M$37.1M−$2.5M$15.9M 990 PDF
FY2022 $37.8M$40.2M−$2.3M$4.1M 990 PDF
FY2021 $35.6M$33.3M$2.2M$6.4M 990 PDF
FY2020 $28.4M$26.5M$1.9M$4.3M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $40,907,415 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $34,609,752$40,729,665
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $985$14,214
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $5,696$301,966
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $2,111−$138,430
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $34,618,544$40,907,415
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $5,342,691$7,847,549
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $17,409,080$20,389,438
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$401,026
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $14,336,002$16,888,821
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $37,087,773$45,526,834
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$2,469,229−$4,619,419
Part VI · Governance 17 of 18 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body18
VI-1b Independent voting members17
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $40,907,415 across 15 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for −$138,430 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$21,032,408
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$19,697,257
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$86,780
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$40,729,665
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $14,214 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$14,214
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $270,937$270,937
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $31,029$31,029
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $14,214 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $163,536$40,907,415
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $45,526,834 across 31 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $2,535,823$2,535,823
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $0$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $5,311,726$5,311,726
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for membersPrograms $0$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $1,734,244 · Management $601,104 · Fundraising $288,493$2,623,841
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $8,772,495 · Management $3,039,571 · Fundraising $1,458,805$13,270,871
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $134,300 · Management $46,549 · Fundraising $22,341$203,190
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $2,836,517 · Management $983,162 · Fundraising $471,857$4,291,536
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $2,665,155 · Management $1,071,483 · Fundraising $364,431$4,101,069
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $74,732 · Management $40,413 · Fundraising $30,901$146,046
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $401,026$401,026
IX-11f Investment management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $747,825 · Management $291,554 · Fundraising $36,819$1,076,198
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-15 RoyaltiesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $503,653 · Management $171,584 · Fundraising $2,234$677,471
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,064,960 · Management $406,470 · Fundraising $112,211$2,583,641
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officialsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $624,245 · Management $110,947 · Fundraising $4,006$739,198
IX-20 InterestPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliatesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $15,145 · Management $12,403$27,548
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $5,577,012 · Management $269,587 · Fundraising $116,123$5,962,722
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,308,757 · Management $168,694 · Fundraising $97,477$1,574,928
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $34,906,589 · Management $7,213,521 · Fundraising $3,406,724$45,526,834
Part X · Balance sheet $18,127,415 assets, 16 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $922,857; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $12,527,682$5,602,536
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,427,927$1,444,120
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $3,086,313$3,423,532
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $362,381$91,198
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $658,723$619,122
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $644,931$0
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $7,564,934$5,149,886
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $530,050$874,164
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $27,012,174$18,127,415
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,629,531$2,742,360
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $8,067,320$7,162,484
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $11,124,556$9,904,844
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $8,885,707$813,694
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $7,001,911$7,408,877
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $15,887,618$8,222,571
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $27,012,174$18,127,415
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $8,222,571 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$40,907,415
XI-2 Total expenses$45,526,834
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$4,619,419
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$15,887,618
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$3,045,628
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$8,222,571

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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