Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Oct 1990.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
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
5 people listed on the 990; $298K paid to officers and key staff.
Robert Freling’s $208K as Executive Director is at the 86th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1851 $1–10M environment 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Freling | $207,900 | $207,900 | $193,725 | $189,000 | $189,000 |
| Jeffrey Lahl | — | — | — | — | $170,000 |
| Karen Allen | — | — | — | $109,131 | $121,000 |
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.
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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 2Yes
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
- Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II1 listed
Programs and updates
Brings solar power and communication to communities lacking electricity, addressing scarcity and poverty.
Questions for Solar Electric Light Fund
Your first name shows with your question. Solar Electric Light Fund answers here, for everyone.
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Completed installation of 24 new solar powered pumping systems for clean water in villages in remote Northern Benin to provide clean water to more than 80,000 people. In cooperation with partner Rape Hurts Foundation, installed new streetlights in Bukyerimba, Uganda to improve security for women in the village.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $96K | $684K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $21K | $0 |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $459K | $1.5M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $417K | $148K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $42K | $1.4M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $189K | $94K | $57K | $38K |
| Pay of disqualified personsLn 6 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $349K | $183K | $97K | $68K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $99K | $29K | $47K | $23K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $45K | $24K | $12K | $8K |
| Management feesLn 11a | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $21K | $0 | $21K | $0 |
| Lobbying feesLn 11d | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Professional fundraising feesLn 11e | $0 | |||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $52K | $18K | $8K | $25K |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $11K | $694 | $736 | $9K |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $12K | $5K | $6K | $1K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $11K | $6K | $4K | $2K |
| TravelLn 17 | $5K | $4K | $406 | $0 |
| Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| InterestLn 20 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Payments to affiliatesLn 21 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $21K | $16K | $3K | $2K |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $1.2M | $1.2M | $336 | $1K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $2.0M | $1.6M | $257K | $178K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 Latest | $1.5M | $1.5M | $5K | $773K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $971K | $1.1M | −$102K | $768K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $1.2M | $1.7M | −$490K | $870K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 Viewing | $3.2M | $2.0M | $1.2M | $1.4M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $2.0M | $2.4M | −$389K | $42K | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $3,233,747 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 3 of 4 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $3,233,747 across 13 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,046,303 across 28 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $1,507,297 assets, 23 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,359,506 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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