Detention Watch Network EIN 83-3874583

Detention Watch Network

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Abolish immigration detention through advocacy and organizing. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $3.1M in revenue, $3.3M in expenses, and $6.8M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
2018
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Human Services
Location
Washington, DC
Website
www.detentionwatchnetwork.org
Filings
7 on file (2019–2025)
Revenue
$3.1MFY2025
Expenses
$3.3M
Net assets
$6.8M
People
15
Filings
7
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  83-3874583 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Washington, DC Founded 2018
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/27/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Abolish immigration detention through advocacy and organizing.
Leadership
Silky Shah · Executive Director · $149K
Money in and out
$3.1M revenue, $3.3M expenses
Bottom line
72% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$3.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$3.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$6.8M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$239K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.72 Management & general $0.22 Fundraising $0.06
Program efficiency
72%
of spending reaches programs▼ -3% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
24.8mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +5% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-8%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -193% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$3.1M
FY2025▼ -12%
Expenses
$3.3M
FY2025▲ +3%
Total assets
$7.0M
FY2025▼ -2%
Total liabilities
$187K
FY2025▲ +127%
Total revenue
$3.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$3.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$6.8M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$239K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$7.0M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B72%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 39
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 49
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $2.4M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2025.
01

Detention Watch Network imagines a world where every individual lives and moves freely and a society in which racial equity is the norm and immigration is not criminalized. The abolition of immigration detention is part and parcel of struggles against racism, xenophobia, discriminatory policing, and mass incarceration and our aims…

$2.4Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CDetention Watch Network
EINHdr · item D83-3874583
Principal addressHdr · item CWashington, DC
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.detentionwatchnetwork.org
Year of formationHdr · item L2018
State of legal domicileHdr · item MDC
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFHuman Services (P84)
Ruling yearIRS BMFAug 2019

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a9
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b9
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$148,691Pt VII · Sec A
Managing Director
$125,712Pt VII · Sec A
Program Director
$116,664Pt VII · Sec A
Advocacy Director
$115,021Pt VII · Sec A
Communications Director
$109,442Pt VII · Sec A
Organizing Director
$109,333Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Silky Shah’s $149K as Executive Director is at the 72nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3864 $1–10M human services 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 · 7 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Silky Shah$148,691$146,807$140,060$138,060$131,661$111,875
Aimee Nichols$125,712$124,054$124,054$119,442$113,584$106,146
Beom Sun Suh$116,664$113,004$114,361$111,298$100,557
Setareh Ghandehari$115,021$106,054$106,058$102,819
Carly G Perez Fernandez$109,442$105,520
Marcela Hernandez Ponce$109,333$103,751$102,298
Carly G Perez Hernandez$107,603$102,051

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$2.8M · 90%
Investment income$220K · 7%
Program service revenue$104K · 3%
Contributions & grants90%$2.8M
Investment income7%$220K
Program service revenue3%$104K
Other revenue$300
Total revenueLn 12$3.1M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.72 Management & general $0.22 Fundraising $0.06
Program services72%$2.4M
Management & general22%$739K
Fundraising6%$199K
Total functional expensesLn 25$3.3M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$6.9M
Total assetsLn 16$7.0M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$187K
Total net assetsLn 32$6.8M
Months of cash on handcomputed24.8

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $6.9M · Operating expenses/yr $3.3M
24.8 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $2.4M · Total expenses $3.3M
72%
Management & General
Management & general $739K · Total expenses $3.3M
22%
Fundraising
Fundraising $199K · Total expenses $3.3M
6%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $177K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $2.7M
$0.07 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $2.8M · Total revenue $3.1M
90%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $3.1M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $104K · Total revenue $3.1M
3%
Investment reliance
Investment income $220K · Total revenue $3.1M
+7%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $104K · Total expenses $3.3M
3%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $3.1M · Prior year $3.5M
-12%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $4.3M · FY2025 $3.1M
-5%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $6.8M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $3.1M · Expenses $3.3M
-8%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $7.0M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $6.8M · Total assets $7.0M
97%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $7.0M
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Silky Shah · Reported title Executive Director · Highest reported compensation $149K · Total expenses $3.3M
4%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $2.0M · Total expenses $3.3M
61%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 72%
Overhead ratio 22%
Fundraising cost ratio 7%
Revenue growth -12%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K
Grants paid · 113 grants · $2.0M · 2020–2025
Action of Greater LansingMI · FY2025$32,000
Community InitiativesCA · FY2025$30,150
Center for Civic PolicyNM · FY2025$30,150
Alliance for Global JusticeAZ · FY2025$21,000
Migrant Equity Southeast INCGA · FY2025$20,000
Free Migration ProjectPA · FY2025$20,000
Dolores C Huerta FoundationCA · FY2025$20,000
Carolina Migrant Network INCNC · FY2025$16,000
Culture Hub LLCFY2025$13,000
El Refugio Ministry INCGA · FY2025$11,000
See all 113 grants →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$3.1M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$3.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$2.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$2.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$5.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$4.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2019$4.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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