Drum-Desis Rising Up and Moving Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Public Charity - established to educate and organize low-income South Asian immigrants in New York City for immigrant rights, access to education, and social justice. DRUM is a multigenerational, membership led organization. To build power of South Asian low wage immigrant worker
- Income
- $4.0 million
- Spending
- $2.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 26.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 96%
- Employees
- 19
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 26.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 47% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 116% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $594,995 spent. Racial & Immigrant Justice Program - Educates, builds leadership, and assists immigrant families to access civil and immigrant rights, and runs legal clinics. This also includes services provided via the Citywide Immigrant Legal Empowerment Collaborative (CILEC) and organizing to make our communities safer through the Hate Violence Prevention Initiative.
- $551,908 spent. Building Power & Safety Through Solidarity Program Educates our community about the changing conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, provide resources such as food and direct relief for those in need, build community support networks to keep our families and communities safe and connected, and build leadership of members on issues such as housing and workers excluded from federal and relief funds. This included Vaccine Education, nonpartisan voter education, and PPE Distribution, the Excluded Workers Fund Campaign, and Housing Relief Campaign
- $245,910 spent. Education Justice & YouthPower! Program - Educates and builds leadership of low-income immigrant youth to improve access to public education. Includes grassroots campaigns to End Institutionalized Bullying in schools, win more resources for restorative justice practices, counselors and social workers.
- $181,639 spent. South Asian Workers Center - Educates and assists low-wage workers to access labor rights, address employment discrimination, and runs legal clinics. Gender Justice Program - Develops leadership of young women to lead gender justice and social change in their homes, schools, and communities. Global Justice Program - Builds coalitions internationally for peace and migrant rights. Gender Justice Program - Develops leadership of young women to lead gender justice and social change in their homes, schools, and communities. Hate Free Zones - Builds neighborhood-based community defense systems and community safety mechanisms for all people. Global Justice Program - Builds coalitions internationally for peace and migrant rights. Made over 15,000 phone calls, text messages, or held conversations with community members on vaccines to get our communities vaccinated, nonpartisan voter engagement & registration, access to food, provided protective equipment (masks and tests), and provide ongoing updates about the pandemic. Provided direct services and resources to over 5000 community members and their families through various immigrant, housing, health, food, vaccine, PPE distribution, and relief fund resources. Engaged over 20,000 community members and mobilized over 200 DRUM members to win the Excluded Workers Fund and Housing Relief. Won $2.1 Billion in the NYS budget for the historic Excluded Workers Fund for Immigrant communities left out of relief during the pandemic. Educated 2,000 undocumented immigrant workers about the NY Fund for Excluded Workers Hosted weekly Excluded Workers Fund clinics in Western Queens (Jackson Heights), Eastern Queens (Jamaica), Bronx (Parkchester), Brooklyn (Kensington), and South Queens (Richmond Hill) and screened over 600 community members. Provided one-on-one assistance to over 400 individuals to apply to the fund securing over $6 million in funds for South Asian and Indo-Caribbean community members. Secured $2.4 Billion in rent and mortgage relief in the NYS budget which included immigrant communities. We came together in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida to provide immediate support and information to over 100 community members and directly supported over 20 DRUM members with relief funds and resources who were severely impacted by flooding. Graduated 19 new youth members from our 21st annual Summer 6-week Youth Organizing Institute which was held virtually for the second time during the pandemic. Recruited over 450 new DRUM members across NYC. DRUM also began recruiting and organizing South Asian Delivery Worker since the summer of 2021 who have been faced with unsafe working conditions. Organized worker safety events for over 500 Delivery workers and provided over 400 helmets and bike registrations. Won the passage of the Our City Our Vote Campaign in NYC City Council that would permit lawfully present residents and those with work authorizations to vote in municipal elections. Supported over 100 community members with referrals to legal service providers, translation, support letters and or other case management activities. Supported over 70 women and girls through referrals to services and support networks.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 2007.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.