Accountability Lab Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ACCOUNTABILITY LAB'S MISSION IS TO BUILD A NEW GENERATION OF ACTIVE CITIZENS AND RESPONSIBLE LEADERS AROUND THE WORLD. IT WORKS TOWARDS THIS MISSION BY SUPPORTING CHANGE-MAKERS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT POSITIVE IDEAS FOR INTEGRITY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
- Income
- $6.0 million
- Spending
- $6.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 1.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 83%
- Employees
- 13
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $168,285, director-accountable now
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
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.7 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 36% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 11 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.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
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 (1)
- $5.4 million spent. ACCOUNTABILITY LAB IS A TRANSLOCAL NETWORK NGO THAT WORKS AS A COLLECTIVE OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A SHARED PURPOSE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE AND THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS REQUIRED TO SOLVE THEM. AL WORKS AS A CATALYST, SPARKING AND INCUBATING IDEAS; AS A CONVENER, BRINGING TOGETHER LIKE-MINDED PARTIES TO CREATE CHANGE; AND AS A CONNECTOR, CREATING STRUCTURAL NETWORKS OF CHANGEMAKERS. THIS, IN ADDITION TO OUR ONGOING ROLE AS CAMPAIGNER, WHERE WE BUILD AND SUPPORT SOCIAL MOVEMENTS; AND AS A CHALLENGER, ADVOCATING FOR POLICY CHANGES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) WE DO THIS BY: 1. SHIFTING NORMS AND BEHAVIORS - AROUND ISSUES OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO ENSURE THAT INTEGRITY BECOMES THE EXPECTED BEHAVIOR WITHIN SOCIETIES (CAMPAIGNS); 2. EQUIPPING REFORMERS FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION - INSIDE AND OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT - WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS THEY NEED TO PUSH FOR BETTER GOVERNANCE THROUGH TRAINING AND LEARNING (KNOWLEDGE); AND 3. INFLUENCING POLICIES, PROCESSES AND PRACTICES - AROUND CRITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES, THROUGH GROWING COALITIONS AND ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE (COMMUNITIES). INTEGRITY ICON'S MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA REACH INCREASES ANNUALLY AS CAMPAIGNS GAIN TRACTION IN COUNTRIES AND OUR NETWORK OF PARTNERS EXPANDS. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA REACH EXCEEDED 2 MILLION VIEWS IN 2019 AND MORE THAN 4 MILLION VIEWERS IN 2020. ADDITIONALLY, COVERAGE BY RESPECTED INTERNATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS INCREASES ANNUALLY ALONG WITH COVERAGE AT NATIONAL LEVELS. EACH YEAR WE RUN THE CAMPAIGN ACROSS 12+ GEOGRAPHIES AND COUNTRIES WITH OVER 15,000 NOMINATIONS AND 60+ WINNING ICONS; RAP2REP/VOICE2REP - OUR MUSIC CAMPAIGNS SEARCH FOR UNDERGROUND AND UNDISCOVERED MUSIC ARTISTS WHO SUPPORT GREATER REPRESENTATION, PARTICIPATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THE GOALS OF OUR MUSIC CAMPAIGNS ARE: - TO FIND WAYS TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH MUSIC AROUND ISSUES OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND INTEGRITY; AND, - TO CHANGE THE APPROACH THAT THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE TAKES TO THESE CHALLENGES THROUGH POSITIVE MESSAGING AND ENGAGEMENT. WE LAUNCHED OUR INAUGURAL VOICE2REP CONSCIOUS MUSIC CAMPAIGN IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO IN 2023, CULMINATING IN THE COMPOSITION AND PRODUCTION OF 3 SONGS AND CONCERTS. HOSTED IN NORTH AND SOUTH KIVU PROVINCES, ARTISTS BENEFITED FROM TRAINING PROVIDED BY EXPERIENCED MUSIC INDUSTRY INSTRUCTORS SUCH AS MATRE THOMAS LUSANGO, DIRECTOR OF THE DELIA NDARO CULTURAL CENTER. SOME OF THE SONG THEMES INCLUDED THE NEED FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TRANSPARENCY, CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND ELECTORAL INTEGRITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECENT ELECTIONS IN THE DRC. FILM FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOOLS AIM TO DEVELOP A GENERATION OF SOCIALLY-CONSCIOUS FILMMAKERS WHO HAVE THE SKILLS AND NOWLEDGE TO TACKLE ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES THROUGH VISUAL STORYTELLING. THROUGH THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SHORT FILMS IN LOCAL LANGUAGES, WE ALSO HOPE TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES IN CONVERSATIONS AND ACTIONS ON INCLUSION AND GOVERNANCE ISSUES. IMPACT THE ACCOUNTABILITY FILM FELLOWSHIP IN ZIMBABWE HAS SPARKED IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE. COUNTRYWIDE SCREENINGS SHOWCASED NINE FILMS UNDER THEMES INCLUDING CORRUPTION, WOMEN'S ISSUES, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND MENTAL HEALTH. THEY RESONATED DEEPLY WITH THE AUDIENCE, PARTICULARLY A FEW MORE DOLLARS BY JABULANI MUDZOVA, LIFE IN REHAB BY RUNGAMAI TAVIRAI, AND BLEEDING HEART BY EASY SIBANDA. THESE FILMS DEPICT THE DAILY STRUGGLES OF CHITUNGWIZA YOUTH, FOSTERING A SENSE OF SHARED EXPERIENCE. ACCOUNTABILITY INCUBATOR - HELPS YOUNG CIVIL SOCIETY CHANGE-MAKERS (OR "ACCOUNTAPRENEURS") TO DEVELOP THE TOOLS, SKILLS, NETWORKS, OUTREACH EFFORTS AND FUNDING STREAMS THEY NEED TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE, EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, INTEGRITY AND OPEN GOVERNANCE. SELECTED ACCOUNTAPRENEURS RECEIVE 12 MONTHS OF HANDS-ON, COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT INCLUDING: TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING, MENTORING, NETWORK BUILDING, MEDIA OUTREACH, AND STORYTELLING SUPPORT. THE GOALS OF THE INCUBATOR ARE THREEFOLD: - TO ALLOW US TO RE-BALANCE ASSISTANCE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE ACCOUNTABILITY SPACE TOWARDS BOTTOM-UP, LOCALIZED IDEAS FOR CHANGE; - TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS, WHO CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD ACCOUNTABILITY; - TO BUILD "UNLIKELY NETWORKS AND DIVERSE COALITIONS WHO CAN FIND NEW WAYS TO CREATE CHANGE. ACCOUNTABILITY LAB LAUNCHED THE ACCOUNTABILITY INCUBATOR A DECADE AGO WITH A VISION TO TRAIN AND SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE WITH INNOVATIVE IDEAS AROUND ACCOUNTABILITY, PARTICIPATION, AND OPEN GOVERNMENT TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE, IMPLEMENTABLE TOOLS FOR CHANGE. OVER 300 ACCOUNTAPRENEURS IN 12 COUNTRIES HAVE JOINED US ON THIS JOURNEY WITH A COLLECTIVE VISION OF A WORLD WHERE GOVERNANCE WORKS FOR ALL. - DAMARIS ASWA, FOUNDER OF YOUTH4INTEGRITYBUILDING (YIB), WAS AWARDED THE 2023 SHEIKH TAMIM BIN HAMAD AL THANI INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION EXCELLENCE AWARD UNDER THE YOUTH CREATIVITY AND ENGAGEMENT CATEGORY. SHE IS ALSO A FOUNDING MEMBER OF DEMOCRACY MOVES, A GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRACY LED BY YOUNG PEOPLE. SHE HAS DIRECTLY PROVIDED TRAINING ON INTEGRITY ISSUES FOR OVER 100 TEACHERS, 500 INTEGRITY CLUB MEMBERS, AND 1000 STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS ACROSS KENYA AND HAS DEVELOPED AN INTEGRITY HANDBOOK AND STUDENT GUIDEBOOK. IN 2022, SHE PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS PROGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE SHE MET A FELLOW ACCOUNTAPRENEUR FROM ZIMBABWE, DARLINGTON MAFA. SHE HARNESSED THE POWER OF REGIONAL NETWORKS AND WITH SUPPORT FROM ANOTHER ACCOUNTAPRENEUR IN ZIMBABWE, INTEGRITYLINK - TUWAJIBIKE! MOBILE APPLICATION WAS LAUNCHED IN 2023. IT GIVES COMMUNITY MEMBERS A SAFE AND SECURE SPACE TO REPORT CORRUPTION CASES, TRACK THEIR PROGRESS, AND ACCESS CRUCIAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET AND EXPENDITURE INFORMATION. - MEANWHILE IN NEPAL, POOJA BISTA'S WORK AS AN ACCOUNTAPRENEUR FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON TABOOS AROUND MENSTRUATION. IN THE WESTERN PART OF NEPAL, CHAUPADI REMAINS A FORM OF MENSTRUAL TABOO. POOJA HAS CREATED A DIGITAL PLATFORM TO SHIFT ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS AROUND MENS
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 2013.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 2026.
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