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Accountability Counsel

EIN 46-1909035 · San Francisco, CA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood81 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Accountability Counsel amplifies the voices of communities around the world to protect their rights and environment. As experts in strategies to demand justice, we work alongside those whose rights, livelihoods, and environment are under threat by the worlds wealthiest, most powerful investors. We specialize in channels that amplify communities voices to be heard at the highest levels of power shifting it back to those who know the impact of an investment on their land and lives best.

Income
$3.5 million
Spending
$3.5 million
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
3.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
12
Volunteers
9
Highest pay
$176,163, president & ed

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 81 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 22% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 346% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    10 of 11 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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)
  1. $1.3 million spent. Communities Achievements: Community cases drive direct impact. Our advocacy experts work alongside communities to halt harmful investments, redesign them to respect rights, and negotiate remedy when they cause harm. CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O.
  2. $911,398 spent. Policy Advocacy Achievements: Policy advocacy changes systems at scale. We leverage lessons from our casework and research to strengthen the systems, safeguards, and practices at investing institutions so that they are responsive to communities, respect their rights, and protect the environment.Continued in Schedule O
  3. $683,717 spent. Research Achievements:Research exposes patterns of harmful investment. We conduct data analysis and qualitative research to contextualize our casework and illuminate systemic barriers to accountability equipping us and others to better understand the system we are working to change.CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O.
  4. Communities Achievements: Continuation from page 2, Form 990Our casework this year related to projects in Lesotho, Indonesia, Haiti, Uganda, Mongolia, and Ukraine, as well as dozens of unique engagements with communities around the world seeking information and resources to use accountability offices to demand justice. In the past year, we provided advice to communities negatively impacted by mining in Zimbabwe, Colombia, Madagascar, Indonesia, and Serbia; agriculture projects in Uganda; hydropower in Nepal, Tajikistan, and Panama; infrastructure projects in Brazil, Peru, and India; and more.Policy Advocacy: Continuation from page 2, Form 990This year, our advocacy was essential to defend and advance accountability for several financial flows that risk harming the environment and human rights. Alongside key coalitions of partners, we pushed for stronger accountability policy and practice in multilateral development finance through ongoing policy reviews at development banks in Africa, Asia, Europe, and globally.Research Achievements: Continuation from page 2, Form 990This year, our team published findings from a years-long investigation into the outcomes of accountability processes, combining decades of complaint data with in-depth interviews with communities. This research is critical to determine whether the accountability system is providing meaningful remedy, and if not, what needs to change. We also launched a new Accountability Toolkit that offers step-by-step guides, complaint templates, actionable research and resources for communities and advocates, and data-driven insights from our complaint database. By combining sixteen years of accountability expertise with comprehensive global data, we are democratizing our teams knowledge and equipping more communities to defend their rights and protect the planet.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 2014.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.

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.