Refugee Council USA
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE ORCUSA IS THE MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION FOR THE TEN NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES AND MORE THAN THIRTY OTHER NONPROFITS SERVING AND ADVOCATING FOR REFUGEES AND OTHER FORCIBLY DISPLACED PEOPLE. RCUSA PROVIDES ITS MEMBERS WITH A PLATFORM FOR COORDINATING ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND RESETTLEMENT OPERATIONS, ARRANGES FOR ITS MEMBERS REGULAR HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND FACILITATES ACCESS TO INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE POLICY ARENAS. RCUSA WORKS TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND RESETTLEMENT, ASYLUM, HUMANITARIAN PROTECTION, AND INCLUSION FOR FORCIBLY DISPLACED POPULATIONS; STRENGTHEN THE COLLECTIVE POWER AND EFFECTIVENESS OF RCUSA MEMBERS AND PARTNERS IN DELIVERING RESPONSIVE, EQUITY-FOCUSED POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AND DRIVING SYSTEMIC CHANGE; AND ENHANCE THE ROLE OF FORCIBLY DISPLACED PEOPLE AS LEADERS, EXPERTS, AND ADVOCATES TO INFLUENCE POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND PERCEPTIONS.
- Income
- $913,848
- Spending
- $900,900
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- -1.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 76%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $179,746, executive director
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: 62 out of 100. Higher than 32% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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)
- $625,284 spent. RCUSA STRENGTHENS THE COLLECTIVE POWER AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS MEMBERS AND PARTNERS IN DELIVERING RESPONSIVE, EQUITY-FOCUSED POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AND DRIVING SYSTEMIC CHANGE. RCUSA CARRIES OUT THIS WORK BY PROVIDING A NUMBER OF ONGOING PLATFORMS FOR OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS TO COORDINATE ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATIONS, AND RESETTLEMENT OPERATIONS, INCLUDING THROUGH CONVENING OF MONTHLY OR BIWEEKLY MEETINGS OF MEMBER-LED, STAFF FACILITATED COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS. RCUSA ALSO FACILITATES PERIODIC IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH US GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND HOSTS RCUSA POLICY CENTER WEBINARS ON KEY TOPICS OF INTEREST TO OUR MEMBERSHIP. TO BE CONTINUTED ON SCHEDULE OIN EARLY 2024, THROUGH OUR INTERACTION WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, RCUSA HELPED UNLOCK $82 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDING FOR REFUGEE HOUSING. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, RCUSA ADVOCATES FOR MEASURES TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND RESETTLEMENT, ASYLUM, HUMANITARIAN PROTECTION, AND INCLUSION FOR FORCIBLY DISPLACED POPULATIONS. A HIGHLIGHT OF THIS WORK IS OUR ANNUAL NATIONAL ADVOCACY DAYS EVENT, RCUSA BRINGS CONSTITUENTS FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO WASHINGTON DC TO SPEAK TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THEIR STAFFS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REFUGEE PROTECTION AND THE VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF RESETTLED REFUGEES, ASYLEES, AND OTHER FORMERLY DISPLACED PERSONS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTY. IN MAY 2024, RCUSA'S NATIONAL ADVOCACY DAYS DREW SOME 300 CONSTITUENT-ADVOCATES FROM 35 STATES, ABOUT HALF OF THEM WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF FORCED DISPLACEMENT, TO MEETINGS WITH 147 CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES. DURING ADVOCACY DAYS, MORE THAN 100 FORMERLY DISPLACED PERSONS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A DAY-LONG REFUGEE LEADERSHIP TRAINING EVENT. RCUSA IS A FOUNDING PARTNER IN THE US REFUGEE ADVISORY BOARD, A PIONEERING NON-GOVERNMENT BODY THAT CHANNELS THE PARTICIPATION OF FORMERLY DISPLACED PEOPLE INTO US GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE POLICY BODIES, THUS PROVIDING A MECHANISM TO ENSURE THERE IS MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT BY REFUGEES IN POLICIES AFFECTING THEM. RCUSA IS ALSO WORKING TO IMPROVE THE MEASURES USED TO GAUGE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES INTO LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE US, SO THAT THE WAY INTEGRATION IS MEASURED BETTER CAPTURES THE RANGE OF INTERESTS, NEEDS, PRIORITIES, AND EXPERIENCES OF REFUGEES THEMSELVES. RCUSA HELPS REPRESENT THE REFUGEE-SERVING CIVIL SOCIETY COMMUNITY IN GLOBAL REFUGEE POLICY FORUMS. RCUSA ASSEMBLED AND LED US CIVIL-SOCIETY DELEGATIONS TO THE FEBRUARY 2024 WORKING GROUP ON RESETTLEMENT MEETING (HELD IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA), AND THE JUNE 2024 CONSULTATIONS ON RESETTLEMENT AND COMPLEMENTARY PATHWAYS (HOSTED BY UNHCR IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND). RCUSA PARTICIPATED (ALONGSIDE COUNTERPART CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN CANADA, AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND) IN THE LAUNCH OF A NEW INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING PLATFORM FOR REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PRACTITIONERS, THE INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE INTEGRATION AND SETTLEMENT EXCHANGE (IRISE). RCUSA FURTHER SERVED ITS MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS IN 2024 BY ORGANIZING TWO PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION DOCUMENTS TO HELP GUIDE REFUGEE ADVOCACY APPROACHES IN THE EVENT OF EITHER A BIDEN OR TRUMP ELECTORAL VICTORY IN THE NOVEMBER 2024 ELECTION.
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 October 13, 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 June 2022.
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 October 21, 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.