GiveDirectly
New York, NY · EIN 271661997 · FY2023 is the latest filing on record · pre-cached
GiveDirectly's financials show that investing in people powers impact, not waste.
In 2023, GiveDirectly brought in $140.3M and spent $130.3M, resulting in a 7% operating margin. This organization has consistently managed its finances well, with an average operating margin of 22% over its 13 years of operation.
Myth
A charity that spends a significant portion on staff is inefficient and wastes donor money.
Reality
GiveDirectly spends 22% of its budget on compensation, yet it maintains strong reserves and a healthy operating margin, demonstrating that investing in talent can be a key part of effective operations.
Myth
High-performing charities should have minimal operating reserves, funneling all money directly to programs.
Reality
GiveDirectly holds 11.4 months of operating reserves, placing it in the 92th percentile among its peers. This strong reserve position indicates financial stability and the capacity to weather unexpected challenges, ensuring long-term impact.
Multi-year trend
Operating reserve months
Net assets ÷ monthly expenses — how long the org could run on savings alone.
Operating margin
(Revenue − expenses) ÷ revenue, per fiscal year.
How it compares to peers
Percentile rank among 73 Human Services organizations. Higher is framed as better on every bar here — including reserves and staff investment, which conventional overhead-ratio scoring would penalize.
Dashed line = peer median (50th percentile)
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Answers are grounded only in this org's filed financial data above -- it won't guess at their programs, leadership, or anything not shown on this page.
Source: latest Form 990 PDF via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.