HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST

EIN 13-3116646 NEW YORK, NY

Revenue 2024: $7,586,875
Expenses 2024: $12,244,953

Program services were 72.1% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection: 03
NTEE code: Q700
Classification: 2000
Street: 121 W 36TH ST PMB 250

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST IS AN INDEPENDENT, NON-PARTISAN, ADVOCACY AND ACTION ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS TO ADVANCE FREE AND EQUAL SOCIETIES. WE HOLD PERPETRATORS ACCOUNTABLE, PROTECT PEOPLE FROM INJUSTICE, AND STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONS THAT SAFEGUARD UNIVERSAL RIGHTS. FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS, HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST HAS BUILT BIPARTISAN COALITIONS AND WORKED WITH LAWYERS AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CHALLENGES. THE ORGANIZATION IS BASED IN NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, D.C., AND LOS ANGELES.

Activities or mission (Part I)

TO EMPOWER AMERICANS TO WORK FOR JUSTICE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES AND AROUND THE WORLD.

POLICY AND LEGAL REPRESENTATIONHUMAN RIGHTS FIRST PROVIDES FREE LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO REFUGEES SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE UNITED STATES. WORKING WITH A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF PRO BONO ATTORNEYS, THE ORGANIZATION SCREENS CASES, TRAINS LAWYERS, AND WORKS TO ENSURE THAT ASYLUM SEEKERS AND IMMIGRANTS HAVE ACCESS TO DUE PROCESS. IN 2024, HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST ASSISTED APPROXIMATELY 2,077 REFUGEES AND ASYLUM 1,327,951. ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM 83 COUNTRIES, SECURING PROTECTION FROM 382 CLIENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. IN ADDITION, VOLUNTEER LAWYERS CONTRIBUTED THAN 97,000 HOURS OF PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES. HRF ALSO CONNECTS CLIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND USES THIS EXPERIENCE TO PROVIDE DATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS THAT STRENGTHEN FAIRNESS AND EFFICIENCY IN THE LEGAL PROCESS. THESE SERVICES PROTECT VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS FROM PERSECUTION AND ADVANCE THE RULE OF LAW IN THE UNITED STATES.

Expenses $6,615,471
INNOVATION LABTHE INNOVATION LAB DEVELOPS TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS. KEY 2024 ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ENHANCING AI TOOLS TO IMPROVE HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATIONS AND DEVELOPING AI TOOLS TO TRACK LEGISLATION WITH HUMAN RIGHTS IMPLICATIONS.

Expenses $1,327,951
ACCOUNTABILITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERSHUMAN RIGHTS FIRST PROMOTES ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CORRUPTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BY INVESTIGATING, DOCUMENTING, AND EXPOSING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, THEN ADVOCATES FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE AT THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS. IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION ISSUED MAJOR REPORTS ON THE USE AND IMPACT OF MAGNITSKY-STYLE SANCTIONS AND VISA RESTRICTIONS AND PROVIDED RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN SANCTIONS IMPLEMENTATION AND ADDRESS GAPS. IN ADDITION, WE PUBLISHED REPORTS ON THE WORK OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN UKRAINE.

Expenses $883,559 · Revenue $9,086

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

SUSAN E HENDRICKSON

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Total calculated

$161,913

From this org

$134,340

From related orgs

$0

Other

$27,573

Hours/week

37.5

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$134,340

Bonus

$0

Other

$0

Deferred

$2,400

Nontaxable benefits

$25,173

Filer's total

$161,913
DONALD FRANCIS DONOVAN

CO-CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
LYNDA CLARIZIO

CO-CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
MATTHEW S DONTZIN

VICE CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
LEV A SVIRIDOV

VICE CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
ROBERT A MANDELL

TREASURER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
HASSAN MURPHY

SECRETARY

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
SANJA PARTALO

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
CARLOS PASCUAL

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
CATHERINE AMIRFAR

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
CINDY SIMON SKJODT

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
DAVID P MATTHEWS

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
FIONA PHILIP

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
JAY CARNEY

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
JON DRIMMER

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
KRISHNA OMKAR

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
BRENDAN CONDON

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
MARA FRANKEL WALLACE

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
NITHYA THADANI

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
MIKE ROZEN

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
TOM A BERNSTEIN

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
WILLIAM D ZABEL

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
BEN MORELLI

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
ALENCIA JOHNSON

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
BEN JEALOUS

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1

The first 25 listed. Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

2024

Revenue

$7,586,875

Expenses

$12,244,953

Contributions

$6,748,588

Grants paid

$0
2023

Revenue

$14,711,146

Expenses

$15,085,940

Contributions

$13,133,224

Grants paid

$0
2022

Revenue

$14,486,544

Expenses

$15,916,416

Contributions

$14,461,670

Grants paid

$30,072

Tax year	Revenue	Expenses	Contributions	Grants paid
2024	$7,586,875	$12,244,953	$6,748,588	$0
2023	$14,711,146	$15,085,940	$13,133,224	$0
2022	$14,486,544	$15,916,416	$14,461,670	$30,072

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

2021 · 990

Revenue

$13,892,305

Expenses

$13,546,996

Assets (EOY)

$18,464,972
2020 · 990

Revenue

$12,876,194

Expenses

$10,409,945

Assets (EOY)

$18,327,603
2019 · 990

Revenue

$14,333,972

Expenses

$10,414,351

Assets (EOY)

$13,961,911
2018 · 990

Revenue

$16,520,730

Expenses

$10,275,345

Assets (EOY)

$9,782,893
2017 · 990

Revenue

$7,657,880

Expenses

$11,510,302

Assets (EOY)

$3,993,442

Tax year	Form	Revenue	Expenses	Assets (EOY)
2021	990	$13,892,305	$13,546,996	$18,464,972
2020	990	$12,876,194	$10,409,945	$18,327,603
2019	990	$14,333,972	$10,414,351	$13,961,911
2018	990	$16,520,730	$10,275,345	$9,782,893
2017	990	$7,657,880	$11,510,302	$3,993,442

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Grants made

PACIFIC COUNCIL ON INT POLICY

$30,072

2022 GRANT

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

$3,050,751

2022 INTERNATIONAL, FOREIGN AFFAIRS
DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

$2,569,755

2023 INTERNATIONAL, FOREIGN AFFAIRS
VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

$1,757,000

2023 FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

$1,379,620

2023 For grant recipient's exempt purposes
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

$750,400

2024 For grant recipient's exempt purposes
VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

$712,000

2022 FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
U S COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS INC

$453,838

2023 AGENCY PAYMENTS
SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

$435,000

2023 International Development
SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

$422,500

2022 International Development
SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

$400,000

2024 International Development

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 26 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.