Cristosal
Human Rights
Cristosal
EIN: 03-0366224
as of November 2024
as of November 11, 2024
Mission
We work to defend human rights and promote democratic rule of law in Central America.
Ruling year
2000
Executive Director
Noah Bullock
Main address
P.O. Box 4424
Burlington, VT 05401-4424 USA
EIN
03-0366224
Democracy
Population served
Low-income people
Adults
Victims and oppressed people
Unemployed people
NTEE code
Unknown (Z99)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Northern Triangle of Central America—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—is one of the most violent regions of the world. An unprecedented humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the region, as thousands of families are forcibly displaced by violence committed by gangs, criminal organizations, and government forces. In 2016, El Salvador was second only to Syria in the per capita level of internal displacement by violence. Today's human rights crisis follows a pattern of unprosecuted crimes.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Victim Assistance
Comprehensive victim assistance is a fundamental part of any process of enforcing human rights. Cristosal promotes the empowerment of victims of human rights violations and victims with protection needs through personalized plans for getting victims back on their feet and works with communities to create systems of protection. We use a psychosocial approach that seeks to strengthen the capacity of individuals, families and communities to access justice and work towards structural change. We also engage government institutions to fulfill their obligations to guarantee victims’ rights. We call this “activating the State”
Strategic Litigation
Cristosal has legal teams in each of the three counties where we work. Their legal work focuses on strategic litigation that will directly impact the rights of excluded and vulnerable groups in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Strategic litigation can include representing victims in judicial proceedings as well as directly activating the courts to respond to human rights vioaltions.
Cristosal provides legal assistance and support to victims of forced displacement and people who have been deported who have needs for protection. We support the LGBTIQ+ community by bringing legal action in cases of hate crimes, we seek legal recourse for the improved conditions and treatment of incarcerated people as well as those who have been victimized by police brutality or other abuse of authority. We provide legal support to the victims of crimes against humanity in ongoing proceedings.
Research & Monitoring
Human rights violations, by definition, are an abuse on the part of those who have the responsibility to protect and guarantee rights. Sharing the evidence of those abuses requires research with and for the affected people. Cristosal's research provides a forum for understanding the impacts of of those violations, an analysis of where the State has failed to protect and a voice for change centered on the victims' experience.
The goal of our research is to ensure that the State fulfills its responsibilities and guarantees justice for the victims of human rights violations. We do this through research partnerships, reporting platforms, participatory action research and case verification.
Among the main areas of research are: forced internal displacement and migration; rights violations against LGBTIQ+ people; the rule of law, citizen security, corruption and impunity in State institutions; and the rights of incarcerated people.
Human Rights Education and Strategic Communications
The Human Rights Education Program and the Global School of Human Rights use dialogue, experience-based and horizontal learning as tools for promoting the empowerment of victims in their rights and to strengthen the community of allies and leaders for human rights. We promote dialogue and learning throughout the Americas to build solidarity and allyship across sectors, borders and cultures.
Our programming includes workshops, seminars, certificate and training programs, offering learning opportunities on several important topics in human rights. The different training methods all share a participatory and dialogical approach in which the participants and facilitators contribute to each other’s learning.to raise public awareness and equip leaders to promote and defend human rights.
Our strategic communications includes campaigns and messaging to educated about human rights and motivate people to work for societies in which everyone's rights are respected.
Where we work
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Cristosal is a human rights organization working to advance human rights in Central America through rights-based research, learning, and programing. We come alongside victims of violence to provide protection when they need it most, repair the lingering effects of human rights violations, and build human rights environments to create conditions where peace is possible.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Cristosal operates throughout the Northern Triangle of Central America. In addition to El Salvador, we work in Guatemala and Honduras to:
-Monitor forced displacement by violence
-Pilot models for humanitarian, psychosocial, and legal assistance to victims of human rights violations
-Pilot models for sustainable, community-based victim protection and assistance
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Led by accomplished and innovative Program Coordinators, Cristosal works within four fields: Victim Advocacy, Strategic Litigation, Community Development, Research and Learning.
Victim Advocacy: We provided humanitarian, legal, and/or psychosocial assistance to victims of violence. Our protection and assistance programs are part of our strategy to build replicable models of victim protection. In 2017, Cristosal provided assistance to 638 victims.
Strategic Litigation: Our strategic litigation program uses lawsuits to advance processes of legal, social, or other human rights change that goes beyond the immediate goals of the complainant. Currently, Cristosal is supporting the prosecution of the 1981 El Mozote massacre, one of the largest unprosecuted war crimes in the world, and the 1982 El Calabozo massacre.
Community Development: This program makes it possible for families forcibly displaced by violence to reclaim their life plan in safe communities. We also work to mitigate the deepest roots of forced displacement by building environments in which all people can exercise their human rights.
Research and Learning: The Cristosal Center for Research and Learning promotes learning and publishes knowledge on human development and security within a human rights framework. Our goal is to build meaningful solutions by identifying and elevating the voices of actors from a number of vulnerable groups, including prisoners, members of the LGBT community, and Central American asylum-seekers.
We also host intercultural Global School seminars in El Salvador. The Global School creates opportunities for community, religious, student and professional leaders from different cultural backgrounds to engage with one another and learn together how to promote and defend human rights through the lens of Salvadoran experience. We also host intercultural Global School seminars in El Salvador. The Global School creates opportunities for community, religious, student and professional leaders from different cultural backgrounds to engage with one another and learn together how to promote and defend human rights through the lens of Salvadoran experience.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2017 alone:
Cristosal assisted 638 victims of violence. 5% of whom were fleeing violence caused by military or police, and 57% of whom were 25 years old or younger.
Cristosal's Strategic Litigation (one of the only of its kind in the region) filed 4 supreme court cases on behalf of families displaced by violence, and made strides in the historic El Mozote trial - the first war crime to be tried in Salvadoran courts.
Cristosal's Community Development program reintegrated 20 internally displaced families into Salvadoran communities, and continued working with 10 communities to build local victim protection and assistance programs.
Cristosal's Program for Research and Learning hosted 11 week-long participative learning Global School seminars in El Salvador. The program graduated 84 North American Alumni and 31 Salvadoran Alumni.
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
8.17
Months of cash in 2022 info
4.5
Fringe rate in 2022 info
7%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Cristosal
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of Cristosal’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $9,749 | -$30,417 | $64,685 | $1,007,191 | $389,156 |
| As % of expenses | 0.5% | -1.2% | 4.1% | 41.4% | 8.5% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$7,228 | -$41,815 | $43,507 | $986,699 | $368,717 |
| As % of expenses | -0.4% | -1.7% | 2.7% | 40.2% | 8.0% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,973,155 | $2,416,408 | $1,911,210 | $3,164,233 | $4,961,717 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 76.9% | 22.5% | -20.9% | 65.6% | 56.8% |
| Program services revenue | 3.2% | 9.8% | 2.9% | 1.2% | 3.3% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 42.6% | 36.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 53.6% | 53.2% | 96.6% | 98.6% | 96.7% |
| Other revenue | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $1,815,588 | $2,438,212 | $1,569,104 | $2,434,463 | $4,572,561 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 92.4% | 34.3% | -35.6% | 55.1% | 87.8% |
| Personnel | 60.8% | 54.3% | 74.3% | 58.6% | 69.6% |
| Professional fees | 1.9% | 9.7% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 8.0% |
| Occupancy | 3.2% | 1.6% | 0.0% | 2.6% | 3.8% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 17.6% | 13.1% | 11.8% | 16.6% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 16.5% | 21.3% | 9.4% | 17.7% | 18.7% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,832,565 | $2,449,610 | $1,590,282 | $2,454,955 | $4,593,000 |
| One month of savings | $151,299 | $203,184 | $130,759 | $202,872 | $381,047 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $1,983,864 | $2,652,794 | $1,721,041 | $2,657,827 | $4,974,047 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 1.9 | 2.7 | 6.3 | 8.4 | 4.5 |
| Months of cash and investments | 1.9 | 2.7 | 6.3 | 8.4 | 4.5 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 1.5 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 7.0 | 4.7 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $282,957 | $552,646 | $825,648 | $1,711,650 | $1,724,472 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $46,429 | $37,436 | $285,023 | $211,594 | $325,242 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $84,885 | $84,711 | $113,616 | $113,616 | $113,616 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 32.4% | 45.9% | 59.7% | 77.7% | 95.7% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 29.7% | 6.9% | 36.9% | 26.3% | 12.2% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $279,754 | $237,939 | $452,321 | $1,439,020 | $1,807,737 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $600 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $600 | $353,895 | $277,421 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $280,354 | $591,834 | $729,742 | $1,439,020 | $1,807,737 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Noah Bullock
Noah sees at the heart of Cristosal’s mission the challenge to redefine human rights mechanisms and state responses to address today's human rights violations. “Human rights were taught to me as a historical process, and every generation has to be able to understand human rights and violations in their own time. Our moment has changed significantly from when these frameworks were established, so we are challenged now to find ways to apply these same principles in programming to address our moment’s greatest challenges of displacement by violence, poverty, and inequality.”
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Cristosal
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Cristosal
Board of directorsas of 11/15/2024
Board of directors data
David Holiday
Greg Rickel
Norma Guerra
Geoffrey Curtiss
Mike Angell
Bob Wilson
Clare Nangle
Roger Jones
Lisa Fortuna
Steve Adams
Santana Alvarado
Miguel Cruz
David Holiday
Beth McFadyen
Tatiana Obando
Shannon MacVean-Brown
Brenda Pfahnl
Hannah Odell
Tamara Taraciuk
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
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