Northern Lights Foundation

Analysis

Northern Lights Foundation is a registered charity in United States, based in Duluth, MN. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in May 2007, 19 years ago. Its declared purposes cover human services, which this site groups under poverty relief. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, Northern Lights Foundation reported income of $264k and spending of $203k, leaving 23% of income unspent that year. Across the 3 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2023, income grew from $207k to $264k (+28%), an average of +13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 114%. Over the whole period it spent 87% of the income it received.

Among 62,758 United States charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Northern Lights Foundation sits at the 54th percentile: it is larger than about 54% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 59th percentile, and in the 58th percentile within MN. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Roots 2empower ($264k), Red Wing Area Food Shelf ($265k) and Springs of Living Water ($264k).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 94% of the total. It paid $77k in professional fundraising fees. At year end it held assets of $227k against liabilities of $0, net assets of $227k.