2019-05-13T12:30:01-07:00 2018-12-31 134036703 SCHALL & ASHENFARB CPAS 307 5th Ave 15th Floor NEW YORK NY 100166517 990 2018-01-01 133116646 Human Rights First HUMA 2128455200 75 Broad Street New York NY 10004 Michael Breen President & CEO 2019-05-13 true Michael Schall P02024184 2122682800 2018 2019-02-21 02:37:17Z Michael Breen 75 Broad Street Fl 31 New York NY 10004 21092871 false false X www.humanrightsfirst.org X 1978 NY To ensure that the United States is a global leader on human rights. 22 21 100 1000 0 56530 6971612 16138186 0 42337 -20092 643931 402636 7657880 16520730 0 0 8089183 6889624 30000 69000 927998 3391119 3316721 11510302 10275345 -3852422 6245385 3993442 9782893 1828005 1346213 2165437 8436680 X Human Rights First is an independent advocacy and action organization that challenges America to live up to its ideals. We believe American leadership is essential in the global struggle for human rights, so we press the U.S. government and private companies to respect human rights and the rule of law. When they fail, we step in to demand reform, accountability and justice. Around the world, we work where we can best harness American influence to secure core freedoms. We know it's not enough to expose and protest injustice, so we create the political environment and policy solutions necessary to ensure consistent respect for human rights. Whether we are protecting refugees, combating torture, or defending persecuted minorities, we focus not on making a point, but on making a difference. For almost 40 years, we've built bipartisan coalitions and teamed up with front line activists and lawyers to tackle global challenges that demand American leadership. false false 5229232 PROTECTING REFUGEESHuman Rights Firsts Refugee Representation team promotes human rights by assisting refugees fleeing persecution. We achieve this goal by partnering with pro bono lawyers or providing direct representation to help clients access legal protections in the United States consistent with U.S. and international law. We then use that experience to advocate for laws and policies that protect refugees.In 2018, volunteer lawyers in the New York, Washington, D.C., Houston, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas provided more than 101,000 hours of in-kind legal services. During that period, we won legal protection for 156 clients and family members and represented more than 1,300 people from 87 countries. We also conducted 23 pro bono trainings, during which we equipped over 800 attorneys to represent asylum clients. Among the key 2018 policy achievements resulting from our advocacy to protect refugees were the following:--Efforts to expand family immigration detention failed.--The Senate did not confirm an anti-immigrant activist to oversee the refugee admissions process. --Legislators added 4,000 visas for wartime allies to an appropriations bill.Donated Legal and Related Expenses: $60,498,842 . 1159533 ADVANCING A VALUES-BASED FOREIGN POLICYIn 2018, we worked to contain a U.S. retreat from global leadership on human rights while holding the worlds most corrupt actors and human rights abusers accountable for their actions, countering authoritarianism in Europe and the Middle East, fighting a rise in antisemitism, and protecting human rights defenders.Among the key 2018 achievements resulting from our advocacy to strengthen the role of human rights in U.S. foreign policy were the following:--The U.S. government issued sanctions designations against 28 individuals and 21 entities involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption under the Global Magnitsky Act.--Congress placed human rights restrictions on security assistance provided to the government of Egypt. --The Senate voted to curtail U.S. military support to the Saudi-led coalitions war in Yemen. --The Senate released a groundbreaking new report detailing Russian President Vladimir Putins assault on democracy in Russia and Europe. --Members of Congress publicly expressed concern over democracy and human rights backsliding in Hungary and Poland.Donated Legal and Related Expenses: $83,284 . 745755 NATIONAL SECURITY:We have worked for more than a decade to challenge U.S. national security policies that violate human rights and undermine U.S. global leadership. In 2018, we pursued several objectives, including: 1) Strengthen the domestic and international law restrictions on the use of counterterrorism war powers that enable extrajudicial killings, indefinite detention, and military tribunals; 2) Secure additional transparency, accountability, oversight, and rule of law protections for the U.S. targeted killing program and reduce civilian casualties; 3) Close the detention facilities at Guantanamo, and ensure that the U.S. policies of indefinite detention and trial by military commission are limited and ultimately ended; and 4) Solidify a durable, bipartisan consensus against torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment by closing loopholes that could allow detainee abuse.Among the key 2018 achievements resulting from our advocacy to bring U.S. national security policy into compliance with human rights norms were the following:--Congress required the Pentagon to develop a new policy aimed at reducing civilian casualties and to make some reporting of those casualties public.--During her confirmation process, CIA Director Gina Haspel committed not to reinstate a torture program and secret prisons.--Use of the detention facility at Guantanamo has not expanded, and Congress has preserved the ability of the executive branch to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo. . 1109729 8244249 true true false true false false false false false true true true false false false true true false false true true false false true true false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false true 23 0 true 100 true true true false false false false true true false 0 false false false false false false false false false false false false X 22 21 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true false false NY X X Kurt Pacquette 2128455200 75 Broad Street Floor 31 New York NY 10004 William D Zabel Co-Chair 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Tom A Bernstein Co-Chair 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Michael K Rozen Vice Chair 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Lynda Clarizio Treasurer 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Robbie Karp Secretary 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 J Adam Abram Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Tony Blinken Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Elizabeth Bowyer Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Donald Francis Donovan Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Matthew Dontzin Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Leslie Gimbel Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 R Scott Greathead Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Myrna K Greenberg Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Lewis B Kaden Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Kerry Kennedy Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Robert Todd Lang Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Daryl Libow Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Bobby Mandell Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 David Matthews Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Alexi Ashe Meyers Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Alberto Mora Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Matthew G Olsen Director 0.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Mona K Sutphen Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Lev A Sviridov Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Michael Breen President & CEO 37.50 0.00 X 51297 0 2559 Zachary Silverstein COO 37.50 0.00 X 265363 0 25127 Elisa Massimino President & CEO 37.50 0.00 X 264166 0 14894 Kurt Pacquette Dir. of Finance 37.50 0.00 X 127077 0 10633 Robert Berschinski Sr. Vice President 37.50 0.00 X 166257 0 11424 Sharon Kelly McBride VP, Advocacy 37.50 0.00 X 165390 0 11426 Eleanor Acer Sr. Dir-Ref Prot. 37.50 0.00 X 151283 0 23729 Hardy Vieux Legal Director 37.50 0.00 X 151137 0 11207 Melissa Hooper Dir. Hmn Rts & Civ 37.50 0.00 X 129958 0 10386 Cynthia Burns Dir of Operations 37.50 0.00 X 118976 0 14215 Paul LeGendre Dir, Foundations 37.50 0.00 X 103786 0 23388 1694690 158988 16 false true false 0 1821762 520000 13796424 16138186 0 42645 42645 0 0 17300 17300 17300 17300 4336006 4398743 -62737 -62737 -62737 173398 1821762 173398 0 0 0 Fellowship income 900099 237797 237797 Miscellaneous 900099 147539 147539 385336 16520730 385336 -2792 0 0 0 0 1115613 921831 107372 86410 0 4590925 3793479 441856 355590 125986 104102 12126 9758 652539 539193 62804 50542 404561 334289 38937 31335 0 35835 35835 40500 20250 20250 0 69000 69000 2041 2041 321023 304877 12062 4084 51168 46666 30 4472 45238 29719 13550 1969 115065 94971 11354 8740 0 1407401 1141624 162820 102957 142863 129353 5917 7593 0 323642 221193 2422 100027 0 0 227920 189195 19997 18728 74101 62210 6020 5871 Recruiting 123775 2114 121642 19 Repairs & maintenance 111070 78905 9847 22318 Dues & subscriptions 78082 74836 1327 1919 Copying 64265 52679 6360 5226 152732 102763 8529 41440 10275345 8244249 1103098 927998 2921 1994 1243623 875873 650175 4775646 61409 74214 0 0 0 0 334600 113325 2565178 1977479 755875 587699 423741 2703769 519442 519249 0 0 1656 131124 3993442 9782893 677989 450669 900016 895544 250000 1828005 1346213 X -503833 1306262 1169270 6125533 1500000 1004885 2165437 8436680 3993442 9782893 6245385 25858 X false true X true false X 8911681 11033925 10290212 6971612 16138186 53345616 0 0 8911681 11033925 10290212 6971612 16138186 53345616 8050258 45295358 458578 335519 324366 219287 59945 1397695 0 114265 296367 453519 467798 385336 1717285 56460596 0.80220 0.88850 X false false 90396 234096 324492 7919757 8244249 562212 140553 false 793842 749796 620099 562212 2725949 4088924 508348 451895 444941 324492 1729676 198461 187449 155025 140553 681488 1022232 47709 139365 79497 90396 356967 922030 670000 -27145 -560000 1004885 1003496 507952 40582 -630000 922030 1111291 -107795 1003496 1116542 -5251 1111291 1075404 41138 1116542 1.00000 false false false 1192849 698906 493943 894307 838436 55871 478022 440137 37885 587699 519249 X 77153654 25858 60609107 60634965 16518689 2041 2041 16520730 70882411 60609107 60609107 10273304 2041 2041 10275345 Part V, Line 4: Intended uses of the endowment fund. In 2011 the Organization received a donor-restricted endowment to be held in perpetuity in a seperate permanent fund to be distributed to promote the policies and projects of the Organization. Part X : FIN48 Footnote The Organization does not believe its financial statements include any material, uncertain tax positions. Tax filings for the periods ending December 31, 2014 and later are subject to examination by applicable taxing authorities. Europe 0 1 Program Services Research/Advocacy 62196 Middle East & North Africa 0 0 Program Services Research/Advocacy 12803 North America 0 0 Program Services Research/Advocacy 5323 1 1 80322 80322 false false false false false false X X X X X X true Harvest Fund Raising 82 Colonial Drive Newtown PA 18940 F/R Counsel false 69000 69000 AL AK AR AZ CA CO CT DC FL GA HI IL KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC TN UT VA WA WV WI Award Dinner 1995160 1821762 173398 173398 1995160 1821762 173398 173398 173398 X X X X true false false false false false false false false false Eleanor Acer Sr. Dir-Ref Prot. 151283 3175 20554 175012 Elisa Massimino President & CEO 264166 2986 11908 279060 Hardy Vieux Legal Director 151137 3143 8064 162344 Robert Berschinski Sr. Vice President 166257 3342 8082 177681 Sharon Kelly McBride VP, Advocacy 165390 3344 8082 176816 Zachary Silverstein COO 265363 4502 20625 290490 Tom Bernstein Board Co-Chair 141541 See Part V false Schedule L, Part V Supplemental Information Tom Bernstein is the President and Co-Founder of Chelsea Piers. Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers was selected as the venue for Human Rights First's Annual Fundraising Dinner after a review of alternate venues showed Pier Sixty's cost to be materially lower and best suited for the event. Based on Mr. Bernstein's disclosure of a potential conflict of interest, and in accordance with Human Rights First's Conflict of Interest Policy, the audit committee of the board met to review the proposed transaction and approved it on the basis that it was fair, reasonable, and in the organization's best interest. Form 990, Part III, Line 4d: Other Program Services Description OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES 4: Communications and MarketingDonated Legal and Related Expenses: $0 OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES 5: VFAI:Donated Legal and Related Expenses: $0 Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b: Form 990 Review Process Form 990 was prepared by our accounting firm in conjunction with the Organization's financial department. The draft form was reviewed by the Organization's Director of Finance, Chief Operating Officer, Counsel, President/CEO, and key members of the executive team. A complete copy of this Form 990 was then provided to all members of the board of directors via electronic mail before it was filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c: Explanation of Monitoring and Enforcement of Conflicts The Organization requires all directors, officers, and key employees annually to acknowlege receipt of the conflict of interest policy and disclose any potential conflicts of interest. The Chief Operating Officer and Secretary of the Board review all annual disclosures, in addition to any other disclosures made during the course of the year. Any disclosure that indicates a potential conflict of interest is reported to the audit committee and appropriate follow up is undertaken as set forth in the policy. The Organization's conflict of interest policy requires that individuals with conflicts of interest with respect to a particular transaction or action may not participate in the discussion or decision making with respect to that transaction. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a: Compensation Review & Approval Process - CEO, Top Management After a performance review, the executive committee sets the compensation of the organization's President and CEO based on a review of compensation paid by comparable organizations for comparable positions and based on appropriate salary surveys of comparable positions in comparable organizations. The executive committee contemporaneously documents the basis for its decisions. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19: Other Organization Documents Publicly Available The organization makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available either on the website or upon request.