United States · Economic development and livelihoods
Acumen Fund Inc
Acumen Fund
Global nonprofit impact investor tackling poverty, founded in 2001
Acumen is changing the way the world tackles poverty by investing in companies, leaders and ideas. We invest patient capital in businesses whose products and services are enabling the poor to transform their lives. Founded by Jacqueline Novogratz in 2001, Acumen has invested more than $114 million in 109 companies across Africa, Latin America, South Asia and the United States. We are also developing a global community of emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills and determination to create a more inclusive world. In 2015, Acumen was named one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Not-for-Profit Companies. Learn more at www.acumen.org and on Twitter @Acumen.
- Founded
- 2001
- Income 2023
- $53.2M
Accounts
Income Expenditure
Source: IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) — official register
Data table
| Year | Income | Expenditure | Public funds | Staff | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-31 | $53.2M | $30.2M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2022-12-31 | $61.1M | $28.9M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2021-12-31 | $30.5M | $22.8M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2020-12-31 | $28.9M | $28.4M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2019-12-31 | $31M | $26.6M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2018-12-31 | $34.6M | $22.7M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2017-12-31 | $29.6M | $21.9M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2016-12-31 | $30.4M | $19.4M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2015-12-31 | $23.6M | $17.3M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2014-12-31 | $18.7M | $16.9M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2013-12-31 | $16.8M | $15.5M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2012-12-31 | $10.6M | $11.6M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
| 2011-12-31 | $17.1M | $12.2M | – | – | IRS Form 990 (ProPublica) |
Public funds from donor governments
Payments by donor in the last 5 years
| Donor | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCDO (United Kingdom) | €300,450 | €1.5M | €924,166 | €2.3M | €1.4M |
| Global Affairs Canada (Canada) | €521,315 | €1.7M | €1.1M | €556,321 | €173,378 |
| Norad (Norway) | – | – | €1.8M | €1.7M | – |
| USAID (United States) | €243,648 | €528,765 | €1.9M | €402,480 | – |
Payments to the organisation reported by the aid agencies of 17 countries (USAID, FCDO, BMZ, Sida and others) in their own IATI data, converted to euros at the year's average rate. They include funds passed on to local partners. Not all donors name the recipient of their payments, so figures may be incomplete; EU funds are in their own section.
Spending on declared projects (IATI)
Only the projects the organisation publishes on IATI: usually a fraction of its total spending (median 14% in our checks).
Countries with projects published on IATI
Kenya ↗ 8 · Nigeria ↗ 7 · Sierra Leone ↗ 5 · Tanzania ↗ 5 · Uganda ↗ 5 · Ethiopia ↗ 4 · Ghana ↗ 4 · India ↗ 4 · Rwanda ↗ 3 · Colombia ↗ 2 · Pakistan ↗ 1 · Somalia ↗ 1
Number of activities published on IATI that mention the country, added up over all years. Platforms that raise funds for other organisations publish every small project as a separate activity. Each country opens on d-portal the list of this organisation’s projects in that country.
Projects published on IATI (most recent and largest)
| Project | Country | Period | Spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardest-to-Reach Somalia (H2R Somalia) | Somalia | 2024–2025 ongoing | $1.6M |
| Trellis: Acumen's Climate Resilient Agriculture Initiative | Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda | 2024–2028 ongoing | $2.8M |
| Trellis: Acumen Pioneer Agriculture Initiative | Colombia, India, Kenya, Nigeria | 2023–2024 ongoing | $1.3M |
| Pioneer Energy Investment Initiative Powering Livelihoods Using Solar (PEII+) | Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda | 2023–2026 ongoing | $3.6M |
| Acumen Africa Inclusive Work Initiative | Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda | 2022–2025 ongoing | – |
| Acumen West Africa - Invest Salone | Sierra Leone | 2020–2022 ongoing | – |
| Bridging the funding gap for early stage off-grid energy companies to scale modern energy cooking services | Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania | 2020–2021 ongoing | – |
| Strengthening agribusinesses and the livelihoods of low-income smallholder farmers through applied research in behavioural economics and impact measurement frameworks | Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania | 2019–2023 ongoing | $6.1M |
| Bridging the funding gap for early stage off-grid energy companies | Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda | 2019–2021 ongoing | $1.4M |
| PEII Phase 1 | Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda | 2016–2018 ongoing | $1.3M |
Titles are shown as published by the organisation, in their original language. Spending = disbursements and expenditure reported on IATI, in US$.
Official checks
- Public register
- ProPublica (IRS 990) — active registration
- Latest accounts filed
- 2023 (IRS Form 990 (ProPublica))
Facts from public registers and certification bodies, not a judgement on the organisation; the absence of a label is not a negative sign. Methodology
Timeline
- Founded
- Tax-exempt status (IRS)
- First publication on IATI