At Karuna-Shechen, our work is based on effective altruism through a rational design of our activities, rigorous measurement and evaluation of our impact, and efficient use of our resources. We are committed to being transparent, demonstrating integrity, and combating corruption.
As we approach our 25th anniversary, we continue to pursue our mission with the same passion and commitment. We are convinced that together we can continue to make a significant difference in the lives of the people we serve.
Quentin Durand, CEO
Karuna-Shechen’s total expenditure in 2023 amounted to US$3.79M, 82% of which was devoted to our programs to reduce extreme poverty. Advocacy accounts for 2% of our budget. To support our missions, operating costs amounted to 16% of expenditure.
Des états financiers combinés
The lead organization that compiled this report is the French association, Karuna-Shechen France.
Karuna-Shechen is made up of a series of independent organizations that share the goal of alleviating the suffering of disadvantaged populations and advocating for a more altruistic world. These organizations work closely together to nurture our altruistic motivations, coordinate our efforts and foster a solidarity of purpose
The scope of the combined financial statements includes the following 7 entities:
- Karuna-Shechen France, association loi 1901, declared of general interest (France)
- Karuna-Shechen, endowment fund (France)
- Compassion en Action – Karuna, civil society (France)
- Karuna-Shechen USA, 501c3 registered in the State of New York (United States)
- Karuna-Shechen Suisse, non-profit organization (Switzerland)
- Karuna-Shechen Asia Limited, non-profit company (Hong-Kong)
- Stichting Karuna-Shechen Foundation (Netherlands) / Dissolved in 2023
The statutory financial data of the entities are aggregated into the combined accounts after conversion into U.S. dollars. For each local currency, the annual average exchange rate with the USD has been used.
2023 Financial Summary
The missions accomplished have risen from US$2.5M in 2018 to US$3.19M in 2023 (+8% per year) thanks to efforts to (i) improve budget execution capacity by recruiting a MEAL department (monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning), (ii) set quarterly quantitative targets and (iii) continue to support projects that our close to our heart and mission (“grants of compassion” projects) with other like minded NGOs.
Head office expenses stabilized at around US$0.61M (+0.4% p.a., which is below the inflation rate, averaging 2.5% over the period). The ratio of overhead to total general expenses needs to be monitored at around 16%, which is in line with the sector’s low average.
Missions have increased, while donations have decreased. As a result, provisions on dedicated funds are falling sharply (-3.5%/year) to reach a negative amount in 2022, which is still the case in 2023. This is good news in view of the cash surplus we have built up in recent years. What’s more, the negative result is due solely to increased activity in the field, and not to increased expenditure at head office.