2017 Oxfam American Annual Report

At the close of 2016, war, violence, and persecution had uprooted more people than at any time in the past seven decades. Among them were more than 22.5 million men, women, and children who had become refugees.
The biggest driver of the refugee crisis is Syria, where more than six years of war have forced in excess of five million people to flee the country. Conflict has also played a devastating role in the lives of South Sudanese, nearly four million of whom have been driven from their homes. By late August 2017, one million had fled across the border into Uganda where Oxfam and its partners are supplying water to more than 89,000
people at the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement. Sheltering over 270,000 people, the refugee camp has grown quickly to be the largest in the world.

As election-fed xenophobia tested the welcoming values on which our nation has long stood, you joined us in vigorously defending the rights of refugees to resettle and pursue lives of dignity in the US and other countries. We worked with celebrities to bring heartbreaking stories of Burundian, Syrian, and other refugees to more than a
million viewers through our ‘I Hear You’ video campaign. We developed an immersive
experience—Refugee Road—to help participants understand the many impossible decisions families make in search of safety. And we joined with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Massachusetts attorney general’s office to bring a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s discriminatory executive order barring Syrian refugees from entering the US indefinitely while suspending all refugee admissions for 120 days. As the case makes its way to the Supreme Court, we have been preparing an amicus brief on the issue. Inspired by all of this, in FY17 more than 57,000 of you signed one of our refugee petitions and became new Oxfam supporters and activists.
DEAR FRIENDS,

More than any year we can think of, this one—fiscal year 2017—highlighted for us
the urgency of all that we do here at Oxfam, and all that you, our donors, do to make
that essential work possible. It was a year of great trial, change, and unrelenting
determination. The global challenges we focus on—poverty, injustice, food insecurity,
conflict, inequality, climate change—triggered humanitarian crises of historic proportions
and fueled a vast migration of women, men, and children seeking safety. At a time when compassion and the embrace of humanity were needed most, waves of isolationism and xenophobia rocked national politics in the US, the UK, and beyond. It was a year that both devastated and galvanized us.
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But from it, one undeniable truth emerged: Our mission is now more relevant than ever.
In a world as rapidly changing as ours has become, we stand for the most worthy of imperatives: the elimination of systemic injustice and the poverty it breeds. Our calling couldn’t be more clear. As we contemplate the current US administration’s retreat from the values that have made our country great, including the tradition of offering safe haven to oppressed people fleeing violence and persecution, we have redoubled our commitment to act. Together with you, we have been tireless in our support of refugees.
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Based here in the US, we are positioned to make a difference in the direction our world takes. We have the opportunity to advocate with policy-makers in the most influential government on the planet; we have the chance to engage—for global good—US companies that have more power than many country economies; and we have the ability to work directly with foundations and philanthropists who have the vision to address both the symptoms of poverty and its root causes. We are also actively engaged with the US public.

Because of you, we stand on solid financial ground to tackle the challenges ahead, and we’ll work hard to do more. We remain indebted to you for your inspiration and commitment on our shared journey toward a just world without poverty.
In June 2017, after more than 20 years of world-class leadership, Raymond C. Offenheiser stepped down as president of Oxfam America. He has joined the University of Notre Dame as the inaugural director of the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development and as distinguished professor of practice at the university’s Keough School of Global Affairs. In honor of his countless contributions and his continuing service as an ambassador for Oxfam’s mission, the Oxfam America board has named him president emeritus.
OXFAM AMERICA IS PART OF THE OXFAM CONFEDERATION: 20 SISTER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING COLLABORATIVELY AROUND THE WORLD. BETWEEN APRIL 1, 2016, AND MARCH 31, 2017, THE CONFEDERATION’S TOTAL EXPENDITURES WERE $1.12 BILLION.
LEARN MORE
WHERE WE WORK
OXFAM AFFILIATES
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Canada
Central African
Republic
Chad
China
Colombia
Côte d’Ivoire
Cuba
Democratic Republic
of Congo
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Fiji
France
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Honduras
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Laos
Lebanon
Liberia
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Mauritania
Mexico
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Occupied Palestinian
Territory
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste (East
Timor)
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
United Kingdom
United States of
America
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Oxfam America
Oxfam Australia
Oxfam-in-Belgium
Oxfam Brazil
Oxfam Canada
Oxfam IBIS (Denmark)
Oxfam France
Oxfam Germany
Oxfam Great Britain
Oxfam Hong Kong
Oxfam India
Oxfam Ireland
Oxfam Italy
Oxfam Japan
Oxfam Mexico
Oxfam Novib (Netherlands)
Oxfam New Zealand
Oxfam-Québec
Oxfam Intermón (Spain)
Oxfam South Africa
YOUR SUPPORT
HAS A GLOBAL
REACH
Oxfam America is one of 20 affiliated
organizations that share a common
vision and philosophy. Inspired by the same passion and commitment, we know that by working together under one umbrella, our results reach farther and last longer. Now present in more than 90 countries, we carry out this collaborative approach in a number of ways.
GLOBAL CAMPAIGNINGREACH
Oxfam America is one of 20 affiliated organizations that share a common vision and philosophy. Inspired by the same passion and commitment, we know that by working together under one umbrella, our results reach farther and last longer. Now present in more than 90 countries, we carry out this collaborative approach in a number of ways.
GLOBAL CAMPAIGNINGREACH
Oxfam America is one of 20 affiliated organizations that share a common vision and philosophy. Inspired by the same passion and commitment, we know that by working together under one umbrella, our results reach farther and last longer. Now present in more than 90 countries, we carry out this collaborative approach in a number of ways.
GLOBAL CAMPAIGNINGREACH
Oxfam America is one of 20 affiliated organizations that share a common vision and philosophy. Inspired by the same passion and commitment, we know that by working together under one umbrella, our results reach farther and last longer. Now present in more than 90 countries, we carry out this collaborative approach in a number of ways.
Elsa Amorinho, 30, of the Mussanga community
in Mozambique fetches water from a newly
restored handpump. Oxfam is increasing
access to water in this drought-stricken area.

PHOTOS: Petterik Wiggers/Oxfam Novib

Some of our work.

Reforming the
food system
Savings lives by changing the nature of emergency response
Empowering citizens to hold their governments accountable.
Ensuring women's inclusion and leadership.
Oxfam is dedicated to fixing injustices in the food system that leave billions of people malnourished, and millions of food workers and producers in poverty and sometimes hungry. And our work is paying off. We push for greater investment in small farmers, fair labor practices, and responsible stewardship of natural resources. In FY17, we brought a laser focus to the industrialization of food production in the US, where one of our campaigns is achieving significant gains for poultry workers.
Poultry workers from a Tyson plant in Arkansas traveled to
Washington, DC, for a rally outside the annual conference of the National
Chicken Council after release of Lives on the Line.

Coco McCabe/Oxfam America
POULTRY PLANT WORKERS GET A BREAK—FINALLY
When Oxfam launched the poultry worker justice campaign in 2015, we identified three essential problems: low pay, dangerous conditions, and a climate of fear. However, as more and more workers spoke out, it became clear that what weighed on them most heavily was simple: the routine denial of bathroom breaks. It was painful and dangerous—and profoundly humiliating. Again and again, poultry workers told us they were stripped of dignity and humanity, and treated like robots.
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We focused on this one aspect in a report titled No Relief published in May 2016. And it sounded a thunderous clap. As media outlets and social media channels scrambled to share the story of workers wearing diapers and urinating on the production line, millions of consumers were exposed to the labor behind their cheap chicken—and shocked enough to become engaged.
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Pressured by this new level of outrage and scrutiny, the top four poultry companies responded—and took action. Many workers report that conditions have improved significantly.
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When Tyson Foods made the strategic decision to take
the lead on sustainability on a number of fronts, the company reached out to begin serious negotiations about improving conditions and compensation for processing workers. Specifically, Oxfam worked with Tyson to draw up an agreement in which the company committed to higher wages and benefits, safer conditions, and more opportunities for workers to participate in the plants and speak out without fear of retaliation. In spring 2017, Tyson publicly announced these commitments.
When disasters happen, local and national aid providers—the responders with the deepest local knowledge—often lack the power and resources they need to take charge. Oxfam knows that saving lives and strong local leadership go hand in hand, so we are advocating for change across the globe. Nowhere is local capacity and leadership more crucial than in war-torn regions like Darfur, Sudan.
Mohammed Mohammedian of KSCS chats with women collecting
water at a tapstand in Kebkabiya. “In the past five years, there have been
four major crises in the area of Kebkabiya. In each case, we were the first
aid agency to arrive with help.”

PHOTOS: Elizabeth Stevens/Oxfam America
IN DARFUR CRISIS, LOCAL AID GROUP IS FIRST ON THE SCENE
In early 2016, violence erupted in Darfur’s mountainous
Jebel Marra region—the latest chapter in an armed conflict
that since 2003 has killed hundreds of thousands of people
and uprooted millions. Of the more than 100,000 people
who fled their villages, more than 22,000 gathered for safety around the base camp of international peacekeepers at a remote outpost known as Sortony. The first humanitarian agency to arrive on the scene? Oxfam’s local partner KSCS, the Kebkabiya Smallholders Charitable Society. As families began building makeshift homes out of stalks of millet, KSCS trucked in drinking water and other essentials, traveling miles each day over treacherous roads to deliver lifesaving aid.
‍
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) like KSCS that are
located in dangerous areas of the world can be the most
effective humanitarian responders, because they understand how to navigate the geographic and political obstacles to emergency response.
‍
“In the past five years, there have been four major crises in the area of Kebkabiya,” says KSCS Program Coordinator Mohammed Mohammedian. “In each case, we were the first aid agency to arrive with help.” And now KSCS is in charge of coordinating aid to Sortony camp.
‍
Oxfam is working with KSCS in Sortony: together, we’ve
helped ensure access to clean water, sanitation facilities,
hygiene materials and information, cash assistance, and
emergency essentials like tarps. But our longer-term role has been to help KSCS and other local partners become skillful, strong, and independent.
‍
“We don’t just hire local organizations like KSCS to help out
in emergencies,” says Oxfam America Humanitarian Director Nahuel Arenas. “ We provide ongoing support to sharpen their skills and readiness, and to strengthen their leadership. It’s a strategy we believe is saving lives.”
We believe in the power of people to overcome poverty and in their right to hold governments accountable. Revenues from natural resources in developing countries can go a long way toward alleviating poverty, but citizens should be the ones to decide if and therefore how resources are exploited, whether projects the government funds are truly beneficial to them, and how the money is spent.
IN DARFUR CRISIS, LOCAL AID GROUP IS FIRST ON THE SCENE
In early 2016, violence erupted in Darfur’s mountainous
Jebel Marra region—the latest chapter in an armed conflict
that since 2003 has killed hundreds of thousands of people
and uprooted millions. Of the more than 100,000 people
who fled their villages, more than 22,000 gathered for safety around the base camp of international peacekeepers at a remote outpost known as Sortony. The first humanitarian agency to arrive on the scene? Oxfam’s local partner KSCS, the Kebkabiya Smallholders Charitable Society. As families began building makeshift homes out of stalks of millet, KSCS trucked in drinking water and other essentials, traveling miles each day over treacherous roads to deliver lifesaving aid.
‍
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) like KSCS that are
located in dangerous areas of the world can be the most
effective humanitarian responders, because they understand how to navigate the geographic and political obstacles to emergency response.
‍
“In the past five years, there have been four major crises in the area of Kebkabiya,” says KSCS Program Coordinator Mohammed Mohammedian. “In each case, we were the first aid agency to arrive with help.” And now KSCS is in charge of coordinating aid to Sortony camp.
‍
Oxfam is working with KSCS in Sortony: together, we’ve
helped ensure access to clean water, sanitation facilities,
hygiene materials and information, cash assistance, and
emergency essentials like tarps. But our longer-term role has been to help KSCS and other local partners become skillful, strong, and independent.
‍
“We don’t just hire local organizations like KSCS to help out
in emergencies,” says Oxfam America Humanitarian Director Nahuel Arenas. “ We provide ongoing support to sharpen their skills and readiness, and to strengthen their leadership. It’s a strategy we believe is saving lives.”
Daysi Carillo walks in the Titihuapa River.
Farmers in this area of northern El Salvador feared
a proposed gold mine would pollute this vital
water source.

PHOTOS: James Rodríguez/Oxfam America
Any organization that has worked for decades on the root causes of poverty understands its direct connection to the rights of women. Without their full political, social, and economic participation, society cannot advance. In FY17, Oxfam continued to advocate for the rights of women, helping them overcome gender discrimination, realize their economic potential, and assume leadership roles in their communities.
Pham Thi Hâu and her uncle, Phùng Bá Nghĩa, walk the streets
of Hanoi, Vietnam, selling brooms.
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PHOTOS: Coco McCabe/Oxfam America
TOILING ON THE STREETS OF HANOI,
A LEADER EMERGES
In early 2016, violence erupted in Darfur’s mountainous
Jebel Marra region—the latest chapter in an armed conflict
that since 2003 has killed hundreds of thousands of people
and uprooted millions. Of the more than 100,000 people
who fled their villages, more than 22,000 gathered for safety around the base camp of international peacekeepers at a remote outpost known as Sortony. The first humanitarian agency to arrive on the scene? Oxfam’s local partner KSCS, the Kebkabiya Smallholders Charitable Society. As families began building makeshift homes out of stalks of millet, KSCS trucked in drinking water and other essentials, traveling miles each day over treacherous roads to deliver lifesaving aid.
‍
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) like KSCS that are
located in dangerous areas of the world can be the most
effective humanitarian responders, because they understand how to navigate the geographic and political obstacles to emergency response.
‍
“In the past five years, there have been four major crises in the area of Kebkabiya,” says KSCS Program Coordinator Mohammed Mohammedian. “In each case, we were the first aid agency to arrive with help.” And now KSCS is in charge of coordinating aid to Sortony camp.
‍
Oxfam is working with KSCS in Sortony: together, we’ve
helped ensure access to clean water, sanitation facilities,
hygiene materials and information, cash assistance, and
emergency essentials like tarps. But our longer-term role has been to help KSCS and other local partners become skillful, strong, and independent.
‍
“We don’t just hire local organizations like KSCS to help out
in emergencies,” says Oxfam America Humanitarian Director Nahuel Arenas. “ We provide ongoing support to sharpen their skills and readiness, and to strengthen their leadership. It’s a strategy we believe is saving lives.”
There’s an important question facing poor countries that are rich with oil and natural gas: How can they use revenues to fight poverty? Oxfam believes part of the answer lies in mobilizing citizens to hold their elected representatives accountable for transparent management of natural resources. Oxfam secured a grant from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) to work on this in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Ghana.
The focus was on promoting better use of information to hold governments accountable, and to help communities affected by new oil and gas projects learn about their rights. In all three countries Oxfam trained reporters to promote more balanced and transparent media coverage of the energy sector and the ways it affects people.
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Oxfam did a baseline study at the beginning of the two-year project, a midterm evaluation, and a final evaluation, using independent evaluators who conducted interviews and document reviews in each country. Oxfam, our civil society
partners, media, and others in Ghana played a vital role in making transparent management of oil revenues a central issue in the December 2016 presidential campaign, and in ensuring that the main political parties committed to accountability
measures. In Tanzania, civil society groups were active in proposing new legislation related to oil and gas development; 60 percent of their recommendations were adopted by Parliament in three crucial laws. In Mozambique, Oxfam’s partners trained a network of community monitors to document the effects of the emerging gas industry on communities
Oxfam is now in a second phase of this NORAD-funded project, and is implementing a number of recommendations that surfaced in the evaluation, including encouraging public discourse on ways oil and gas projects affect women, and how women and young people can influence the ways countries spend oil and gas revenues.

ABOVE: Kojo Kondua is the chief of the Abuesi
fishing village in Ghana. Members of his community participated in a campaign pushing the government to allocate oil and gas revenues to programs that assist small scale fishing families and farmers, which are the backbone of Ghana’s economy.
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PHOTOS: Anna Fawcus/Oxfam America
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
(April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017)
Oxfam America is rated highly by leading independent evaluators and supporters, and is recommended by Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator. Oxfam has earned the Better Business Bureau’s highest rating, meeting all 20 of its Standards for Charity Accountability, while CharityWatch has ranked Oxfam a “Top Rated Charity” with an “A-“ rating. Through TrustPilot, supporters have also rated Oxfam with a TrustScore of 9.5 out of 10. These rankings place Oxfam among an elite group of charitable organizations nationally.
FY17 marked another important revenue milestone for Oxfam America. We wrapped up our successful Campaign for Oxfam in December 2016, exceeding our goal of $75 million by raising more than $80 million for our programs. In addition, we recorded our highest-ever level of unrestricted contributions at $49.3 million—a rise of more than 13 percent over FY16’s level of $43.4 million. That growth came as our donors generously responded to our call to give more and as a result of our street canvassing program to reach new donors. Investment income was very strong in FY17, adding $3.4 million to unrestricted revenue and $4.4 million overall. Restricted contributions were $7.4 million lower, as fewer large humanitarian crises required calls for assistance.
Our program services, accounted for as expenses, were down a modest 6 percent from our 2016 peak, mainly due to lower restricted spending on emergencies. We gave $6.3 million in response to the Nepal earthquake in FY16 with further funding of $2.2 million in FY17. Our Sudan program increased $1 million, while we wound down other programs funded by restricted resources including those in Ethiopia, Senegal, Haiti, and the US. We increased our unrestricted spending in 2017. Our programs educating the American public on issues of global poverty increased modestly, while we slightly decreased restricted funding for private sector programs in our Campaign for Social Justice. The remainder of our unrestricted programming continued at levels similar to previous years, as we moved toward aligning the budget with our key thematic areas: humanitarian, inclusive and resilient food systems, and accountable development and finance. Organizing our work in these broad categories positions us to support global programs initiated by Oxfam America in collaboration with sister organizations.
We made strategic investments in fundraising, increasing 7.3 percent from FY16, which was less than the increase in unrestricted contributions. Management and general costs grew 17 percent over FY16 primarily due to increased contributions to Oxfam International. This increase supports the realignment of Oxfam’s programs globally and provides funds for investment in the capacity of new affiliates from the developing world.

We ended FY17 with a solid reserve position: our unrestricted net assets increased $1.5 million due to the aforementioned strong contributions, investment income, and controlled expenses. We reduced our restricted net assets as a result of spending funds raised in prior years, including on programs funded through our capital campaign and our Nepal earthquake response.

Oxfam America begins fiscal year 2018 with a consistently strong financial position. Because of our solid reserves and the continued generosity of our supporters, we are confident that we can respond effectively to future uncertainties and—most importantly—that we can honor our long-term commitments to our partners and the people whom we serve around the world.

JOE H. HAMILTON
TREASURER AND SECRETARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
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FINANCIALS
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
‍
Joe Loughrey
Chair President & Chief Operating Officer, Cummins Inc. (retired)
‍
Smita Singh
Vice Chair Director, Global Development Program, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation [retired]
‍
Abby Maxman
President & CEO, Oxfam America
‍
Joe H. Hamilton
‍Treasurer & Secretary
Executive Vice President, Liberty Mutual - International (retired)
‍
Kitt Sawitsky
Counsel Director, Goulston & Storrs
‍
OTHER DIRECTORS
‍
Mohamad Ali
President and CEO, Carbonite Inc.

Manish Bapna
Executive Vice President, World Resources Institute
‍
Tony Bebbington
Director and professor, Graduate
School of Geography, Clark University
‍
Latanya Mapp Frett
Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Global
‍
Gina Glantz
Founder, genderavenger.com

Carl F. Munana
Former CEO, Inter-American Investment Corporation
Maria Otero
United States Undersecretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights (retired)
‍
Jack Regan
Senior Council, WilmerHale

Laura Rusu
Policy and Campaigns Media Manager, Oxfam America (staff-elected director)
‍
N. James Shachoy
Senior Managing Director, Accenture PLC
‍
Sonal Shah
Executive Director, Beeck Center
for Social Impact & Innovation,
Georgetown University
‍
Joseph R. Siegelbaum
Of Counsel, Goodwin Procter

Anil Singhal
Founder, President, CEO and Chairman
of the Board, Netscout

Tara Torrens
Partner, Capital Research and
Management

Dabie H. Tsai
Partner, KPMG LLP

Kim Williams
Senior Vice President, Partner, and
Associate Director of Global Industry
Research, Wellington Management
Company LLP (retired)
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
‍Kecia Ali
Karen Keating
Ansara
Marie Benedix
David Bodnick
Sylvia A.
Brownrigg
Linda Call
Wes Callender
Ellen Carr
Susan Clare
Terry Collins
Ian S. Crowe
Susan de Vries
Bruce Detwiler
James W. Down
Sara Erichson
Barbara Fiorito
Hannelore
Grantham
Patricia Hallstein
Stephen Hays
Barry Hershey
Michael
Hirschorn
Lisa Jorgenson
Erika Karp
Barbara
Katzenberg
Johanna
Kuhn-Osius
Stephanie
Kurzina
Stephen Land
Joseph D. Lee
Peter Lynch
Colin Masson
Janet A. McKinley
George A. Miller
Sam Miller Hicks
Paul A. Moses
Patrick B. Murphy
Peter Palmer
Ann Silver Pozen
Dana Quitslund
Kati Rader
Ellen Remmer
Peter Sanborn
H. Jay Sarles
Marilyn Sarles
Val Schaffner
Kate W. Sedgwick
Peter Singer
Renata Singer
Lucian Snow
Michael E. Soloff
Eric E. Sumner
Patsi Sumner
Pat Vinter
Elizabeth Wachs
Charles A. Walsh, III
Barbara Waugh
Roger Widmann