irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $1.23MCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC POLICY: EFFORTS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EFFECTS OF MEDICAL DEBT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS FOR FURTHERING COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, AND INFORMING AND SUPPORTING PUBLIC POLICY EFFORTS TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC CAUSES OF MEDICAL DEBT.
- #2 $547KTECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: RESEARCH, DESIGN, AND DEVELOP TECHNOLOGIES TO DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S CORE MISSION OF LOCATING, ACQUIRING, AND ABOLISHING MEDICAL DEBT.
named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Government Partnerships
Collaborates with city, county, and state governments to leverage public funds for medical debt relief, focusing on communities with demonstrated need and advocacy support
Healthcare Provider Partnerships
Partners with hospitals and health systems to identify and abolish unpaid medical debt through donation or sale of patient accounts, using income-based criteria to determine eligibility
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Healthcare Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocacy for systemic healthcare reform and policy changeWorks with partners and policymakers to improve the healthcare system and prevent the accumulation of new medical debt. Includes efforts that led to White House recognition enabling use of American Rescue Plan funds for medical debt relief.
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Direct Financial Assistance to Individuals 1 activity
- Purchase and abolition of medical debt portfoliosUses donated funds to purchase bundled portfolios of medical debt at significant discounts and erases them for individuals in financial hardship, with each dollar donated resulting in approximately $100 of debt erased. Conducts biweekly debt abolishment cycles to systematically process donations and relieve debt.
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Community Health Equity Initiatives 1 activity
- Targeted medical debt relief campaignsConducts geographically focused campaigns to relieve medical debt, including partnerships with local and state governments and specific jurisdictions. Examples include the relief of $280.3 million in medical debt for 158,541 residents of Cook County and collaboration with nearly 20 government entities.
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Uncategorized 4 activities
- Notification and post-relief servicesSends letters to individuals across the country informing them their medical debt has been canceled and provides quarterly reports detailing the amount of debt relieved, geographic distribution, and average account value. Also contributes to improved credit scores and reduced financial strain for recipients.
- Partnerships with healthcare providers and revenue generationPartners with hospitals, physician practices, and health systems—over 300 to date—to acquire unpaid medical debt portfolios, providing healthcare organizations with revenue from otherwise dormant accounts while enabling debt relief for patients.
- Research on medical debt and healthcare accessConducted research in partnership with Neighborhood Trust finding that 55% of individuals with medical debt deferred necessary medical care, contributing to understanding of the broader impact of medical debt on health outcomes.
- Story collection and impact documentationCollects and maintains a story bank of experiences from medical debt relief recipients, with over 42,700 stories collected since 2021, used to inform advocacy and maintain accountability to affected individuals.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$92.58M
Contributions & grants$88.85M96%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$3.64M4%
Other revenue$94K
expenses
Total expenses$33.12M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$3.99M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$154.56M
Cash$69.39M
Investments$54.77M
Liabilities$976K
Net assets$153.58M
Liquid reserves45.0 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +227.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 10
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALLISON SESSO | CEO & PRESIDENT | 40 | $394K |
| RAVNEETA CONSUL | COO | 40 | $318K |
| RUTH LANDE | VP HOSPITAL RELATIONS | 40 | $304K |
| DAVID REYNOLDS | VP INFO SYSTEMS | 40 | $256K |
| MARISA CLEMENTE | VP PHILANTHROPY | 40 | $243K |
| JANA KNAUEROVA | VP FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION | 40 | $219K |
| EVA STAHL | VP POLICY & PROGRAMS | 40 | $191K |
| CHARLES RUSSEK | SENIOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER | 40 | $183K |
| DANIEL LEMPERT | VP MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $178K |
| PETER NIEUWKERK | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGER | 40 | $155K |
board members · 12
- DR OXIRIS BARBOT — DIRECTOR
- DR RAMANATHAN RAJU — DIRECTOR
- ELIZABETH MARINCOLA — TREASURER (AS OF 12/2024)
- HAROLD ASHTON — DIRECTOR (THRU 5/24/2024)
- JEFF SMEDSRUD — DIRECTOR
- JONATHAN LINDSEY — DIRECTOR
- JONATHAN WIGGS — DIRECTOR
- JOSE PENABAD — TREASURER (THRU 12/2024), VICE CHAIR (AS OF 12/2024)
- MICHELE MASUCCI — VICE CHAIR (THRU 12/2024), BOARD CHAIR (AS OF 12/2024)
- ROBERT GOFF — DIRECTOR (THRU 12/11/2024)
- TED SANN — SECRETARY
- WILLIAM VON MUEFFLING — BOARD CHAIR (THRU 12/11/2024)
relationships · 23
Who they work with
- ASICS Los Angeles Marathon Partner — Official charity partner for the 2027 event, mobilizing runners to support medical debt relief.
- Access Health Partner — Co-led a 100-day research lab to understand issues impacting residents of Muskegon and address medical debt.
- Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church Partner — Partnered to launch a campaign to retire $2M in medical debt in Chatham County, NC.
- City of Toledo Partner — Early government partner working with Undue to cancel medical debt for residents.
- City of Toledo Partner — Funded debt relief for Amber in Toledo, Ohio.
- Collection agencies Partner — Acquires medical debt portfolios from collection agencies for abolishment.
- Communities Joined in Action Partner — Partnered to engage community health organizations with local healthcare providers and elevate the issue of medical debt.
- Cook County Partner — First government partner in 2022 to relieve medical debt for residents.
- Debt buyers Partner — Acquires medical debt portfolios from other debt buyers for abolishment.
- DuPage Health Coalition Partner — Collaborated as part of community engagement efforts to address medical debt and improve access to care for low-income populations.
- FinThrive Partner — Partner organization providing third-party data on household income and financial status to identify patients experiencing financial hardship
- Government Partners Government — Partners with local and state governments to relieve medical debt.
- Hospitals Partner — Partners with hospitals to acquire medical debt portfolios for purchase and abolishment.
- Kairos Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Undue Medical Debt to restore economic freedom to individuals burdened by medical debt.
- Medical Debt Relief Alliance Partner — Group of monthly donors that has abolished $40 million in medical debt in partnership with Undue Medical Debt.
- Neighborhood Trust Partner — Research partner in studying the impact of medical debt on healthcare access.
- Physician groups Partner — Acquires medical debt portfolios from physician groups for abolishment.
- STATE PROTECTIONS ON CREDIT REPORTING AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Partner — Collaborates on state-level policy initiatives related to credit reporting and financial assistance for medical debt
- Students in Action Partner — Youth group that has abolished $1.2 million in medical debt through fundraising and advocacy.
- TCS New York City Marathon Partner — Official charity partner for the 2026 event, fundraising to relieve medical debt.
- The Giving Block Partner — Partner for accepting cryptocurrency donations.
- Vituity Partner — Healthcare provider that partnered with Undue Medical Debt to erase patient debt
- White House Government — Recognized medical debt relief as an eligible use of American Rescue Plan funds in February 2023.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Story-Informed Advocacy and Systemic Reframing 43 orgsmethodology: story_informed_advocacyBy using personal stories to inform advocacy and reframe medical debt as a systemic failure rather than individual fault, we drive policy change, because narrative shifts increase public empathy and political will for structural reform.shared approach: Narrative Power Building →
- Data-Driven and Barrier-Reduced Relief Deliverymethodology: data_driven_debt_targetingBy using data analytics to target debt held by financially vulnerable individuals and automatically canceling qualifying debt without applications, we increase reach and equity, because reducing administrative barriers ensures relief reaches those most in need.
- Debt Abolition via Bulk Purchasemethodology: debt_abolition_through_bulk_purchaseBy purchasing bundled medical debt at steep discounts using donor-funded infrastructure, we can eliminate large volumes of debt for financially vulnerable individuals, because this approach maximizes the impact of each dollar donated and enables scalable relief.
- Leveraging Public and Institutional Partnerships for Scalemethodology: public_fund_leverageBy partnering with governments and healthcare providers to leverage public funds and donated debt portfolios, we amplify the reach of private donations, because combining public and private resources creates a force multiplier effect for systemic impact.
- Systemic Reform Paired with Debt Reliefmethodology: debt-relief-plus-systemic-reformBy combining immediate debt abolition with policy advocacy and systemic reform, we produce sustainable change, because addressing only existing debt without changing underlying structural failures allows the crisis to persist.