The 2023 Form 990 filed by Zaka North Inc (EIN: 46-0567613) leaves several basic financial questions unresolved. The filing shows that the organization raised about $12.15 million during the year and spent roughly $5.21 million. That produces a surplus of close to $6.94 million. On its own, that is not unusual. What is unusual is that the same filing reports no cash, no assets, and no net assets at the end of the year. Those numbers do not easily align.
It is important to separate issues that often get conflated. There has been public criticism in the past of certain Zaka volunteers for spreading false stories after October 7. There has also been extensive reporting on Yehuda Meshi Zahav, who led ZAKA for more than a decade and was later exposed through criminal allegations and his own statements as a serial abuser and habitual liar. Those matters are serious. They are also separate. The concerns here have nothing to do with testimony, narratives, or individual misconduct. They are about money and disclosure.
Looking only at the numbers, the main question is where donor funds actually went. Of the $12.15 million raised in 2023, about $4.15 million was distributed as grants to foreign organizations during the year. The remainder does not show up as program spending. It does not appear as reserves. It is not listed as restricted funds. It is not reflected as cash or assets on the balance sheet. The filing does not explain whether the money moved after year-end or was held elsewhere.
That lack of clarity matters because of how the organization presents itself. On its website, Zakaworld.org, the organization refers to itself as Zaka Search and Rescue. That name carries an obvious implication of immediacy. Donors encountering it would reasonably assume that funds raised are moving quickly toward rescue and relief efforts. The Form 990 suggests a much slower and less transparent process.
The spending breakdown adds to the concern. Nearly $475,000 went to advertising and promotion. About $764,000 was classified as fundraising expenses. More than $180,000 was spent on conferences and meetings. In total, more than $1.4 million was devoted to fundraising-related activity. Fundraising is part of nonprofit work. When it begins to approach the scale of aid delivered, it deserves attention.
The organization’s structure raises additional questions. Zaka North reports having no employees and paying no salaries to officers or directors. At the same time, it paid close to $200,000 in management fees to non-employees, along with other professional expenses. This may be permissible. It still leaves open the question of who is responsible for daily oversight and financial controls when millions of dollars are involved.
There is also the issue of oversight itself. Despite handling more than $12 million in donations, the organization reports no independent audit and no reviewed or compiled financial statements. That may meet minimum legal requirements. It does not meet what many donors expect from a charity operating at this scale, particularly one engaged internationally. The 2024 Form 990 has not yet been posted publicly.
A charity that accepts tzedakah money is not just processing transactions. It is holding a moral trust. That trust requires honesty and transparency. When the numbers are unclear, donors are entitled to ask questions. When answers are not obvious, the responsibility lies with the organization to provide them.
