Maya Educational Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MAYA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION (MEF) SUPPORTS PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT OF MAYA PEOPLE. HOW WE ACHIEVE THIS MISSION:WITH OUR FOCUS ON HIGHER EDUCATION, WE PARTNER WITH PROVEN NONPROFITS IN GUATEMALA, MEXICO, AND BELIZE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE UNIVERSITY-LEVEL SCHOLARSHIPS TO PROMISING AND DETERMINED MAYA STUDENTS FROM POOR ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS.WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS SHOW A HIGH REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS AND RESPECT FOR MAYA CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.IN ORDER TO INCREASE EDUCATIONAL ACCESS FOR MAYA STUDENTS IN REMOTE AREAS, WE WORK WITH NONPROFITS WHO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO ADVANCE TOWARDS VOCATIONAL HIGH-SCHOOL OR UNIVERSITY.WE ALSO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF TWO IMPORTANT GUARDIANS OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE MESOAMERICAN REGION: CIRMA IN ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA AND SNA JTZ'IBAJOM (HOUSE OF THE WRITER) IN SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, MEXICO.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $767,845
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 109.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 90%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 30
- Highest pay
- $16,750, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 109.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 41% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 40% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $338,115 spent. THE FOUNDATION PRIMARILY PROVIDES GRANTS THAT SUPPORT AND PROMOTE EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS IN THE MAYA REGION OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA. APPROXIMATELY 15 - 20 GRANTS ARE AWARDED ANNUALLY TO VETTED NONPROFIT PARTNERS IN GUATEMALA, MEXICO, AND BELIZE. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FOUNDATION TRAVEL TO THESE AREAS PERIODICALLY TO MONITOR AND OBSERVE THE PROGRAMS AND REGULAR ONLINE MEETINGS ARE HELD WITH SUPERVISORS AND STUDENTS. MEF SERVES UP TO 500 MAYA STUDENTS PER YEAR IN THE VARIOUS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS IT SUPPORTS.
- $313,316 spent. THE FOUNDATION ANNUALLY PROVIDES GRANTS TO CIRMA IN GUATEMALA AND SNA JTZ'IBAJOM, IN SUPPORT OF THEIR MISSIONS TO FOSTER STUDY AND PRESERVATION OF MAYAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF THE MESOAMERICAN REGION.FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES CIRMA HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY FOR ITS DEDICATION TO THE RESCUE AND PRESERVATION OF GUATEMALA'S VISUAL AND DOCUMENTARY PATRIMONY. MEF'S SUPPORT OF CIRMA FOCUSES ON THEIR UNIQUE HISTORICAL AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVES AND THEIR COMPREHENSIVE LIBRARY SPECIALIZING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, WITH BOOKS AND PERIODICALS PERTAINING TO THE MESOAMERICAN REGION.IN JANUARY 2024, MEF STARTED A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, WITH THE HELP OF CIRMA: 56 STUDENTS, FORMERLY IN TWO OTHER MEF PROGRAMS, ARE NOW BEING SERVED BY MEF STAFF, WITH ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING OVERSIGHT FROM CIRMA. THIS COLLABORATIVE VENTURE IS CALLED PROGRAMA DE BECAS MAYAS MEF.SNA JTZ'IBAJOM (HOUSE OF THE WRITER), THE MAYA WRITERS' GROUP IN SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS HAS FOUGHT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MAYA CULTURE AND PROMOTION OF LITERACY SINCE 1983. THE GROUP'S MEMBERS HAVE PRODUCED MANY PLAYS AND PERFORMANCES, WRITTEN BOOKS, GRAMMAR AND LANGUAGE MANUALS, TAUGHT LITERACY AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE COURSES, AND CARRIED OUT VIDEO AND RADIO PROJECTS.OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES MEF HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO SNA FOR BRINGING MAYAN LANGUAGE LITERACY COURSES TO TSELTAL- AND TSOTSIL-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES IN CHIAPAS. IN THESE COURSES, MAYA CHILDREN AND ADULTS ARE LEARNING TO READ AND WRITE IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGES. THERE IS GREAT INTEREST AND THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN AND GRADUATED FROM THESE COURSES. MEF SHARES THE GOAL OF PRESERVING MAYAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS.MEF LAUNCHED A UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WITH SNA JTZ'IBAJOM IN 1998. IT HAS SEEN MANY STUDENTS GRADUATE AND CURRENTLY SUPPORTS 35 STUDENTS IN A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING AGRONOMY, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, MEDICINE, DENTISTRY, COMMUNICATIONS, ANTHROPOLOGY, LAW AND NURSING.MORE RECENTLY, SNA HAS AGREED TO ADMINISTER MEF'S SMALL CHENALHO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL SUPERVISORS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Educational Foundation Inc (Chapel Hill, NC), EIN 56-6058412. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.