American Youth Hostels Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 74 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $32.7 million
- Spending
- $35.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- -10.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 91%
- Employees
- 483
- Volunteers
- 232
- Highest pay
- $494,985, ceo/asst secretary
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 19 out of 100. Higher than 1% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 66% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 74 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (housing, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
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 March 31, 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 (4)
- $28.3 million spent. HOSTEL STAY: AYH PROVIDES A NETWORK OF 14 HOSTELS NATIONWIDE, AND IN A TYPICAL YEAR HOSTS TRAVELERS FROM MORE THAN 80 COUNTRIES WITH OVER 650,000 GUEST OVERNIGHT STAYS ANNUALLY. THE SHARED COMMUNITY MODEL AT OUR HOSTELS CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT FOR AUTHENTIC CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND NEW EXPERIENCES THAT CAN BUILD CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING. EACH HOSTEL IS PURPOSELY DESIGNED WITH SPACES AND AMENITIES THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND ENCOURAGE INTERACTION IN AN INCLUSIVE AND INVITING WAY. WE STRATEGICALLY DEVELOP AND USE SPACES TO DELIVER CULTURAL EXCHANGE THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING TO OUR TRAVELER GUESTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AS TRAVELERS GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER, THEY DISCOVER THEIR SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES, CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES AND SOCIAL BARRIERS, EXPAND WORLD VIEWS, AND HELP TO CREATE A MORE TOLERANT WORLD.
- $1.1 million spent. GUEST LEARNING PROGRAMS: AYH'S HOTEL EXPERIENCE IS BASED ON THE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING MODEL, ONE THAT ENCOURAGES IMMERSION, ENGAGEMENT, AND REFLECTION. INTENTIONAL DESIGNED TOURS, OUTINGS, AND IN-HOSTEL GATHERINGS DELIVERED BY STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE GUESTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OTHER CULTURES AND CONNECT TO LOCAL COMMUNITY. PROGRAM DESIGN IS ALIGNED WITH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (AACU) LEARNING VALUE RUBRICS IN THE DISCIPLINES OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP. EACH YEAR, IN ADDITION TO THE HOSTEL STAY PROGRAM, AYH TYPICALLY DELIVERS MORE THAN 2,900 FACILITATED LEARNING PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE WITH OVER 38,000 PARTICIPANTS.
- $57,496 spent. NATIONWIDE SIGNATURE PROGRAMS: AYH DELIVERS NATIONAL SCOPE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUTHENTIC CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND NEW EXPERIENCES THAT CAN MAKE AN ENDURING DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES AND THEIR WORLDS. TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS GIVE 18 TO 30 YEAR OLDS, WITH QUALIFIED FINANCIAL NEED, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL WITHIN THE USA AND AROUND THE WORLD. SAY HI FOR PEACE ENGAGES HOSTEL GUESTS IN ACTIVITIES THAT CELEBRATE THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HOSTELS AROUND THE WORLD AND EXPLORE HOW THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A PEACEFUL SOCIETY. THE GREAT HOSTEL GIVE BACK PROGRAM OFFERS GROUPS OF SIX OR MORE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE A FREE NIGHT'S STAY AT OUR HOSTELS DURING THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY FOR EACH DAY THEIR MEMBERS VOLUNTEER IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. IOU RESPECT BRINGS YOUNG PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM WESTERN AND MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, GERMANY, FRANCE, TUNISIA, LEBANON AND EGYPT ANNUALLY FOR A TWO-WEEK HOSTEL BASED EXCHANGE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES FACILITATED INTENSIVE DIALOGUE, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES, TRAVEL AND REFLECTION. THESE AND OTHER SIGNATURE PROGRAMS PROMOTE CROSS-CULTURAL EXCHANGE, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND TOLERANCE.
- AYH HOESTELS ARE PLATFORMS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH VOLUNTEERISM, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND SERVICE-LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME TO ENSURE HOSTELS ARE SAFE, WELCOMING SPACES FOR TRAVELERS TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. AYH HOSTELS OFFER SPACE AND PROGRAMMING FOR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO GATHER, EXCHANGE IDEAS, AND ENGAGE IN ACTIONS THAT HAVE AN ENDURING IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES AND THEIR WORLDS. OUR HOSTELS, AND THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THEY SUPPORT, CONNECT PEOPLE TO EACH OTHER, TO COMMUNITIES, AND TO THE WORLD.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1979.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.