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Cultural Vistas Inc

EIN 13-6199596 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood70 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

CULTURAL VISTAS LEVERAGES THE POWER OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE TO CONNECT LIVES, ENHANCE GLOBAL SKILLS, AND DRIVE POSITIVE CHANGE.

Income
$20.7 million
Spending
$19.4 million
Spent on programs
84%
Reserves
3.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 46%
Employees
83
Volunteers
20
Highest pay
$360,572, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 60% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 12% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    84% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    21 of 21 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 (5)
  1. $5.0 million spent. CV'S TRAIN USA AND KOREA WEST PROGRAMS PROVIDE STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE THEIR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICAN CULTURE & BUSINESS PRACTICES. TRAIN USA IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PROVIDING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, RECENT GRADUATES AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FROM AROUND THE WORK THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CAREER-FOCUSED INTERNSHIPS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THREE WEEKS TO EIGHTEEN MONTHS AT US COMPANIES. KOREA WORK-ENGLISH-STUDY-TRAVEL (WEST) IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PROVIDING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES FROM THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERTAKE INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING, FOLLOWED BY CAREER-FOCUSED INTERNSHIPS FOR THREE TO TWELVE MONTHS AT US COMPANIES.
  2. $4.7 million spent. THE INTERNATIONAL VISITOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (IVLP) IS THE FOUNDATIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS. IVLP ADVANCES U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITIES AND BUILDS LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AMERICANS AND INTERNATIONAL LEADERS IN GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, ACADEMIA, AND OTHER FIELDS THROUGH CAREFULLY DESIGNED SHORT-TERM VISITS TO THE UNITED STATES. EACH YEAR, IVLP BRINGS UP TO 5,000 PARTICIPANTS TO THE UNITED STATES FROM COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD TO MEET AND CONFER WITH THEIR PROFESSIONAL COUNTERPARTS AND GAIN FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE UNITED STATES, ITS PEOPLE, POLICIES, AND CULTURE. AS ONE OF ONLY EIGHT NATIONAL PROGRAM AGENCIES, CV WORKS IN COORDINATION WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE TO ADMINISTER, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY SUPPORT U.S. FOREIGN POLICY GOALS FOR 405 IVLP PARTICIPANTS IN 2024 IN A COMBINATION OF VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON FORMATS.
  3. $2.9 million spent. CV'S INTERNSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE CONGRESS BUNDESTAG YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM WHICH IS A RECIPROCAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE US DEPARTMENT OF SATE AND THE GERMAN BUNDESTAG (PARLIAMENT) AND IS DESIGNED TO GIVE PARTICIPANTS AN UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYDAY LIFE, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES. IT ALSO INCLUDES THE EDMUND S. MUSKIE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WHICH IS A SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE THAT PROVIDES EMERGING LEADERS FROM EASTERN EUROPE, THE CAUCASUS, AND CENTRAL ASIA WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE COMPLEMENTING AND ENRICHING THEIR GRADUATE STUDIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES VIRTUAL LEARNING, TRAINING SESSIONS ON TEAM-BUILDING, COMMUNITY SERVICE VOLUNTEERING, POLICY BRIEF DEVELOPMENT, AND THREE-MONTH PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIPS WITH U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, NGOS, AND BUSINESSES.
  4. $1.9 million spent. INDO PACIFIC PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE YOUNG PACIFIC LEADERS INITIATIVE WHICH IS A YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING LINKAGES ACROSS THE PACIFIC AND THE US. THE PROFESSIONAL FELLOWS PROGRAM OCEANIA IS A TWO WAY GLOBAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROMOTE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, ENHANCE LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, AS WELL AS BUILD LASTING, SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN MID LEVEL MERGING LEADERS FROM THE PACIFIC ISLANDS AND THE US. THE YOUNG SOUTHEAST ASIAN LEADERS INITIATIVE SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN TIES BETWEEN THE US AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, BUILD THE LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES OF YOUTH IN THE REGION AND NURTURE A COMMUNITY OF LEADERS WHO WORK ACROSS BORDERS TO SOLVE COMMON ISSUES.
  5. $1.8 million spent. CULTURAL VISTAS' SHORT-TERM EXCHANGE PROGRAMS INCLUDED BOTH INBOUND PROGRAMS TO THE U.S. AND OUTBOUND EXCHANGES ABROAD. INBOUND PROGRAMS IN 2024 INCLUDED BUILDING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE CULTURE OF REMEMBRANCE (DAICOR), BEYOND WASHINGTON, AND TRADE UNION OF TRUCK DRIVERS, WORKERS AND EMPLOYEES OF AUTOMOTIVE FREIGHT LOGISTICS AND SERVICES. OUTBOUND PROGRAMS ABROAD IN 2024 INCLUDED STEM & ENTERPRISE LAUNCH, DAICOR, AND CONNECT WITH RWANDA. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE THEIR CAREER SKILLS AND GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICAN CULTURE AND BUSINESS PRACTICES THROUGH SEMINARS, COMPANY VISITS AND INTERNSHIPS FOR THREE WEEKS TO THREE MONTHS. THE CITIZEN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IS AN OUTBOUND SHORT TERM STUDY TOUR WHICH BRINGS INDIVIDUALS TOGETHER WHO SHARE A COMMON PROFESSIONAL FOCUS FOR AN IN-DEPTH INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE. IT OPENS DOORS FOR DELEGATE AND INTERNATIONAL COUNTERPARTS TO SHARE PERSPECTIVES THROUGH ROUND TABLE MEETINGS, SITE VISITS, AND ONE ON ONE CONVERSATIONS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since April 1966.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.

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.