United States Heartland China Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
UNITED STATES HEARTLAND CHINA ASSOCIATION (USHCA) IS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING A STABLE AND PRODUCTIVE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP THAT SERVES THE INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. THROUGH PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES AND SUBSTANTIVE, ISSUE-SPECIFIC FORUMS, WE BUILD BRIDGES AND PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF THE AMERICAN HEARTLAND REGION AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA SO THAT:OUR FARMERS CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND EXPORTS TO CHINA.OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CAN REMAIN GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE AND CONTINUE TO ATTRACT THE BEST TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING CHINA.OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE THE PLATFORMS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ENGAGE WITH CHINA.OUR YOUTH CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP A GLOBAL MINDSET THROUGH LEARNING ABOUT CHINA AND ITS CULTURE. CHINESE AMERICANS IN OUR REGION CAN CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR COUNTRY AND FEEL THAT THEY BELONG. BUSINESSES INVESTED IN THE U.S. HEARTLAND CAN CREATE AND MAINTAIN JOBS AND REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN THE GLOB
- Income
- $753,878
- Spending
- $539,288
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 10.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 22
- Highest pay
- $94,000, 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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 77% of charities in its peer group (international, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 28% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (international, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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 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 (4)
- $408,880 spent. U.S.-CHINA AG ROUNDTABLE/HEARTLAND CONNECT:THIS ANNUAL BILATERAL EVENT WAS LAUNCHED IN 2021 AND CULTIVATES COOPERATION AROUND AGRICULTURE, SUPPORTING ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AGRICULTURAL TRADE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORLD. OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, IT HAS GROWN INTO THE BROADEST-BASED BILATERAL PLATFORM FOR U.S.-CHINA AGRICULTURAL EXCHANGE TO ADDRESS SHARED CHALLENGES SUCH AS GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE. FOLLOWING TWO VIRTUAL DIALOGUES DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE ROUNDTABLE TOOK PLACE IN PERSON IN ST. LOUIS IN 2023 AND WAS THEN HOSTED BY SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA IN 2024. IN 2024, MAJOR AMERICAN AGRICULTURE PLAYERS AND PRODUCERS OF SOY, RICE, CORN, SORGHUM, DAIRY, AND BEEF FROM 9 DIFFERENT STATES WERE AMONG THOSE WHO TRAVELED TO CHINA TO PARTICIPATE. IN 2025, DUE TO TRADE TENSION, WE REBRANDED AND RESCHEDULED THE EVENT IN CHICAGO AS HEARTLAND CONNECT WITH A FOCUS ON BUSINESS EXCHANGES. THE PROGRAM HAS ALSO PROVIDED A PLATFORM FOR OUR ORGANIZATION TO ORGANIZE LEARNING TRIPS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF AGRICULTURAL LEADERS. A TOTAL OF 28 STUDENTS FROM 18 STATES PARTICIPATED IN FUTURE AG LEADERS DELEGATIONS DURING THE 20242025 PERIOD, WITH 9 STUDENTS FROM 7 STATES JOINING THE 2024 DELEGATION, AND 21 PARTICIPANTS FROM 14 STATES REPRESENTED IN THE 2025 DELEGATION.
- YANGTZE-MISSISSIPPI REGIONAL DIALOGUE:THIS ANNUAL DIALOGUE LAUNCHED IN 2023 AIMS TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY-TO-COMMUNITY LEARNING BETWEEN YANGTZE AND MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN COMMUNITIES AROUND SHARED CHALLENGES. STAKEHOLDERS FROM 17 U.S. STATES HAVE PARTICIPATED ACROSS THE PROGRAMS, ENGAGING IN DIALOGUES ON ENERGY TRANSITION, CLIMATE MITIGATION, GREEN ECONOMY, AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABILITY. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE HAVE BROUGHT TWO GROUPS OF LOCAL LEADERS TO CHINA IN 2023 AND 2025; AND THE 2024 CONVENING IN MEMPHIS FEATURED A CHINESE DELEGATION OF 40 REPRESENTATIVES FROM FIVE LOCALITIES: SHANGHAI, CHONGQING, WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE, AND JIANGXI PROVINCE.
- $500 spent. HEARTLAND CHINESE TEACHER AWARD:THIS ANNUAL PROGRAM RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING CHINESE LANGUAGE EDUCATORS ACROSS THE U.S. HEARTLAND AND SUPPORTS THE NEXT GENERATION OF GLOBAL LEARNERS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2022, 13 EXCEPTIONAL TEACHERS FROM 10 STATES HAVE BEEN HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE IN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE, WITH 5 RECOGNIZED IN THE MOST RECENT 2024-2025 PROGRAM. IN PARALLEL, 5 STUDENTS FROM 5 STATES RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS TO PARTICIPATE IN IMMERSIVE LANGUAGE CAMPS AND UNIQUE SUMMER STUDY TRIPS TO CHINA, HELPING DEEPEN CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING.
- WHY U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS MATTER TO THE HEARTLAND:THIS ANNUAL REPORT COVERS THE 21-STATE HEARTLAND REGION, EXAMINING THE COMPLEX AND EVOLVING RELATIONSHIPS EACH HEARTLAND STATE HAS WITH CHINA, ENCOMPASSING TRADE (EXPORTS AND IMPORTS), INVESTMENT, BUSINESS TIES, EDUCATION, AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES. IT PROVIDES OUR HEARTLAND STAKEHOLDERS WITH ACCESSIBLE, DATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS INTO HOW CHINA IMPACTS LOCAL ECONOMIES AND DEVELOPMENT.
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 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 October 13, 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 June 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 January 2005.
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 October 21, 2026.
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