Shanta Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
To partner with underserved rural villages in Myanmar and Zambia to develop healthy communities. Through a collaborative process, we empower local leadership to make effective, sustainable change focusing on education, quality health care, and economic opportunities
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 65%
- Reserves
- 3.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 95%
- Employees
- 4
- Highest pay
- $165,757, 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: 78 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 17% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 84% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1565% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 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: 75 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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)
- $349,870 spent. Village Development Zambia-Shanta Village Partners is structured to reinforce long-term sustainability by funding and training grassroots, locally-based organizations (such as Muditar in Myanmar and Peoples Action Forum in Zambia) rather than directly implementing the Village Partnership Model (VPM) ourselves. This is the preferable approach for several reasons. By investing know-how and resources in local development practitioners, we build local capacity to drive development, ensuring that the necessary skills are rooted in the local communities and not dependent on expatriates. Moreover, it means that our organizational structure reflects the very principles we are trying to share in local communities. Rather than doing for, we equip others to do for themselves. This happens when Shanta trains its local partner, and then it happens again when our local partners go into villages to provide training, facilitation, and encouragement. Finally, this approach empowers the local organization (a separate legal entity from Shanta) to contextualize and execute the VPM. This enhances sustainability because it allows local people, who understand the culture, to adapt the model to fit a given community, tribe, or people group. Zambia is our newest operational area and has four active village partnerships. We are currently implementing our Village Partnership Model (VPM) similarly to our approach in Myanmar. The key difference is that we are intentionally tailoring it to fit the village context in southern Zambia. For example, child marriage is a significant problem in Zambia and contributes to a host of other social ills like extreme poverty, gender-based violence, high drop-out rates, etc. As such, and at the behest of our village partners, this issue has been centered in the Zambian adaptation of our VPM. Similar to Myanmar, in Zambia, Shanta Foundation is pioneering a holistic, community-led, sustainable development model that equips local people to solve local problems permanently; this approach fosters independency rather than dependency. When Shanta partners with a village (usually for six years), we begin by facilitating a process whereby the entire village elects a Village Development Team (VDT) that will design and oversee the implementation of their villages development path. Our approach is not prescriptive. Instead, we believe that the villagers themselves know their context, complete with its opportunities, resources, and challenges, better than we ever will. As such, we facilitate a process whereby the villagers set their development priorities, actually choosing what projects will or wont be pursued. The VDT leads this work and begins by establishing a community bank. The community bank offers low-interest loans to villagers, and they usually borrow to buy agricultural inputs. This accomplishes two things: first, each familys farming efforts are more profitable because their cost of capital is generally cut in half; second, with each successive loan cycle, interest accumulates in the community bank, eventually growing to the point that villagers can withdraw money the funds needed to implement a new project or maintain an existing project. This goes well beyond conventional notions of sustainability because it creates a perpetually growing pool of capital that can be used for development projects. Meanwhile, it spurs increased entrepreneurial activity by radically reducing the cost of capital for micro enterprises and smallhold farmers. Once these core projects are established, we offer villagers a menu of additional projects (alternate agriculture, womens empowerment, clean water, school improvement, teacher housing, healthcare, etc.). Still, villagers can also choose projects that are not on this list. It is their village, so the choices are 100% theirs to make. These are a few of our accomplishments in Zambia in FY 2025: A six-year partnership was established with one new village, with four active partnership villages operating in FY25. The four project types fall under five main programs: Leadership, Womens Empowerment, Education and Health, Income Generation, and Infrastructure programs. A total of 240 households and 1,014 people were direct beneficiaries of FY25 annual projects and programs.
- $337,894 spent. Shanta Village Partners is pioneering a holistic, community-led, sustainable development model (Village Partnership Model VPM) that equips local people to solve local problems permanently; this approach fosters independency rather than dependency. Moreover, by placing local villagers in control of the partnership, the vestiges of colonialism (so ubiquitous in how international development is commonly implemented) are erased, and the voices, choices, and sovereignty of local people are centered in the project design. When Shanta partners with a village (typically for six years), we begin by facilitating a process whereby the entire village elects a Village Development Team that will design and oversee the implementation of their villages development path. Our approach is not prescriptive. Rather, we believe that the villagers themselves know their context, complete with its opportunities, resources, and challenges, better than we ever will. As such, we facilitate a process whereby the villagers set their development priorities, actually choosing what projects will or wont be pursued. The VDT leads this work and begins by establishing a community bank. The community bank offers low-interest loans to villagers, and they usually borrow to buy agricultural inputs. This accomplishes two things: first, each familys farming efforts are more profitable because their cost of capital is generally cut in half; second, with each successive loan cycle, interest accumulates in the community bank, eventually growing to the point that the VDT can withdraw the funds needed to implement a new project or maintain an existing project. This goes well beyond conventional notions of sustainability because it creates a perpetually growing pool of capital that can be used for development projects. Meanwhile, it spurs increased enterpreneurial activity by radically reducing the cost of capital for micro-enterprises and and smallhold farmers. Once these core projects are established, we offer villagers a menu of additional projects (alternate agriculture, womens empowerment, clean water, school improvement, teacher housing, healthcare, etc.). Still, villagers can also choose projects that are not on this list. It is their village, so the development path is 100% theirs to design. During Fiscal Year 25 (July 2024 to June 2025), Shanta Village Partners made a significant impact by collaborating with 19 villages15 in Myanmar and 4 in Zambia. Notably, four villages in Myanmar successfully graduated from a six-year partnership at the end of December 2024, marking a milestone in sustainable development. A total of 1,685 households and 7,594 individuals directly benefited from 20 different project types and a total of 179 village development projects, transforming lives and fostering resilient communities. Shanta Village Partners is structured to reinforce long-term sustainability by funding and training grassroots, locally-based organizations (such as Muditar in Myanmar and Peoples Action Forum in Zambia) rather than directly implementing the Village Partnership Model (VPM) ourselves. This is the preferable approach for several reasons. By investing know-how and resources in local development practitioners, we build local capacity to drive development, ensuring that the necessary skills are rooted in the local communities and not dependent on expatriates. Moreover, it means that our organizational structure reflects the very principles we are trying to share in local communities. Rather than doing for, we equip others to do for themselves. This happens when Shanta trains its local partner, and then it happens again when our local partners go into villages to provide training, facilitation, and encouragement. Finally, this approach empowers the local organization (a separate legal entity from Shanta) to contextualize and execute the VPM. This enhances sustainability because it allows local people, who understand the culture, to adapt the model to fit a given community, tribe, or people group. These are a few of our accomplishments in Myanmar in FY25: In 2025, Shanta began two new village partnerships, and 105 projects from 19 different project types were implemented across 19 villages in Southern Shan State, Myanmar. The 19 project types fall under five main programs: Leadership, Womens Empowerment, Education and Health, Income Generation, and Infrastructure programs. Approximately 1,452 households and 6579 people were beneficiaries of FY25 annual projects and programs. In both regions, there are approximately 247 Village Development Team members (86 women and 161men). All of these VDT members volunteer their time, energy, and commitment to various projects. o In FY25, the Village Development Team (VDT) has been able to lead and manage the village through approaches such as inclusive participation in village development planning, ensuring benefits for all, promoting transparency, fostering equality, assigning roles to and empowering women, and regularly providing transparency meetings. They have also built collaboration between the village headman and the VDT by inviting them to meetings and including them as members of the committee. When implementing village development activities collaboratively, the required community contributions are collected on a household basis. The committees apply a tiered system based on each households income, which reflects their practical application of Shantas guiding principles of inclusion and equitability. o Enhanced project proposal writing skills led to significant achievements: six leadership groups in Pinlaung township submitted three proposals, demonstrating increased capacity and initiative. Meanwhile, five leadership groups in Taunggyi township submitted one proposal, reflecting continued engagement. Notably, one proposal secured 30 million kyats (approximately 6,928 USD) from the Department of Rural Development in Myanmar, providing vital funding for the village fund and demonst
- o Womens group discussions led by the Village Health Educator (VHE) took place in 17 villages with 52 VHEs, involving 1,517 women in knowledge sharing and peer learning. The VHE strengthened its role as a key player in the village health sector by fostering collaboration with the health department through forming village health committees and promoting health awareness among women. All villages involved in the VHE project maintain strong relationships with rural health midwives, collaborating on community mobilization, transportation support, data collection, and maternal health needs. For income generation and economic development, the Soybean project with 72 farmers covering 76.5 acres, the ginger project with 13 farmers on 5 acres, and the Building Resilience Livelihood project with 277 farmers covering 277 acres, were completed in several villages, benefiting a total of 362 farmers. For the Education Program, (1) The Scholarship Fund project, (2) English Summer Class, (3) Library, and (4) Preschool projects were accomplished, which benefited women in 19 villages and benefited 344 students overall. Under the Infrastructure Program, seven projects have been completed: three road renovations, one bridge construction, one school building construction, and two deep well water initiatives. The Infrastructure Committees are composed of 64 men and 14 women, totaling 78 members. With guidance from the VDT and Infrastructure Committees, several key projects have been successfully completed, improving safety, accessibility, and economic prospects for villagers. These efforts demonstrate strong community involvement, efficient resource management, and notable cost savings through collective effort. Overall, these infrastructure developments have benefited 229 villagers, 42 students, and three teachers. The Community-Based Disaster Risk-Reduction Management Project was launched in 7 villages with 46 committee members and benefited 2,441 people. This year, the community acknowledged the importance of disaster preparedness, driven by firsthand experiences with conflicts, floods, wildfires, strong winds, and earthquakes. Community members actively collaborated and showed strong dedication to community risk reduction and prevention activities. The Earthquake Relief Project (established after the March 2025 earthquake) raised significant funding for reconstruction. Twenty-eight homes in Myauk Hti Bwar North and South villages have been rebuilt; 20 traditional bamboo houses in Inle Lake Village have been reconstructed; and two staff houses were also repaired. This initiative exemplifies our commitment to rebuilding disaster-affected communities and restoring hope and resilience.
- Leadership project: The Village Development Teams (VDT) consists of 52 members, including 21 women and 31 men. These volunteers dedicate their time, energy, and commitment to various projects. VDT meetings are held regularly, allowing the team to effectively lead and manage village development activities with inclusive participation. They have also fostered collaboration between the village headman and the VDT by inviting them to meetings and encouraging social peer pressure to promote accountability. The Community Bank covered 222 borrowers, providing an opportunity to lend. Villagers borrowed to invest in livestock such as goats, cows, and chickens; they also invested in agricultural inputs, bicycles, and solar panels. The beneficiaries who received loans from the CB are now able to make profits from their businesses, which was previously difficult due to minimal capital. The Women Action Groups (WAG) Project began in April 2025 in Siyowi, Kabanje, Nachili, and Mpasu villages. In Myanmar,
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 December 2006.
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.
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