North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The function of NAASC is to foster communication and relationships among North American Arabidopsis scholars and researchers, and act as liaison to international plant biology communities. Arabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant that is widely used worldwide as a model organism for basic research. A primary function of the organization is to organize and secure funding for (typically from government grants and sponsors) the annual International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) when it is held in North America. ICAR promotes rapid exchange of information among students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty & other professional scientists. NAASC supports primarily US scientists to attend ICAR. NAASC also supports North American plant science activities involving research and education including by leading initiatives and collaborating on others. We secure government funding to develop community-serving activities to promote plant biology.
- Income
- $25,527
- Spending
- $79,106
- Reserves
- 34.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 84%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 79 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (science, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 34.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 210% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 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 (3)
- A primary function of the organization is to organize and secure funding for the annual International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) when it is held in North America. The ICAR is currently on a 3 year rotation schedule so that it is held in North America once every 3 years. ICAR promotes rapid exchange of information among students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty & other professional scientists of the latest plant science information. The science conference also serves as an important forum for students & pre-professionals to highlight their research & education & take part in professional & educational development activities. The conference attendance is approximately 500 when in North America, and is open to the international community of people (including the public) that may wish to attend and learn and share plant biology research and education advances/information. As part of the ICAR, the organization provides funding to several invited speakers (particularly early career faculty that may lack significant funds.) The organization also provides significant support to students & postdoctoral scholars and others with reduced access, as part of its mission to promote plant biology and increase access within the scientific community. In 2025, ICAR was organized by international collaborators. Our organization provided travel funding for participation support of 13 US scientists, 12 of which were students, postdocs, and early career (non-tenured) faculty.
- Another primary function of the organization is to support North American plant science activities involving research and education (often in cooperation and collaboration with international scientists). This support occurs in three major ways: Leading program and initiative development, including seeking governmental grants to fund projects; Participating in similar, related, and complementary activities to maintain and strengthen science ties; and (3) Providing advice or input when requested, from other groups and initiatives. Examples of how the organization carries out each of these: Organization members previously secured a governmental grant from National Science Foundation to lead plant science activities including workshops, meetings, outreach efforts, and develop publications and other scholarly reports, and communicate w/public. Members participate in workshops & other activities, including giving presentations, and/or co-authoring articles, with other groups. The organization collaborates & gives input to related educational & scientific groups and societies in cooperation & support of domestic and global plant science initiatives. In 2025, the organization developed several online webinars for our membership and led authorship of 2 publications in the primary plant biology journal, The Plant Cell: (1) A Timeline of Discovery and Innovation in Arabidopsis. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koaf108. (2) In Defense of Funding Foundational Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koaf106. The organization also solicited community nominations for awards in these categories: (A) Arabidopsis Community Lifetime Achievement, (B) Arabidopsis Community Impact, and (C) Dissemination of Arabidopsis Knowledge. We awarded 3 awards in category (A), 3 awards, including 1 early-career award for category (B), and 4 awards, including 1 early-career award for category (C).
- The organization serves as a liaison between members of the research community and government and not-for-profit granting agencies, and provides representation of the research community to service facilities such as the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC), which was established at Ohio State University in September 1991. The mission of ABRC is to acquire, preserve, and distribute seed and DNA resources that are useful to the Arabidopsis Research community. Additional groups that the organization has provided representation to includes: The Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee (MASC)- global plant scientist collaborations on Arabidopsis, the model plant. ROOT & SHOOT Initiative with the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). In 2025, NAASC collaborated with ABRC to award a community member that donated the largest number of Arabidopsis stocks to ABRC. With MASC, NAASC participated in several meetings, including at ICAR 2025-Belgium in the 'Building solutions together: A community session on US research cuts to Arabidopsis and other science funding' meeting where the NAASC Executive Director presented 'NAASC PERSPECTIVES ON RESEARCH FUNDING IN THE US'. NAASC members also collaborated with MASC on developing an annual community research update report.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 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 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 December 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 2006.
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.
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.