Asian Americans United
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
AAU EXISTS SO THAT PEOPLE OF ASIAN ANCESTRY IN PHILADELPHIA EXERCISE LEADERSHIP TO BUILD THEIR COMMUNITIES AND UNITE TO CHALLENGE OPPRESSION. AAU'S ARTS AND CULTURE WORK CREATES SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH ENGAGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN: BUILDING LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY, REALIZING COMMUNITY MEMBERS' INHERENT ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE POTENTIAL, AND BUILDING PRIDE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE. AAU'S YOUTH WORK EXISTS SO THAT THE YOUTH BECOME INDIVIDUALLY, SOCIALLY, AND POLITICALLY AWARE; EXERCISE THEIR VOICE; AND PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVE STRUGGLES FOR JUSTICE. THROUGH THIS WORK, WE CREATE LEADERS WHO SUSTAIN, FIGHT FOR, AND GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 81%
- Employees
- 29
- Volunteers
- 550
- Highest pay
- $80,418, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 57 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 92 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 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
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 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 (1)
- $953,593 spent. SEE SCHEDULE O AAU WORKS DILIGENTLY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS IMPACTED BY ANTI-ASIAN RACISM AND ATTACKS ON IMMIGRANTS. AAU CONTINUED TO UPLIFT WORKING-CLASS STORIES THROUGH THE "OUR CHINATOWN" STORYTELLING PROJECT, WHICH PROVIDES AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NEW TO PHILADELPHIA'S ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY. OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (CE) TEAM CONTINUED TO PROMOTE ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP BY HOSTING CITIZENSHIP CLINICS, SCREENING PEOPLE FOR CITIZENSHIP AND GREEN CARD APPLICATIONS, N- 400, I-90, AND I-912 APPLICATIONS, AND REVIEWING AND REFERRING ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES TO OUR LEGAL PARTNERS FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE CE TEAM ENGAGES COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE U.S. CITIZENS TO EXCERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE BY HOSTING VOTER REGISTRATION EVENTS IN CHINATOWN AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THEY CONDUCTED GET OUT THE VOTE EVENTS INCLUDING PHONE BANKING, TEXT BANKING, DOOR KNOCKING AND MAILINGS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE, AND POLLING MONITORING TO CONTINUE ENFORCEMENT OF LANGUAGE ACCESS AS REQUIRED UNDER THE FEDEERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT. AAU ORGANIZED A COLLECTIVE VOICE AND PEOPLE POWER AGAINST DISPLACEMENT THAT THREATENS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IN ADDITION TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY, AAU WORKED TO PRESERVE AND CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE AND NURTURE OUR NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS. THROUGH OUR YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS, AAU RAN A SUMMER CAMP SERVING 100+ CHILDREN ACROSS THE CITY; FACILITATED MEETINGS AND BROUGHT THE INCH-BY-INCH GARDEN TO LIFE IN THE SPRING; TAUGHT DOZENS OF ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL YOUTH ABOUT MULTICULTURAL LITERACY AND EDUCATION FOR LIBERATION; AND RALLIED FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS AND AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATION. THE CHINESE YOUTH ORGANIZING PROJECT (CYOP) HELD IN-PERSON MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR PROVIDING SAFE SPACES FOR IMMIGRANT YOUTH TO EXPLORE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM. CYOP SUMMER YOUTH UNCOVERED HIDDEN STORIES AND CREATED CAPSTONE PROJECTS. OVER 300 YOUTH VOLUNTEERED AT THE 30TH ANNUAL MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL, AND OVER 20 YOUTH SERVED AS LEAD COORDINATORS OF THE FESTIVAL, WHICH FEATURED CULTURAL HERITAGE PERFORMANCES, ARTS ACTIVITIES, CARNIVAL FOLK GAMES, RESOURCE INFORMATION AND CULMINATED WITH OUR LANTERN PARADE. AAU CELEBRATED 40 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND GROWING LEADERSHIP IN EACH GENERATION. FROM IMMIGRANT JUSTICE TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, FROM WORKERS' RIGHTS TO EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT, FROM SAVING CHINATOWN TO BUILDING ALTERNATIVE VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE, AAU IS ENTERING THE NEXT DECADE EMPOWERED BY THE FOUNDATIONAL ORGANIZNG WE HAVE DONE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT SUSTAIN US. SEE SCHEDULE O AAU WORKS DILIGENTLY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS IMPACTED BY ANTI-ASIAN RACISM AND ATTACKS ON IMMIGRANTS. AAU CONTINUED TO UPLIFT WORKING-CLASS STORIES THROUGH THE "OUR CHINATOWN" STORYTELLING PROJECT, WHICH PROVIDES AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NEW TO PHILADELPHIA'S ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY. OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (CE) TEAM CONTINUED TO PROMOTE ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP BY HOSTING CITIZENSHIP CLINICS, SCREENING PEOPLE FOR CITIZENSHIP AND GREEN CARD APPLICATIONS, N- 400, I-90, AND I-912 APPLICATIONS, AND REVIEWING AND REFERRING ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES TO OUR LEGAL PARTNERS FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE CE TEAM ENGAGES COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE U.S. CITIZENS TO EXCERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE BY HOSTING VOTER REGISTRATION EVENTS IN CHINATOWN AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THEY CONDUCTED GET OUT THE VOTE EVENTS INCLUDING PHONE BANKING, TEXT BANKING, DOOR KNOCKING AND MAILINGS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE, AND POLLING MONITORING TO CONTINUE ENFORCEMENT OF LANGUAGE ACCESS AS REQUIRED UNDER THE FEDEERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT. AAU ORGANIZED A COLLECTIVE VOICE AND PEOPLE POWER AGAINST DISPLACEMENT THAT THREATENS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IN ADDITION TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY, AAU WORKED TO PRESERVE AND CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE AND NURTURE OUR NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS. THROUGH OUR YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS, AAU RAN A SUMMER CAMP SERVING 100+ CHILDREN ACROSS THE CITY; FACILITATED MEETINGS AND BROUGHT THE INCH-BY-INCH GARDEN TO LIFE IN THE SPRING; TAUGHT DOZENS OF ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL YOUTH ABOUT MULTICULTURAL LITERACY AND EDUCATION FOR LIBERATION; AND RALLIED FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS AND AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATION. THE CHINESE YOUTH ORGANIZING PROJECT (CYOP) HELD IN-PERSON MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR PROVIDING SAFE SPACES FOR IMMIGRANT YOUTH TO EXPLORE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM. CYOP SUMMER YOUTH UNCOVERED HIDDEN STORIES AND CREATED CAPSTONE PROJECTS. OVER 300 YOUTH VOLUNTEERED AT THE 30TH ANNUAL MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL, AND OVER 20 YOUTH SERVED AS LEAD COORDINATORS OF THE FESTIVAL, WHICH FEATURED CULTURAL HERITAGE PERFORMANCES, ARTS ACTIVITIES, CARNIVAL FOLK GAMES, RESOURCE INFORMATION AND CULMINATED WITH OUR LANTERN PARADE. AAU CELEBRATED 40 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND GROWING LEADERSHIP IN EACH GENERATION. FROM IMMIGRANT JUSTICE TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, FROM WORKERS' RIGHTS TO EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT, FROM SAVING CHINATOWN TO BUILDING ALTERNATIVE VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE, AAU IS ENTERING THE NEXT DECADE EMPOWERED BY THE FOUNDATIONAL ORGANIZNG WE HAVE DONE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT SUSTAIN US.
Source: Form 990 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 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 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 June 1973.
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.