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American Sephardi Federation

EIN 23-7338689 · New York, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak31 out of 100GovernanceGood87 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE AMERICAN SEPHARDI FEDERATION PRESERVES, PROMOTES, AND PERPETUATES THE RICH MOSAIC HISTORY, CULTURES, AND TRADITIONS OF GREATER SEPHARDIC COMMUNITIES AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE BY CREATING HIGH-PROFILE EVENTS, EXHIBITIONS, AND SCHOLARLY AND CULTURAL CONFERENCES, PRODUCING WIDELY-READ ONLINE AND PRINT PUBLICATIONS, SUPPORTING RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, THE NATIONAL SEPHARDIC LIBRARY & ARCHIVES, SEPHARDI HOUSE AND BROOME & ALLEN FELLOWS ON CAMPUSES COAST-TO-COAST, AS WELL AS REPRESENTING THE SEPHARDIC VOICE IN DIPLOMATIC AND JEWISH COMMUNAL AFFAIRS AS A MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS OF MAJOR AMERICAN JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS, WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS, AND THE USAS CHAIR AT THE WORLD SEPHARDI FEDERATION.

Income
$905,702
Spending
$918,554
Spent on programs
65%
Reserves
-5.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 88%
Employees
3
Volunteers
5
Highest pay
$100,000, executive di

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 31 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 60% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 5% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    64% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 87 out of 100. Higher than 77% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    37 of 37 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give 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

    12 of 15

    Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

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

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 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 (5)
  1. $157,391 spent. SEPHARDI HOUSE FELLOWSHIP - THE SEPHARDI HOUSE FELLOWSHIP IS AN INNOVATIVE NATIONAL MOVEMENT THAT IS ENLIGHTENING, EMPOWERING, AND ENRICHING JEWISH COLLEGE STUDENTS THROUGH AN IMMERSION IN THE VIBRANT HISTORY, VALUES, AND VISION OF THE GREATER SEPHARDI WORLD. ON CAMPUSES COAST-TO-COAST WE ARE INFUSING THE WISDOM AND WARMTH OF CLASSIC SEPHARDIC TEACHINGS THAT HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, AND UNITY THROUGHOUT THE AGES.
  2. $173,998 spent. NEW YORK SEPHARDIC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL - THE NEW YORK SEPHARDIC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL IS THE WORLD'S PREMIERE EXPERIENCE DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING THE RICH MOSAIC CULTURE AND TRADITIONS OF JEWS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND GREATER SEPHARDIC DIASPORA, INCLUDING BY HONORING EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS FOR THEIR LITERARY, ARTISTIC, AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS WITH THE ASF POMEGRANATE AWARDS.
  3. $57 spent. NATIONAL SEPHARDIC LIBRARY & ARCHIVES - THE ASF IS HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES OF GREATER SEPHARDIC INTEREST IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, CONTAINING BOOKS, DOCUMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, FILMS, JUDAICA, AND EPHEMERA, AT THE CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY. A PROUD PARTNER OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETYS JEWISH ARCHIVES HISTORY NETWORK. IMPORTANT ASF COLLECTIONS INCLUDE: THE ARCHIVES OF SEPHARDIC JEWISH BROTHERHOOD OF AMERICA AND THE SEPHARDIC HOME FOR THE AGED. PROFESSOR AVIVA BEN-UR HAS DESCRIBED THE JUDEO-SPANISH COLLECTION OF LOUIS N. LEVY AT THE ASF AS "ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LADINO COLLECTIONS IN THE WORLD".
  4. $260,641 spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE CONFERENCES, THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, LECTURES, OTHER CULTURAL PROGRAMS, NATIONAL LIBRARY AND A VARIETY OF OTHER PROGRAMS.
  5. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE CONFERENCES, THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, LECTURES, OTHER CULTURAL PROGRAMS, NATIONAL LIBRARY AND A VARIETY OF OTHER PROGRAMS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, 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 March 2025.

    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 May 1974.

    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.