Canada France Hawaii Telescope Corporation
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
OPERATE 3.6 METER ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPE TO FURTHER THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE THROUGH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, STUDIES, EDUCATION, AND DISSEMINATION OF SUCH KNOWLEDGE.
- Income
- $9.1 million
- Spending
- $10.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 6.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 93%
- Employees
- 43
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $298,002, executive director
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
Good: 77 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 100 out of 100.
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
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
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 (3)
- $8.3 million spent. OBSERVATORY OPERATIONS CANADA-FRANCE-HAWAII TELESCOPE (CFHT) IS A HIGH-TECH SERVICE PROVIDER DELIVERING EXQUISITE ASTRONOMICAL DATA LEADING TO SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES AT THE FOREFRONT OF TODAY'S ASTRONOMY. CFHT OPERATES, MAINTAINS, AND DEVELOPS STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTRUMENTATION ON ITS TELESCOPE LOCATED AT THE TOP OF MAUNAKEA IN HAWAI'I, ONE OF THE BEST SITES IN THE WORLD FOR ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH, SERVICING THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES FROM CANADA, FRANCE, AND HAWAI'I, AND THROUGH COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH TAIWAN AND CHINA. IN ADDITION, CFHT HAS TRAINED STAFF MEMBERS WHO PERFORM ALL SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS ON BEHALF OF ITS ASTRONOMICAL COMMUNITY AND PROCESS THE DATA STEMMING FROM THOSE OBSERVATIONS. FOR 356 OF THE 365 NIGHTS OF 2025, THE SCHEDULE HAD ONE OF OUR 5 INSTRUMENTS ON THE TELESCOPE AND ACQUIRED DATA AS WEATHER PERMITTED. DURING THE REMAINING 9 NIGHTS, THE TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC STAFF PERFORMED A SCHEDULED TECHNICAL ACTIVITY TO RECOAT THE PRIMARY MIRROR OF THE TELESCOPE, A SERIES OF TASKS THAT ARE SCHEDULED EVERY 3 YEARS. IN ADDITION TO THREE LARGE PROGRAMS INVOLVING DOZENS OF SCIENTISTS FROM COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE, CFHT PERFORMED OBSERVATIONS FOR OVER 100 PROPOSALS, REPRESENTING HUNDREDS OF ACTIVE COLLABORATORS. SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS WERE FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE MAUNAKEA SCHOLARS PROGRAM ALSO IN 2025, A LITTLE OVER 200 PUBLICATIONS APPEARED IN REFEREED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS BASED ON PRIOR YEARS' OBSERVATIONS AT CFHT. CFHT'S COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAM PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY VIA ITS EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN NEIGHBORING SCHOOLS AND CULTURAL CENTERS. THE APPROACH SHOWCASES CFHT'S STAFF, SCIENCE, AND INSTRUMENTATION, AND ENGAGES HAWAI'I ISLAND KEIKI AND THEIR FAMILIES. CFHT SUPPORTED OUTREACH INITIATIVES AIMED AT LOCAL STUDENTS. CFHT CONTINUES TO WORK WITH THE "JOURNEY THROUGH THE UNIVERSE" PROGRAM, SUPPORTING CAREER PANELS AND CLASSROOM VISITS FOR STUDENTS ACROSS HAWAI'I ISLAND. TEACHERS SELECT A TOPIC FOR THEIR CLASSROOM. TOPICS EITHER SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, REINFORCING CONTENT LIKE PHASES OF THE MOON, HOW STARS MOVE ACROSS THE SKY, ETC., OR FOCUS ON STUDENT INTERESTS (BLACK HOLES, EXOPLANETS, ETC.). STAFF MEMBERS VISIT THE LOCAL WAIMEA LIBRARY TWICE A YEAR FOR "ASTRO BASH AND "ENGINEERING BASH", SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING EVENTS THAT INCLUDE INDOOR/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND DISPLAYS. OLDER STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS LIKE THE MAUNAKEA SCHOLARS ARE OFFERED TOURS OF OUR SUMMIT FACILITY, WHILE YOUNGER STUDENTS VISIT OUR HEADQUARTERS IN WAIMEA. OTHER EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC INCLUDED EVENINGS OF STARGAZING, ASTRO DAY EVENTS IN THE TWO MAJOR CITIES ON THE ISLAND, HILO AND KONA, AND TOURS OF OUR SUMMIT FACILITY. BEYOND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, CFHT STAFF MEMBERS MENTOR STUDENTS AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL AND PARTICIPATE IN FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENTS OVER THE SUMMER. PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES INCLUDE REIMBURSED EXPENSES OF $737,018 FOR ASTRONOMER SERVICES (REIMBURSED ASTRONOMER SERVICES), AND $143,555 IN MISCELLANEOUS DIRECT REIMBURSED EXPENSES RELATED TO CARRYING OUT ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH ON MAUNAKEA.
- $194,148 spent. DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES - MAUNAKEA SPECTROSCOPIC EXPLORER (MSE) PROJECT IN DECEMBER 2024, THE CFHT BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDED NOT APPROVING ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR MSE ACTIVITIES BEYOND WHAT IS STRICTLY NECESSARY TO RESPONSIBLY AND SAFELY STOP CURRENT OPERATIONS. FOLLOWING THIS RECOMMENDATION, CFHT HALTED ALL MSE ACTIVITIES IN 2025. WHILE MSE REMAINS THE LONG-TERM GOAL FOR THE CFHT SITE, ITS IMMEDIATE FOCUS IS TO ENSURE IT REMAINS A VIABLE OPERATIONAL ENTITY UNTIL MSE CAN COMMENCE UNDER THE NEW ASTRONOMY LEASE AT MAUNAKEA.
- IN 2025, ALL OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTRUMENTS WERE AVAILABLE TO THE CFHT COMMUNITY. WE OPERATE FIVE INSTRUMENTS REMOTELY DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES TWO BENCHMARK SURVEYS: (1) TO DISCOVER NEARBY EARTH-LIKE PLANETS IN THE HABITABLE ZONE OF THE MOST NEARBY STARS, AND (2) TO ANSWER SOME OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS IN ASTRONOMY ABOUT THE PROPERTIES OF DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY, THE GROWTH OF STRUCTURE IN THE UNIVERSE FROM GALACTIC TO GALAXY CLUSTER SCALES, AND THE ASSEMBLY OF THE MILKY-WAY, AND (3) TO DISCOVER, TRACK, AND CHARACTERIZE SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS BEYOND THE ORBIT OF NEPTUNE TO TEST PLANET FORMATION MODELS. CFHT OPERATED AT FULL CAPACITY IN 2025.
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 October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
The IRS master file records contributions to this 501(c)(3) charitable organization as not deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, 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 January 1976.
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.