Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 49% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
HEARD IS A CROSS-DISABILITY ABOLITIONIST ORGANIZATION THAT UNITES ACROSS IDENTITIES, COMMUNITIES, MOVEMENTS, AND BORDERS TO END ABLEISM, RACISM, CAPITALISM, AND ALL OTHER FORMS OF OPPRESSION AND VIOLENCE. HEARD SUPPORTS DISABLED PEOPLE AND OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCE ABLEISM BY REJECTING DISABILITY HIERARCHIES AND RIGID DEFINITIONS OF DISABILITY, AND BY RECOGNIZING DEAF PEOPLE AS PART OF DISABILITY COMMUNITIES. HEARD WORKS TO INCREASE OUR COLLECTIVE CAPACITY TO IDENTIFY, UNDERSTAND, AND CHALLENGE OPPRESSION THROUGH GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, PEER SUPPORT, MUTUAL AID, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH.
- Income
- $995,749
- Spending
- $661,676
- Spent on programs
- 49%
- Reserves
- 27.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 96%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 2
- Highest pay
- $92,366, operations 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: 75 out of 100. Higher than 45% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 27.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 34% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1549% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 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
Fair: 59 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 252 of 3 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
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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)
- $326,252 spent. INCARCERATED ADVOCACY: HEARD ADVOCATES FOR DEAF/DISABLED DEFENDANTS, CURRENTLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE, AND THEIR LOVED ONES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES BY ORGANIZING FOR THE RELEASE OF DEAF/DISABLED ELDERS; CONNECTING INCARCERATED PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AS A DISABLED INCARCERATED PERSON, RE-ENTRY SUPPORT, POLITICAL EDUCATION, AND MORE THROUGH HEARD'S PRISON CORRESPONDENCE EFFORTS; SUPPORTING DEAF/DISABLED PEOPLE FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES AND THEIR LOVED ONES TO NAVIGATE THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM WITH INCREASED ACCESS, POWER, AND AGENCY; ADVOCATING FOR ACCESS TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS (VIDEOPHONE, CAPTIONED TELEPHONES, ETC.) IN PRISONS AND JAILS; EDUCATING ATTORNEYS WHO HAVE DEAF/DISABLED CLIENTS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW DISABILITY IMPACTS THEIR ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP AND THEIR CLIENTS' CASES; AND, PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO MULTIPLY-MARGINALIZED DEAF/DISABLED INCARCERATED PEOPLE THROUGH HEARD'S COMMISSARY FUND AND HEARD'S PRISON VISITATION FUND.REENTRY SUPPORT: HEARD OFFERS REENTRY SUPPORT TO DEAF/DISABLED COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE RECENTLY RELEASED FROM PRISON. THIS SUPPORT BY AND FOR DEAF/DISABLED PEOPLE IS TRAUMA-INFORMED AND INCLUSIVE OF THE MANY WAYS WE COMMUNICATE AND HEAL. IT INCLUDES: PEER SUPPORT SPACES TO HEAL, GROW, AND DEVELOP WITHOUT PUNITIVE INSTITUTIONAL INFLUENCES; OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN PEERS TO LEARN ABOUT CARCERAL SYSTEMS AND REDUCE CHANCES OF REINCARCERATION, DEVELOP CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND HARM REDUCTION SKILLS, AND DEVELOP SKILLS TO BECOME PEER EDUCATORS, COMMUNITY INTERPRETERS AND/OR FACILITATORS; ASSISTANCE AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ACCESS HOUSING, FOOD, CLOTHING, AND OTHER URGENT NEEDS UPON RELEASE; ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY (E.G., CELL PHONES, TABLETS, LAPTOPS) AND TECHNOLOGY TRAINING IN ASL TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY AND TO INCREASE EXPOSURE TO INFORMATION IN ASL; AND, ADVOCACY AND ASSISTANCE NAVIGATING PAROLE/PROBATION/SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS.MOVEMENT BUILDING: HEARD PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS FOR CURRENTLY AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE, THEIR LOVED ONES, LEGAL ADVOCATES, DISABLED COMMUNITIES, AND ACCOMPLICES. WE RUN A GROUP OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED DISABLED/DEAF PEOPLE, AND THEIR LOVED ONES, WHO ARE IMPACTED BY PRISON AND POLICING SYSTEMS THAT IS CALLED THE PUBLIC EDUCATION TEAM (PET). EACH ROUND OF PET INCLUDES FOUR-TO-SIX MONTHS OF GATHERINGS WHERE WE DEVELOP OUR SKILLS AS PEER EDUCATORS, LEARN ABOUT SYSTEMS OF POLICING, EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF ABOLITION AND PRISONS, AND LEARN CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND HARM REDUCTION SKILLS. COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO JOIN PET ARE PAID FOR THEIR TIME IN LEARNING WITH AND FROM EACH OTHER. HEARD ALSO OFFERS PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS FOR DEAF/DISABLED COMMUNITY MEMBERS, MOVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS, ATTORNEYS, LEGAL WORKERS, ADVOCATES, UNIVERSITIES, NONPROFITS, SCHOOLS, AND MORE ON TOPICS RELATED TO OUR WORK.
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 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 December 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 January 2013.
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.
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.