Aha Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
AHA FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO PRESERVING, PROTECTING, AND PROMOTING LIBERAL FREEDOMS AND IDEALS.
- Income
- $1.2 million
- Spending
- $1.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 72%
- Reserves
- 6.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 94%
- Employees
- 14
- Volunteers
- 1
- Highest pay
- $212,482, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1572% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 9 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
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
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, 2024, 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 (4)
- $593,425 spent. ALERTFEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT - IN 2024, AHA FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO LEAD THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO END FGM.AHA WORKED CLOSELY WITH LEGISLATORS IN WASHINGTON D.C. ON PENDING ANTI FGM LEGISLATION AND SUPPORTED A BILL DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL PROTECTIONS FOR GIRLS AT RISK.IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WHITE & CASE LLP AND REED SMITH LLP, AHA PRODUCED 8 NEW STATE-SPECIFIC GUIDES DETAILING THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF FGM SURVIVORS. IN TOTAL SINCE 2007, AHA HAS TRAINED 6,512 INDIVIDUALS AND FRONTLINE SERVICE PROVIDERS THROUGH COURSES, WEBINARS, AND LIVE PRESENTATIONS-INCLUDING 1,498 PROFESSIONALS TRAINED IN 2024 ALONE.PARTNERS INCLUDED THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, AND THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION. A NEW FEDERAL GRANT FROM THE OFFICE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN WILL STRENGTHEN AHA'S ABILITY TO COMBAT FGM IN CHICAGO'S NORTHSIDE, WHERE THE WE STOP FGM/C PROGRAM CONTINUES TO DRIVE COMMUNITY AWARENESS.CHILD MARRIAGE LEGISLATION - IN 2024, AHA FOUNDATION SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR CHILD MARRIAGE BANS IN WASHINGTON, VIRGINIA, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE-BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STATES THAT HAVE ENDED CHILD MARRIAGE TO 13.IN MISSOURI, AHA JOINED CHILD MARRIAGE SURVIVORS AND BILL SPONSORS IN PRESS CONFERENCES TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS.DESPITE LEGISLATIVE SETBACKS, ADVOCACY WILL CONTINUE IN THE NEXT SESSION. AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AHA DRAFTED LEGISLATION AIMED AT CLOSING IMMIGRATION LOOPHOLES THAT ALLOW CHILD MARRIAGE.IN CALIFORNIA, AHA CONTINUED TO PUSH FOR A STATEWIDE BAN AND ENGAGED DIRECTLY WITH LEGISLATORS AND SURVIVORS TO DRIVE CHANGE.TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS ON FGM, CHILD MARRIAGE & HONOR VIOLENCE. IN 2024, AHA FOUNDATION PROVIDED TARGETED TRAINING TO HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, ADVOCATES, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS NATIONWIDE. A TOTAL OF 176 ADVOCATES AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROFESSIONALS RECEIVED LIVE TRAINING IN ADDITION TO NEARLY 1,500 PROFESSIONALS TRAINED THROUGH NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.THESE PROGRAMS EQUIP FRONTLINE WORKERS TO INDENTIFY, PREVENT, AND RESPOND TO FORMS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, EXPANDING OUR IMPACT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.DIRECT AID FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS AT RISKTO DATE, AHA FOUNDATION HAS PROVIDED DIRECT SUPPORT TO 920 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH OUR E-MAIL HELPLINE AND CRISIS TEXT LINE.THE ASSISTANCE INCLUDES SAFETY PLANNING, CONNECTIONS TO SERVICES, AND ADVOCACY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS AT RISK OF FGM, CHILD MARRIAGES, OR HONOR VIOLENCE.INCREASED MEDIA OUTREACHTHROUGHOUT 2024 AYAAN HIRSI ALI AND AHA FOUNDATION PLAYED A PROMINENT ROLE IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE. AYAAN PUBLISHED OP-EDS IN UNHERD, THE FREE PRESS, AND THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, ADDRESSING ISLAMIST EXTREMISM, ANTI-SEMITISM, AND MORAL RELATIVISM IN THE WEST.ON FOX NEWS, SHE SPOKE OUT ABOUT THE SEXUAL VIOLENCE COMMITTED BY HAMAS ON OCTOBER 7TH, 2023, CALLING FOR GLOBAL ACCOUNTABILITY.AYAAN ALSO LAUNCHED HER RESTORATION SUBSTACK AND FOUNDED COURAGE MEDIA, BOTH DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING WESTERN VALUES AND FREE SPEECH. SHE APPEARED ON POPULAR PODCASTS SUCH AS TRIGGERNOMETRY AND THE BRENDAN O'NEILL SHOW, AND HER RESTORATION PODCAST FEATURED THOUGHT LEADERS LIKE DOUGLAS MURRAY IN DISCUSSIONS ON MORAL CLARITY AND LEADERSHIP.
- $61,007 spent. ACTIVATE - CONFRONTING ANTI-SEMITISM AND ILLIBERALISMFOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF OCTOBER 7, 2023, AHA FOUNDATION EXPANDED ITS PROGRAMMATIC FOCUS TO ADDRESS THE RISING THREAT OF ANTISEMITISM AND THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN ISLAMISM AND FAR-LEFT IDEOLOGIES. THIS WORK BUILDS ON OUR COMMITMENT TO DEFENDING UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND WESTERN VALUES.CAMPUS CRITICAL THINKING FELLOWSHIP (CTF)IN 2024, AHA EXPANDED THE CRITICAL THINKING FELLOWSHIP TO HIGH SCHOOLS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISSIDENT PROJECT, CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH SPEAKERS WHO HAVE LIVED UNDER AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES. ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES, CTF EVENTS WERE HELD AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AND PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY. ONE HIGHLIGHT INCLUDED A POWERFUL DISCUSSION WITH CHILD MARRIAGE SURVIVOR SARA TASNEM, WHICH INSPIRED STUDENTS TO BECOME ADVOCATES FOR CHANGE.
- $283,148 spent. ALIGN - THE CLARITY COALITION, CONVENED BY AHA, GREW TO INCLUDE NEARLY 50 PROMINENT ACTIVISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, ADDING NEW MEMBERS FROM ISRAEL, CANADA, THE NETHERLANDS, AND GERMANY.OUR SECOND CLARITY CONFERENCE, HOSTED AT THE HUDSON INSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON D.C., FOCUSED ON ISLAMIST ANTI-SEMITISM AND FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN U.S. EDUCATION.QUARTERLY MEETUPS AND TOWN HALLS INCLUDED A SESSION WITH M.E.P. CHARLIE WEIMERS ON FREE SPEECH AND GROWING AUTHORITARIANISM IN EUROPE. THE COALITION ALSO CONDUCTED ADVOCACY IN SUPPORT OF THE DETERRENT ACT AND TRACE ACT TO COUNTER FOREIGN FUNDING IN U.S. EDUCATION.
- AHA FOUNDATION, INC. (AHA) DURING A MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON OCTOBER 15, 2024 THE BOARD RECUSED DIRECTOR M ZUHDI JASSER FROM BOTH DISCUSSION AND VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION TO AWARD THE AMERICAN ISLAMIC FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY A $10,000 GRANT TO SUPPORT AHA'S CLARITY COALITION PROGRAM.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 2024.
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 2007.
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.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Ab Foundation (Washington, DC), EIN 27-5278038. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.