American Economic Association Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $14.3 million
- Spending
- $13.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 48 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 82%
- Employees
- 46
- Volunteers
- 200
- Highest pay
- $415,194, secretary - treasurer
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 91% of charities in its peer group (social science, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 48.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (social science, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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, 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 (8)
- $2.5 million spent. THE AEA HOLDS CONFERENCES AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDING THE ANNUAL MEETING - WHERE THE AEA IN CONJUNCTION WITH 66 ASSOCIATIONS IN RELATED DISCIPLINES KNOWN AS THE ALLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES ASSOCIATIONS (ASSA), HOLDS A THREE-DAY MEETING EACH JANUARY TO PRESENT PAPERS ON GENERAL ECONOMICS TOPICS. OTHER CONFERENCE/WORKSHOPS HELD INCLUDE THE AEA SUMMER PROGRAM, CONTINUING EDUCATION CONFERENCE, CEMENT WORKSHOPS, EDUCATE, THE CTREE CONFERENCE, CSQIEP MENTORING CONFERENCE AND SUMMER MENTORING PIPELINE CONFERENCE.
- $818,839 spent. PRODUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF "ECONLIT" - A DATABASE OF ECONOMIC PAPERS, ARTICLES, ETC FROM TOP ECONOMIC SOURCES WHICH CAN BE USED FOR RESEARCH.
- $6.8 million spent. PUBLISHING OF "AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW," "JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC LITERATURE," "JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES," "AEJ:ECONOMIC POLICY," "AEJ:APPLIED ECONOMICS," "AEJ:MACROECONOMICS," "AEJ:MICROECONOMICS AND "AER: INSIGHTS." APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MEMBERS AND SUBSCRIBERS SERVED.
- $430,979 spent. COMMITTEES INCLUDES PROGRAM COMMITTEES TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC ISSUES IN THE ECONOMICS FIELD TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE AEA.
- $232,360 spent. JOE NETWORK - ONE SITE TARGETED TO THE COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE ANNUAL ECONOMIC JOB MARKET CYCLE. COMPANIES AND UNIVERSITIES ADVERTISE JOB OPENINGS. THE NETWORK ALSO AUTOMATES THE REPETITIVE ACTIVITIES OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE ECONOMICS JOB MARKET CYCLE INCLUDING EMPLOYERS, CANDIDATES AND FACULTY LETTER WRITERS.
- $65,733 spent. RCT REGISTRY - A STUDY REGISTRY FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS IN ECONOMICS.
- $497,509 spent. WEBSITE CONTENT AND COMMUNICATIONS.
- $100,589 spent. SUPPORT OF OTHER ECONOMIC FIELD ORGANIZATIONS.
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 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 2024.
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 April 1944.
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.
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