Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Chicago
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE-CHICAGO, AN AFFILIATE MEMBER OF ADVANCING JUSTICE, IS TO BUILD POWER THROUGH COLLECTIVE ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY.
- Income
- $2.2 million
- Spending
- $2.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 56.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 70%
- Employees
- 18
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $110,308, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (social science, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 56.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 67% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (social science, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 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 June 30, 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)
- $198,580 spent. GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING:ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE | CHICAGO DEVELOPS GRASSROOTS LEADERS TO LEAD CAMPAIGNS TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY. THROUGH OUR BASE-BUILDING PROGRAMS KINETIC, I SPEAK POWER, AND A JUST CHI, WE CENTER THE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY.KINETIC IS ADVANCING JUSTICE | CHICAGO'S CIVIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH IN CHICAGO. THROUGH KINETIC WE BUILD A COMMUNITY FOR, AND INCREASE THE VISIBILITY OF ASIAN AMERICAN AND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS IN CHICAGO.I SPEAK POWER CULTIVATES GRASSROOTS LEADERS THROUGH ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) CLASSES AT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN CHICAGO. THROUGH I SPEAK POWER, WE EMPOWERCOMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES AND BE LEADERS FOR CHANGE.A JUST CHI IS A COMMUNITY OF LEADERS WHO ARE ORGANIZING FOR RACIAL EQUITY. ANYONE CAN JOIN A JUST CHI TO MEET NEW PEOPLE AND GET INVOLVED WITH ONGOING CAMPAIGNS. THE GROUP MEETS MONTHLY AT THE ADVANCING JUSTICE | CHICAGO OFFICE.
- $370,407 spent. ADVOCACY:ADVANCING JUSTICE | CHICAGO IS A COALITION LEADER IN CHICAGO, IN ILLINOIS, AND NATIONWIDE. TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGE WITH A UNIFIED VOICE AND EXERCISE OUR POWER TO WIN CAMPAIGNS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.MOST RECENTLY, ADVANCING JUSTICE | CHICAGO LED THE EFFORT TO PASS THE TEACHING EQUITABLE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HISTORY (TEAACH) ACT, WHICH REQUIRES ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ILLINOIS TO TEACH ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY STARTING IN THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR. AS THE CONVENER OF THE PAN-ASIAN VOTER EMPOWERMENT (PAVE) COALITION, WE ORGANIZE WITH ASIAN AMERICAN-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS IN CHICAGO AND THE SUBURBS TO EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITIES TO TAKE ACTION. TOGETHER WITH PAVE, WE ORGANIZE THE ANNUAL ASIAN AMERICAN ACTION DAY IN SPRINGFIELD AND MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUMS DURING CHICAGO MUNICIPAL ELECTION YEARS.AS A MEMBER OF THE ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS (ICIRR), WE JOIN A POWERFUL COALITION OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE STATE TO WIN CAMPAIGNS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES. JUST DEMOCRACY IS A BROAD-BASED AND DIVERSE COALITION THAT WORKS TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE VALUE OF A SINGLE VOTE, NO MATTER THE GEOGRAPHIC, RACIAL, ETHNIC OR PARTY AFFILIATION OF THE VOTER. TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS ACROSS ILLINOIS, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR THE PASSAGE OF AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION, ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION, AND ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION IN ILLINOIS.
- $357,711 spent. CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:WE ORGANIZE OUR COMMUNITIES IN ILLINOIS AND ACROSS THE MIDWEST TO BE ENGAGED YEAR-ROUND IN ORDER TO GROW OUR POWER. WE GET OUT THE VOTE DURING ELECTION SEASONS, EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES ON ISSUES, AND MOBILIZE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO WIN CAMPAIGNS.ELECTIONS ARE ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE EXERCISE OUR POWER AS A COMMUNITY. WE CONDUCTSEASONAL GET OUT THE VOTE CAMPAIGNS WITH THE PAN-ASIAN VOTER EMPOWERMENT (PAVE) COALITION TO REGISTER, EDUCATE, AND ENGAGE THE ASIAN AMERICAN AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES TO SHOW UP AND DISPLAY OUR POWER ON ELECTION DAY.ASIAN AMERICAN AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES HAVE HISTORICALLY FACED BARRIERS THAT PREVENT PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS. WE PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES' RIGHTS TO VOTE BY RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND DEPLOYING VOLUNTEER POLL MONITORS TO OVER 100 PRECINCTS EVERY ELECTION DAY TO ENSURE THAT VOTERS' RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED.ASIAN AMERICANS FACE A UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES IN CHICAGO AND ACROSS THE STATE. WE EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES YEAR-ROUND ON ISSUES AND CURRENT EVENTS, PROMOTING ACTION BEYOND ELECTION SEASON.EVERY YEAR, WE ORGANIZE A LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY DAY IN SPRINGFIELD WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE PAVE COALITION. OVER 300 ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARTICIPATE ANNUALLY TO RALLY AND MEET WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITIES.A COMPLETE CENSUS COUNT ENSURES THAT OUR COMMUNITIES GET THE RESOURCES AND REPRESENTATION THAT THEY DESERVE. HISTORICALLY, ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS ARE AMONG THOSE MOST LIKELY TO BE UNDERCOUNTED. IN THE 2020 DECENNIAL CENSUS, WE WILL BE WORKING TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES AND GET A COMPLETE COUNT OF AAPI COMMUNITIES IN ILLINOIS.
- $645,233 spent. YOUTH PROGRAMS:KINETIC IS A YOUTH-FOCUSED, CIVIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THAT WORKS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT (LEP) IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. EVERY YEAR APPROXIMATELY 115 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN OUR KINETIC PROGRAMS. THIS INCLUDES OUR AFTER-SCHOOL AND IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS, OUR SUMMER CORPS AND SERVICE-LEARNING TRIP TO SPRINGFIELD. OUR KINETIC LEADERS SUCCESSFULLY WON THEIR VERY FIRST CAMPAIGN! KINETIC YOUTH LEADERS ORGANIZED THEIR PEERS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO TESTIFY AT A CPS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING AND MEET WITH CPS OFFICIALS AND WERE ABLE TO CHANGE THE WORLD LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT TO BE MORE EQUITABLE FOR ENGLISH LEARNER STUDENTS.
- ADVANCING JUSTICE AFFILIATION:ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE IS A NATIONAL AFFILIATION OF FIVE LEADING ORGANIZATIONS ADVOCATING FOR THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF ASIAN AMERICANS AND OTHER UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY FOR ALL. THE AFFILIATION'S MEMBERS ARE: ADVANCING JUSTICE - ASIAN AMERICAN JUSTICE CENTER (WASHINGTON, D.C.), ADVANCING JUSTICE - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, ADVANCING JUSTICE - ATLANTA, ADVANCING JUSTICE - ASIAN LAW CAUCUS (SAN FRANCISCO), AND ADVANCING JUSTICE - CHICAGO. WE ENVISION A FAIR AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY FOR ALL THAT ENSURES CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ASIAN AMERICANS, PACIFIC ISLANDERS, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES. TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE WILL WORK TOGETHER-AS EQUAL AND INDEPENDENT PARTNERS UNDER ONE NAME, SPEAKING WITH ONE UNIFIED AND POWERFUL VOICE-TO PROMOTE JUSTICE, EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITIES, BRING LOCAL AND NATIONAL CONSTITUENTS TOGETHER, AND STRENGTHEN OUR MULTI-RACIAL DEMOCRACY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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? 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 June 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 March 1993.
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.
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