Partners Asia
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
At Partners Asia, we build relationships with innovative organizers in these communities and with international donors, bridging the gap between local leaders and global resources.
- Income
- $5.8 million
- Spending
- $5.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 6.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 97%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $177,101, exec 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: 78 out of 100. Higher than 58% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 29% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 7 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 (6)
- $1.9 million spent. Advocacy & PeaceNeeds and opportunities vary greatly from one place to the next so Partners Asia seeks out and backs trusted local partners who identify appropriate solutions together with their communities. Our partners and their informal networks aspire to alleviate suffering and increase meaningful participation of communities in decision making, assistance in navigating access to legal services (birth registration, work permits, legal documentation, employee rights) and access to information via independent media.Continued on Schedule O
- $1.9 million spent. Community DevelopmentPartners Asia directly engages local leaders and community-based groups, in rural and urban areas as well as along borders to address poverty and lack of education with a view of a brighter future for struggling communities.Related to community development, Partners Asia's partners' work in in the areas of economic empowerment, formal and non-formal schooling, and free medical care for poor migrants unrecognized as refugees.
- $589,620 spent. Partners Asia worked with local groups and informal networks of community organizations all around Myanmar (Burma), implementing projects with the shared goal of strengthening civil society among the most marginalized. Opportunities, risks, and needs vary greatly in different communities, so Partners Asia backs trusted local partners who identify appropriate solutions, with projects addressing formal and non-formal education, women and child health, gender equality, village infrastructure, and legal rights for the disadvantaged. Partners Asia also funded community-led research, supported network building, and offered training and one-on-one assistance to help partners take their organizations to the next level.
- $470,509 spent. EducationMigrant children and those who live in rural areas or city slums often have limited access to education; we want them in school and for their schooling to count. How: Access to a basic education is not assured for many children in the communities we reach. We support non-formal schools in refugee settlements, city slums, monasteries, and even in plantations all to help prevent children from getting lost amid the ethnic tensions and displacements. Beyond the classrooms, we back efforts to standardize accreditation so that children who study in non-formal schools can have their education recognized in both Thailand and Myanmar. Keeping children in school deters human trafficking, labor exploitation, early marriage, and the cycle of poverty.
- In Thailand, Partners Asia directly engaged local leaders and community-based organizations all along the Thailand-Myanmar border and migrants in urban centers. As in Myanmar, opportunities, risks, and needs differ depending on community. In Thailand, Partners Asias partners worked with people who fled poverty and/or fighting in Myanmar, tailoring projects given their unique local knowledge that include: formal and non-formal schooling for Myanmar and stateless children; humanitarian emergency support to communities severely affected by fighting; assistance for migrants to obtain work permits and legal documentation; free medical care for poor migrants unrecognized as refugees. Partners Asia offers individual support to local group leaders to improve programs and operations, and is building networks across the border into Myanmar.
- Also, with our support, our partners are better able to serve communities suffering from marginalization and lack of agency through community awareness campaigns and tertiary education focused on social entrepreneurship and leadership. In addtion, Partners Asia's partners provide emergency assistance to communities affected by man-made and natural disasters, promoting resilience and hope.
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 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 August 2012.
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.