Dmax Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported a significant diversion of its assets during the year.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
DMAX FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO CREATE CONNECTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER TO STRENGTHEN MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
- Income
- $182,365
- Spending
- $276,446
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- 3.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 97%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 8
- Highest pay
- $94,297, executive di
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
Fair: 56 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (mental health, under $250k).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 22% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 52% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 22% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 22 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
Good: 74 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (mental health, under $250k).
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
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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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)
- $197,352 spent. DMAX FOUNDATION PROVIDES COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH TRUSTING AND INCLUSIVE SPACES, WHERE THEY CAN TELL THE STORIES OF THEIR LIVES, IDENTITIES AND EXPERIENCES WITHOUT JUDGMENT. OUR MISSION IS "CREATING CONNECTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER TO STRENGTHEN MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL WELL- BEING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE." AT DMAX CLUB MEETINGS AND EVENTS, COLLEGE STUDENTS TALK ABOUT HOW THEY'RE REALLY DOING, HOW THEIR FRIENDS ARE DOING, AND HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER. MEMBERS NOT ONLY SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO EACH OTHER, THEY GO ON TO SERVE THEIR BROADER COLLEGE CAMPUS BY HOSTING LARGER EVENTS TO SPREAD MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, NORMALIZE MENTAL HEALTH STORYTELLING, AND OVERCOME STIGMAS AND TABOOS AROUND MENTAL HEALTH. IN ADDITION TO OUR DMAX CLUBS IN SOUTHEASTERN PA AND THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA REGION, DMAX FOUNDATION RECENTLY OPENED A NEW MARKET BY ESTABLISHING A NEW DMAX CLUB IN PITTSBURGH, PA. OUR BI-ANNUAL DMAX CLUB SURVEY REVEALED THAT 80 PERCENT OR MORE STUDENTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ESTEEM, CONNECTION, AND OUTLOOK, NEARLY ALL REPORTED LEARNING MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH PEER SUPPORT, AND 100 PERCENT REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THEIR DMAX CLUB TO A FRIEND. IN 2023, WE ENHANCED OUR DMAX CLUB PORTAL WHICH INCLUDES OUR LEADERSHIP TRAINING MODULES, CONVERSATION GUIDES AND TOOLKITS, MEETING TEMPLATES, CLUB MARKETING ASSETS, CAMPUS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, REPORTING FORMS AND DIRECT CHAT ACCESS TO DMAX HQ. OUR IN-HOUSE VIRTUAL ORIENTATION EQUIPS DMAX CLUB STUDENT LEADERS WITH SKILLS FOR FACILITATING CONVERSATIONS THAT CONNECT, STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING GROUP DYNAMICS, GUIDANCE FOR DISTINGUISHING PEER SUPPORT FROM THERAPY, AND TRAINING ON RECOGNIZING WHEN A PEER NEEDS ADDITIONAL HELP. IN 2025, DMAX INTRODUCED A GROWING LIBRARY OF GUIDES USED BOTH INSIDE CLUBS AND ACROSS CAMPUSES INCLUDING "CONVERSATIONS WITH PRIDE" (LGBTQ+ YOUTH), "CONVERSATIONS FOR BIPOC WELLBEING", "BODY POSITIVITY & ACCEPTANCE TOOLKIT", AND "DOMESTIC AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE". OUR ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL EVENT, "CONVERSATIONS CONQUER LONELINESS" WAS HELD VIRTUALLY AND FEATURED TWO SPEAKERS. DR. VERONICA CAREY, AUTHOR OF THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BOOK "FRAME YOUR DEGREE: HOW TO AVOID PAIN WHILE SEEKING A COLLEGE DEGREE" SERVES AS ASSOCIATE CLINICAL PROFESSOR, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND COUNSELING DEPARTMENT, DREXEL UNIVERSITY. OUR OTHER SPEAKER, DR. MARCUS HOTALING, IS THE DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING, UNION COLLEGE, AND PAST PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE COUNSELING CENTER DIRECTORS. IN ADDITION, THE EVENT FEATURED TWO DMAX STUDENTS SPEAK STORYTELLERS WHO SHARED THEIR MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEYS WITH THE AUDIENCE. IN 2025, DMAX STUDENTS SPEAK EXPANDED ITS STUDENT STORYTELLING EVENTS WITH AN OPEN MIC FOR MH NIGHT THAT ALLOWED STUDENTS AND SUPPORTERS TO SHARE POETRY, MUSIC, AND LIVED EXPERIENCES. DMAX FOUNDATION PROVIDES COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH TRUSTING AND INCLUSIVE SPACES, WHERE THEY CAN TELL THE STORIES OF THEIR LIVES, IDENTITIES AND EXPERIENCES WITHOUT JUDGMENT. OUR MISSION IS "CREATING CONNECTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER TO STRENGTHEN MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL WELL- BEING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE." AT DMAX CLUB MEETINGS AND EVENTS, COLLEGE STUDENTS TALK ABOUT HOW THEY'RE REALLY DOING, HOW THEIR FRIENDS ARE DOING, AND HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER. MEMBERS NOT ONLY SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO EACH OTHER, THEY GO ON TO SERVE THEIR BROADER COLLEGE CAMPUS BY HOSTING LARGER EVENTS TO SPREAD MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, NORMALIZE MENTAL HEALTH STORYTELLING, AND OVERCOME STIGMAS AND TABOOS AROUND MENTAL HEALTH. IN ADDITION TO OUR DMAX CLUBS IN SOUTHEASTERN PA AND THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA REGION, DMAX FOUNDATION RECENTLY OPENED A NEW MARKET BY ESTABLISHING A NEW DMAX CLUB IN PITTSBURGH, PA. OUR BI-ANNUAL DMAX CLUB SURVEY REVEALED THAT 80 PERCENT OR MORE STUDENTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ESTEEM, CONNECTION, AND OUTLOOK, NEARLY ALL REPORTED LEARNING MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH PEER SUPPORT, AND 100 PERCENT REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THEIR DMAX CLUB TO A FRIEND. IN 2023, WE ENHANCED OUR DMAX CLUB PORTAL WHICH INCLUDES OUR LEADERSHIP TRAINING MODULES, CONVERSATION GUIDES AND TOOLKITS, MEETING TEMPLATES, CLUB MARKETING ASSETS, CAMPUS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, REPORTING FORMS AND DIRECT CHAT ACCESS TO DMAX HQ. OUR IN-HOUSE VIRTUAL ORIENTATION EQUIPS DMAX CLUB STUDENT LEADERS WITH SKILLS FOR FACILITATING CONVERSATIONS THAT CONNECT, STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING GROUP DYNAMICS, GUIDANCE FOR DISTINGUISHING PEER SUPPORT FROM THERAPY, AND TRAINING ON RECOGNIZING WHEN A PEER NEEDS ADDITIONAL HELP. IN 2025, DMAX INTRODUCED A GROWING LIBRARY OF GUIDES USED BOTH INSIDE CLUBS AND ACROSS CAMPUSES INCLUDING "CONVERSATIONS WITH PRIDE" (LGBTQ+ YOUTH), "CONVERSATIONS FOR BIPOC WELLBEING", "BODY POSITIVITY & ACCEPTANCE TOOLKIT", AND "DOMESTIC AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE". OUR ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL EVENT, "CONVERSATIONS CONQUER LONELINESS" WAS HELD VIRTUALLY AND FEATURED TWO SPEAKERS. DR. VERONICA CAREY, AUTHOR OF THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BOOK "FRAME YOUR DEGREE: HOW TO AVOID PAIN WHILE SEEKING A COLLEGE DEGREE" SERVES AS ASSOCIATE CLINICAL PROFESSOR, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND COUNSELING DEPARTMENT, DREXEL UNIVERSITY. OUR OTHER SPEAKER, DR. MARCUS HOTALING, IS THE DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING, UNION COLLEGE, AND PAST PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE COUNSELING CENTER DIRECTORS. IN ADDITION, THE EVENT FEATURED TWO DMAX STUDENTS SPEAK STORYTELLERS WHO SHARED THEIR MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEYS WITH THE AUDIENCE. IN 2025, DMAX STUDENTS SPEAK EXPANDED ITS STUDENT STORYTELLING EVENTS WITH AN OPEN MIC FOR MH NIGHT THAT ALLOWED STUDENTS AND SUPPORTERS TO SHARE POETRY, MUSIC, AND LIVED EXPERIENCES.
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 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 July 2014.
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.