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Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Inc

EIN 47-4830465 · Bedford, MA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair55 out of 100GovernanceGood75 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

AFFOA IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AMONG GOVERNMENT. ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY, ESTABLISHED TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN U.S. GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IN THE REVOLUTIONARY FIBERS AND TEXTILES BY ACCELERATING THE WIDESPREAD COMMERCIALIZATION OF HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL ADVANCED FIBERS AND TEXTILES FOR DEFENSE AND COMMERCIAL MARKETS.

Income
$15.4 million
Spending
$14.1 million
Spent on programs
82%
Reserves
1.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 89%
Employees
35
Volunteers
0
Highest pay
$382,231, ceo/president

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

Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 38% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 18% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    82% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    7 of 8 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (1)
  1. $11.6 million spent. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL FABRICS OF AMERICAN (AFFOA) AIMS TO ESTABLISH A MANUFACTURING INNOVATION INSTITUTE IN THE AREA OF REVOLUTIONARY FIBERS AND TEXTILES AS A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY. AFFOA IS A NATIONWIDE NETWORK ADDRESSING THE SPECTRUMS OF MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIBER AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY FROM CONCEPT TO END PRODUCTS. THIS INSTITUTE, WITH THE HELP OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING WILL BRING ACADEMIA, GOVERNMENT LABORATORIES, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND INDUSTRIES (SMALL, MEDIUM BUSINESSES AND LARGE CORPORATIONS) UNDER ONE UMBRELLA SO THAT THE CURRENT FRAGMENTED U.S. CAPABILITIES BECOME ONE COHERENT ECOSYSTEM. THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE OF THE INSTITUTE IS TO DEVELOP AND SCALE CRITICAL MANUFACTURING PROCESSES FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY FIBER AND TEXTILES AND TAKE THEM FROM MRL4 TO MRL7. AFFOA WILL ALSO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND SERVE AS A TRANSITION PARTNER TO ACCELERATE LOWER MRL ACTIVITIES. FIBERS AND TEXTILES INDUSTRY, PREDOMINATELY A LABORINTENSIVE INDUSTRY, HAS BEEN LOSING GLOBAL MARKET SHARE AND US MANUFACTURING JOBS FOR THE PAST FOUR DECADES. CONCOMITANT WITH THE DECLINE HAS BEEN THE LOSS OF INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING LABSCALE AND PILOT LINE FACILITIES, AND THE KNOWLEDGE BASE IN THESE AREAS FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR. ALSO, A VACUUM HAS BEEN CREATED IN THE TALENT POOL ESSENTIAL TO REVIVING THE FIBER AND TEXTILE MANUFACTURING SECTOR. THESE AREAS NEED STRATEGIC INVESTMENT TO SEED AND GROW THE MANUFACTURING BASE FOR ADVANCED FIBERS AND TECHNICAL TEXTILES INDUSTRY IN THE COUNTRY. AFFOA WILL SERVE AS THE ONESTOP NETWORK FOR FIBERS AND TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS, SYSTEM INTEGRATORS, COMPANIES DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING PRODUCTS USING FIBER/TEXTILES FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS SUCH AS APPAREL, FURNITURE AND UPHOLSTERY, TECHNICAL TEXTILES, ADVANCED SOLDIER AND WAR FIGHTER PROTECTION, SPACE AND AVIATION, AUTOMOTIVE, PERSONAL AND PROPERTY PROTECTION, COMPOSITES, GEOTEXTILES, SPORTS AND LEISURE, MEDICAL APPLICATIONS, AGRICULTURE AND BUILDINGS. TO ENABLE THIS MANUFACTURINGBASEDREVOLUTION, AFFOA'S GOAL IS THE TRANSFORMATION OF TRADITIONAL FIBERS, YARNS AND TEXTILES INTO HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED INTEGRATED AND NETWORKED DEVICES AND SYSTEMS. TO PURSUE THIS MISSION, AFFOA WILL ADDRESS THE SPECTRUM OF MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH VOLUME MANUFACTURING OF REVOLUTIONARY FIBERS AND TEXTILES FROM CONCEPT TO END PRODUCTS THROUGH DELIBERATE PLANS, PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. AFFOA PROVIDES AN UNPRESENTED CAPABILITY TO RAPIDLY AND FLEXIBLY PRODUCE ENDITEM PROTOTYPES THROUGH ITS UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE (FIN) AND SUITE OF COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN TOOLS THAT ARE THE FOCUS OF AFFOA'S DEVELOPMENT EFFORT. AFFOA WILL ENABLE AGILE MANUFACTURING INNOVATION AND TRANSFER, PROTOTYPING AND PILOTPRODUCTION FACILITIES FOR RAPID PRODUCT AND PROJECT EXECUTION, WORKFORCE EDUCATION, AND DEDICATED STARTUP INCUBATORS DRIVING INNOVATION FOR THE ENTIRE U.S. INDUSTRY. IN ADDITION TO ADVANCING THE TEXTILE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, AFFOA IS STRUCTURED TO BECOME SELFSUSTAININGBY THE END OF FIVE YEARS OR EARLIER.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since December 2015.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.