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The Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation

EIN 52-1752473 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak38 out of 100GovernanceStrong94 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE ROSTROPOVICH-VISHNEVSKAYA FOUNDATION (RVF) IS A GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF CHILDREN IN NEED THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS THAT CREATE SUSTAINABLE, TRANSFORMATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD. RVF IS A NON-POLITICAL, NON-PARTISAN CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION.

Income
$219,208
Spending
$2.6 million
Spent on programs
91%
Reserves
1.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 37%
Employees
4
Volunteers
15
Highest pay
$206,000, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending November 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 38 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (international, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 13% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 1070% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 43% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    91% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 49 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending November 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 94 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (international, under $250k).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    15 of 15 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending November 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 (2)
  1. $2.2 million spent. RVF'S MAJOR INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE SAFE WATER FOR DRINKING AND PERSONAL HYGIENE TO CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN GAZA WAS RESUMED IN APRIL 2024. IN 2025 RVF OPENED 9 POTABLE WATER DISTRIBUTION SITES THROUGHOUT GAZA. OF THE 18 POTABLE WATER SITES OPENED BY RVF SINCE APRIL 2024, 11 SITES REMAINED FULLY OPERATIONAL BY THE END OF 2025, DESPITE HORRIFIC WARTIME CONDITIONS. THESE SITES SERVE APPROXIMATELY 200,000 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH FREE POTABLE WATER. EACH SITE IS EQUIPPED WITH A WATER DESALINATION UNIT USING REVERSE OSMOSIS AND POWERED EITHER BY A DIESEL-RUN GENERATOR OR A SOLAR POWER SYSTEM. THIS INITIATIVE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE UAE. ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER IS A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITY. IN THE GAZA STRIP, HOME TO OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR POTABLE WATER TO HELP CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES SURVIVE. RVF IS CONTINUING THIS LIFE-SAVING WORK IN 2026 AND INTENDS TO SCALE IT UP DRAMATICALLY. GIVEN THE SCOPE OF THE DESTRUCTION IN GAZA, COMMUNITY-BASED FIXED WATER DESALINATION SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROVIDE POTABLE WATER TO THE POPULATION, AS IT WILL BE YEARS BEFORE PERMANENT INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE REBUILT. RVF IS IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UAE AND OTHER DONORS TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND THIS LIFE-SAVING WORK.
  2. $120,831 spent. RVF WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO INTRODUCE MODERN VACCINES FOR CHILDREN INTO THE NATIONAL ROUTINE VACCINATION SCHEDULES IN MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES (MICS) AND PUBLISHES THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RESULTS OF THE PROGRAMS IN PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. THE VACCINATION PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED ENTIRELY BY LOCAL HEALTH CARE WORKERS, THEREBY BUILDING LOCAL CAPACITY AND OWNERSHIP FROM THE BEGINNING, AND ARE FULLY SUSTAINED BY THE HOST GOVERNMENTS WITHIN 3 YEARS OF INCEPTION. FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH OF THE RVF-INITIATED ROTAVIRUS VACCINATION PROGRAM FOR ALL INFANTS IN GAZA AND THE WEST BANK IN 2016- APPROXIMATELY 135,000 BABIES ANNUALLY RVF, WITH FINANCING FROM THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION, HAS BEEN CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE DOCUMENTING THE IMPACT OF THE ROTAVIRUS VACCINE ON THE DISEASE BURDEN. THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SURVEILLANCE WERE PUBLISHED IN THE PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL VACCINE. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE WAR, THE SUPPLY OF ROTAVIRUS VACCINE WAS INTERRUPTED FROM JUNE THROUGH DECEMBER 2024, SO THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT ROTAVIRUS DISEASE WILL REEMEERGE BEFORE THE VACCINE SUPPLY CAN BE REPLENISHED AND VACCINATION RESUME IN 2025. IN EGYPT RVF CONTIUNES ITS INITIATIVE TO INTRODUCE THE ROTAVIRUS VACCINE INTO THE NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE FOR CHILDREN AND TO TRANSFER THE TECHNOLOGY TO MANUFACTURE THE VACCINE IN THE COUNTRY. THE RVF-SPONSORED BASELINE STUDY OF ROTAVIRUS DISEASE PREVALENCE IN EGYPT, FINANCED BY THE GATES FOUNDATION AND PUBLISHED IN THE EGYPTIAN PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL, HAS LENT MOMENTUM TO THE REGISTRATION PROCESS OF THE VACCINE IN EGYPT AND THE PLANNING OF THE TECH TRANSFER FROM THE INDIAN MANUFACTURER TO AN EGYPTIAN VACCINE MANUFACTURER.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending November 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending November 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since April 1992.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.