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Asian American Lead Ldship Empwment and Devlpment for Youth & Family

EIN 52-2102012 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To empower AAPI youth in underserved communities through culturally responsive programming and advocacy.AALEAD envisions a United States in which all youth are supported, empowered, and celebrated within equitable, abundant and thriving communities.

Income
$1.2 million
Spending
$1.3 million
Spent on programs
77%
Reserves
20.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 52%
Employees
18
Volunteers
87
Highest pay
$133,096, executive director

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

Financial health

Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 76% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 20.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 5% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 35% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    77% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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 (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 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

    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 September 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 (3)
  1. $859,615 spent. The AALEAD After School Program provides educational empowerment for middle and high school aged youth by educating them on identity development and leadership skills from a STEAM centered curriculum including college and career readiness, financial literacy, and workforce development. Programs create a safe and supportive space to embrace identity and engage in opportunities for leadership and civic engagement. AALEAD serves youth in weekly after school programs through a community-based model in D.C. and at designated school sites aligned with demographic needs within Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Montgomery County. In FY25, AALEAD supported 378 youth attending 19 public and charter schools with afterschool programs across DC, MD, and VA. Across all programs, 501 youth were served in afterschool, summer, and mentoring programs. According to cumulative surveys, in developing leadership skills, 86% of participants reported feeling more confident in their leadership skills because of skills learned and opportunities provided by AALEAD. Approximately 90% of participants reported being better informed on how to take steps to achieve their educational goals, while 92% felt they had a place to belong as a result of the community focus within programs.
  2. $85,376 spent. AALEAD's Mentoring Program connects youth aged 8-18 with caring adults 21+ years old, to form relationships that provide youth with a safe avenue to express their feelings and frustrations, improve their self-esteem, and foster positive self-identity. The program follows an evidence based social and emotional learning framework that gives mentees opportunities to explore new interests and develop hobbies, motivate them to pursue higher education, and prepare them for careers with support from their mentors. In FY25, the Mentoring Program had a total of 40 matches with a one-to-one ratio of adult mentors and youth mentees.
  3. $74,749 spent. AALEAD provides free summer programs for youth ages 11-18 for five days per week, for five weeks to bridge the gap in learning loss during summer months. Summer programs center experiential hands-on learning with a STEAM centered curriculum focusing on identity and leadership development. Youth engage in weekly local field trips and projects to bridge community engagement with skills learned in programs. Youth explored topics of storytelling, identity exploration, and community engagement through various leadership development skills such as presenting and facilitating amongst peers. Programs operate at one school site in each region in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In FY25, 113 youth were served across all regions in summer programs. According to youth reported surveys, approximately 89% of youth learned how their personal life connects to the world around them, and 91% learned about the experiences of people from different cultures and races. Furthermore, 91% reported having improved skills in empathy, teamwork, & problem solving because of summer programs.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 September 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 July 1998.

    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.