National Autism Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $49,807
- Spending
- $143,899
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- -39.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 60%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 17
- Highest pay
- $698,235, chairperson
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
Weak: 20 out of 100. Higher than 3% of charities in its peer group (diseases, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 223% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 189% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% 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
Strong: 94 out of 100. Higher than 88% of charities in its peer group (diseases, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 18 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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)
- $131,532 spent. THE NATIONAL AUTISM CENTER AT MAY INSTITUTE (NAC) IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE-BASED INFORMATION ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD), AND TO PROVIDING DIRECTION TO FAMILIES, PRACTITIONERS, ORGANIZATIONS, POLICYMAKERS, AND FUNDERS. THE CENTER IDENTIFIES EFFECTIVE PROGRAMMING, SHARES PRACTICAL INFORMATION WITH FAMILIES ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE, AND DEVELOPS TRAINING AND SERVICE MODELS FOR PRACTITIONERS. FINALLY, THE CENTER WORKS TO SHAPE PUBLIC POLICY CONCERNING ASD AND ITS TREATMENT THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF NATIONAL STANDARDS OF PRACTICE.NAC'S FIRST MAJOR INITIATIVE WAS THE MULTI-YEAR NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT. THE PROJECT'S PRIMARY GOAL WAS TO PROVIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHICH INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ASD.PHASE 1 OF THE NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT (RELEASED IN 2009) EXAMINED AND QUANTIFIED THE LEVEL OF RESEARCH SUPPORTING INTERVENTIONS THAT TARGET THE CORE CHARACTERISTICS OF ASD IN CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND YOUNG ADULTS (BELOW 22 YEARS OF AGE) ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM. THE RESULTING REPORT COVERED A BROAD RANGE OF APPLIED TREATMENTS AND IDENTIFIES THE LEVEL OF SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AVAILABLE FOR EACH. THE PROJECT INCLUDED 775 RESEARCH STUDIES THE LARGEST NUMBER OF STUDIES EVER REVIEWED. FOR THE FIRST TIME, FAMILIES WERE ABLE TO FIND SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE AGE GROUPS, TREATMENT TARGETS, AND DIAGNOSTIC POPULATIONS TO WHICH THESE TREATMENTS HAVE BEEN APPLIED.THE FINDINGS OF THE NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT (PHASE 1) INCLUDE THE IDENTIFICATION OF: 11 "ESTABLISHED" TREATMENTS: TREATMENTS THAT PRODUCE BENEFICIAL OUTCOMES AND ARE KNOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM. 22 "EMERGING" TREATMENTS: TREATMENTS THAT HAVE SOME EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO BE CONFIDENT THAT THEY ARE TRULY EFFECTIVE. 5 "UNESTABLISHED" TREATMENTS: TREATMENTS FOR WHICH THERE IS NO SOUND EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS. PHASE 2 OF THE NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT (RELEASED IN 2015) PROVIDED AN UPDATE TO THE LITERATURE FOR INTERVENTIONS FOR THOSE UNDER AGE 22, AND ALSO INCLUDED STUDIES EVALUATING INTERVENTIONS FOR ADULTS (22+), WHICH HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY EVALUATED.PHASE 2 REVIEWED STUDIES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2007 AND FEBRUARY OF 2012. AS IN THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT, THE FOCUS WAS AN EVALUATION OF EDUCATIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION LITERATURE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ASD. THE REVIEW UPDATED THE SUMMARY OF ASD TREATMENT LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH UNDER AGE 22. THE PROJECT UPDATED ORIGINAL FINDINGS, ADDED INFORMATION, AND EVALUATED WHETHER ANY OF THE "EMERGING" INTERVENTIONS IN NSP1 HAD MOVED INTO THE "ESTABLISHED OR "UNESTABLISHED" CATEGORIES IN NSP2.THIS PHASE ALSO ANALYZED INTERVENTION OUTCOME STUDIES FOR INDIVIDUALS AGES 22 YEARS AND OLDER. BECAUSE THE FIRST PHASE OF THE NATIONAL STANDARDS PROJECT FOCUSED SOLELY ON INTERVENTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS UNDER AGE 22, THE RECENT LITERATURE SEARCH FOR INDIVIDUALS AGES 22+ SPANNED SEVERAL DECADES. THE EARLIEST INTERVENTION OUTCOME STUDY FOR INDIVIDUALS AGES 22+ WAS PUBLISHED IN 1987.ADDITIONAL DISSEMINATION PROJECTS FOR THE NATIONAL AUTISM CENTER AT MAY INSTITUTE INCLUDE:- A PARENT'S GUIDE TO AUTISM AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE, A COMPREHENSIVE MANUAL FOR FAMILIES WITH CRITERIA FOR SELECTING EVIDENCE-BASED SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN EFFECTIVE AND ARE BACKED BY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. - EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE AND AUTISM IN THE SCHOOLS, EDITIONS 1 AND 2: MANUALS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS OUTLINING SPECIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM COMPONENTS, PROCEDURES, AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES. INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL U.S. STATES AND MORE THAN 170 COUNTRIES HAVE VISITED THE NAC WEBSITE TO ACCESS INFORMATION ABOUT NSP1 AND NSP2.
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
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 November 6, 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 June 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 February 2006.
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 November 4, 2026.
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