Elton John AIDS Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ESTABLISHED IN 1992, THE FOUNDATION IS ONE OF THE LEADING INDEPENDENT AIDS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORLD. WITH THE MOBILIZATION OF OUR SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS, WE FUND LOCAL EXPERTS ACROSS FOUR CONTINENTS TO PROVIDE CARE AS WELL AS SUPPORTING GOVERNMENTS TO END AIDS.
- Income
- $20.3 million
- Spending
- $20.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 3.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 94%
- Employees
- 16
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $411,154, chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.5 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 57% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 6 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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)
- $17.5 million spent. THE ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION IS ONE OF THE TOP 5 PHILANTHROPIC FUNDERS OF HIV/AIDS GRANTS WORLDWIDE. SINCE OUR FOUNDING, WE HAVE RAISED MORE THAN $636 MILLION TO SUPPORT OVER 3,192 PROJECTS IN 102 COUNTRIES TO END AIDS. IN 2024, OUR U.S. AND U.K. ENTITIES TOGETHER FUNDED $21,448,088 OF NEW GRANTS, ALMOST MATCHING OUR RECORD OF $21,647,822 IN 2023. THE U.S. ENTITY ALONE AWARDED $13,486,898 OF GRANTS AND SPENT $17,528,743 ON PROGRAM SERVICES, 88% OF TOTAL EXPENSES. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION. IN 2020, WE EMBARKED ON AN EXCITING NEW STRATEGIC PLAN, DESIGNED TO REDUCE STIGMA AND HIV TRANSMISSION, ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO COMPASSIONATE CARE AND TREATMENT, AND THAT GOVERNMENTS INVEST IN THOSE POPULATIONS MOST AFFECTED BY HIV. OUR STRATEGY FOCUSES ON REACHING POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SO OFTEN LEFT BEHIND AND EXCLUDED FROM THE HIV RESPONSE. THE ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION'S GRANTMAKING IS MADE FROM BOTH ITS U.S. ENTITY (TO WHICH THIS FORM 990 RELATES) AND U.K. ENTITY. AS REPORTED IN THE FOUNDATION'S ANNUAL REPORT, AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED 40 NEW GRANTS TO THE VALUE OF $21,448,088 IN 2024, OF WHICH $13,486,898 WAS FROM THE U.S. ENTITY ALONE. WE REACHED 643,214 PEOPLE WITH SERVICES INCLUDING TESTING, PREVENTION, TREATMENT, TRAINING AND EDUCATION, WITH GRANTS SPANNING 58 COUNTRIES. WE INITIATED 36,873 PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PREP), INITIATED 28,016 ON ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) AND SUPPORTED 404,679 PEOPLE TO TEST FOR HIV. GRANTS WERE AWARDED ACROSS OUR STRATEGIC PORTFOLIO AREAS: 1. YOUNG PEOPLE: TO MEET THE GROWING GLOBAL HEALTH NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND PREVENT A RESURGENCE OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC, WE ARE SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS TO PILOT AND SCALE EFFECTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSES WHICH MEET YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE THROUGH INNOVATIONS IN SERVICE DELIVERY. 2. LGBTQ+: LGBTQ+ GROUPS ARE AT INCREASED RISK OF HIV INFECTION. WE ARE WORKING TO ENSURE LGBTQ+ PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO PROTECTION AND APPROPRIATE, QUALITY HEALTH CARE. 3. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT END WITHOUT CONCERTED ACTION FROM BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR. WE ARE STRENGTHENING THESE PARTNERSHIPS TO ENHANCE HEALTH WORKFORCE CAPABILITIES, TO INCREASE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND DEMAND FOR HIV PREVENTION AND TESTING COMMODITIES, TO ENHANCE LINKAGES TO CARE WITHIN COMMUNITIES, AND TO ADDRESS NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL POLICY BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND THOSE AT HEIGHTENED RISK OF INFECTION. 4. EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA: IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA, HIV INFECTIONS AND AIDS-RELATED DEATHS CONTINUE TO RISE, DEMANDING URGENT ACTION TO TURN THE TIDE OF THE EPIDEMIC. TO ACHIEVE EPIDEMIC CONTROL IN EECA, WE ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND HIV SERVICES FOR ALL, TO REDUCE STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION EXPERIENCED BY KEY POPULATIONS, AND TO SHARE LEARNING ON EFFECTIVE APPROACHES. IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTBREAK OF WAR IN UKRAINE AND INCREASED BURDENS ON THE HEALTH SYSTEM, WE ARE MAKING STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS TO BOLSTER AND SUSTAIN THE HIV/AIDS RESPONSE DURING THIS CRISIS. 5. PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS: WE ARE WORKING TO ENSURE PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS HAVE ACCESS TO RELEVANT AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENT STRATEGIES, AND CAN RELY ON CONTINUED INVESTMENTS TO MEET THEIR HEALTH NEEDS. ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION INC. WAS FOUNDED BY ELTON JOHN AND IS GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF PHILANTHROPIC LEADERS, TECHNICAL EXPERTS, CORPORATE EXECUTIVES AND LEADERS IN THE GLOBAL HIV/AIDS RESPONSE. FINANCIAL REVIEW: 2024 WAS A SUCCESSFUL YEAR FINANCIALLY FOR THE ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION AS WE CONTINUE TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS AGAINST OUR 2020-2025 STRATEGY. THE FOUNDATION CONSISTS OF A U.K ENTITY AND A U.S. SUBSIDIARY ENTITY (TO WHICH THIS FORM 990 RELATES), IN COMBINATION REFERRED TO AS THE "GROUP". THE DIRECTORS MANAGE THE GRANT MAKING, FUNDRAISING, AND OTHER OPERATIONS OF THE ORGANISATION JOINTLY ACROSS THE GROUP. AS REPORTED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, TOTAL COMBINED REVENUE FOR THE GROUP IN 2024 WAS $29,718,676, THANKS TO THE ONGOING SUCCESS OF THE ROCKET FUND, OUR $125 MILLION, MULTI-YEAR FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE TO ACCELERATE THE FOUNDATION'S LIFESAVING WORK AND COMBAT THE GROWING RATES OF HIV. IN THE U.S. ENTITY ALONE, $20,298,674 OF TOTAL REVENUE WAS GENERATED IN 2024, COMPARED TO $21,618,939 IN 2023. THE DECREASE IN REVENUE IN THE U.S. ENTITY COMPARED TO 2023 IS LARGELY DUE TO THE FOUNDATION RECEIVING MORE HIGH-VALUE MULTI-YEAR GIFTS IN 2023, DONATED TO SUPPORT THE CHARITY OVER MULTIPLE YEARS. THE FOUNDATION TOOK THE STRATEGIC DECISION TO INCREASE AND MAXIMISE THE VALUE OF GRANTS TO PARTNERS AND EXPENDITURE ON PROGRAM SERVICES IN 2024 USING THE SURPLUSES GENERATED IN PREVIOUS YEARS AND THE STRONG NET ASSETS HELD AT THE START OF 2024. AS REPORTED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT, THE GROUP RAN A DEFICIT OF $3,967,078, PARTLY OFFSET BY $176,408 OF GAINS ON INVESTMENTS, RESULTING IN NET ASSETS OF $29,996,715 AT DECEMBER 31, 2024 ($33,787,385 AT DECEMBER 31, 2023). AS REPORTED IN THIS FORM 990, THE U.S. ENTITY HAD A SURPLUS OF $303,061, WHICH TOGETHER WITH UNREALIZED GAINS ON INVESTMENTS AND OTHER CHANGES IN NET ASSETS, RESULTED IN NET ASSETS OF $16,050,177 AT DECEMBER 31, 2024 ($15,740,294 AT DECEMBER 31, 2023). AT THE END OF 2024, THE GROUP AND U.S. ENTITY HOLD SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO ENSURE OPERATIONAL STABILITY AND WILL DRAW DOWN ON THESE RESERVES IN 2025 TO MAXIMIZE OUR CHARITABLE IMPACT AND CONTINUE OUR ONGOING GRANTS STRATEGY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 2024.
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 June 1993.
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.
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