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The China Folk House Retreat Inc

EIN 82-2240656 · Arlington, VA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair69 out of 100GovernanceGood73 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE PURPOSE OF THE CHINA FOLK HOUSE RETREAT IS TO PURCHASE, RECONSTRUCT, AND MAINTAIN AN IMPORTED CHINESE FARM HOUSE IN THE UNITED STATES AS A PLACE FOR THE SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH AND OTHERS. THE ORGANIZATION WILL SPONSOR PROGRAMS, EVENTS, ACTIVITIES AND/OR EXHIBITS TO TAKE PLACE AT THE HOUSE OR IN SUPPORT OF THE HOUSE.

Income
$421,753
Spending
$339,912
Spent on programs
78%
Reserves
0.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 54%
Employees
1
Volunteers
150
Highest pay
$54,026, ceo

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: 69 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    78% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 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

Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    15 of 16 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

    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

    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

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 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)
  1. $265,322 spent. BOTH SPRING AND FALL SAW MANY VISITS FROM SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS WHO LEARNED ABOUT CHINESE CULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES EMBODIED IN CHINA FOLK HOUSE AND A RECORD NUMBER OF DROP-IN VISITORS FROM THE CHINESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHO APPRECIATED A CHANCE TO RECONNECT WITH THEIR ROOTS. OUR FALL EVENT SEASON FEATURED A FOLK-FUSION CONCERT BY YANGQIN VIRTUOSO CHAO TIAN, WITH DANNY KNICELY ON MANDOLIN, JOHN PREVITI ON BASS, ZAN MCLEOD ON GUITAR, AND LOREN OPPENHEIMER ON INDIAN TABLA. GUESTS ENJOYED AN AMAZING ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE OF GLOBAL FOLK TRADITIONS FROM ASIA AND APPALACHIA. THE SUMMER 2024 HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM AND COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY. CAMPERS COMPLETED THE WELCOME CENTER; CONSTRUCTED A TIMBER-FRAME KIOSK FOR OUR ELECTRIC SERVICE; PUT UP A SOLAR HOT WATER HEATER; AND BUILT RAMMED EARTH WALLS AND A COURTYARD MOSAIC FOR OUR TEACHING GARDENS FUNDED BY THE DAO FENG AND ANGELA FOUNDATION AND BEDROCK FOUNDATION. COLLEGE INTERNS FROM BATES COLLEGE, HAVERFORD, NYU, SWARTHMORE, UVA, VCU, AND WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ST. LOUIS DID RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT OUR MISSION OF PROMOTING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE. CHINA FOLK HOUSE TOOK 26 HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ON A 28-DAY STUDY TOUR TO CHINA, FURTHERING OUR MISSION OF FOSTERING PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE. IN BEIJING WE HAD MEETINGS WITH ENVIRONMENTALIST MA JUN, AND A TALK ON US-CHINA RELATIONS FROM PROFESSOR DA WEI, DIRECTOR OF THE TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND STRATEGY. IN HONG KONG WE MET WITH US CONSUL GENERAL GREGORY MAY AND HAD A LECTURE FROM PROFESSOR CHENG LI AT HONG KONG UNIVERSITY. IN YUNNAN, STUDENTS LEARNED ABOUT TRADITIONAL BUILDING PRACTICES AND CRAFTS INCLUDING WOOD CARVING, SILVER SMITHING, POTTERY, TRADITIONAL MUSIC, AND EMBROIDERY WITH LOCAL CRAFT MASTERS. IT WAS A FANTASTIC WAY TO RETURN TO CHINA AND YUNNAN TV MADE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT OUR TRIP. OUR CEO DR. PAMELA LEONARD GAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE CHINA FOLK HOUSE AT THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON US CHINA RELATIONS PEOPLE TO PEOPLE EXCHANGE CONFERENCE IN BEIJING IN NOVEMBER. NCUSCR ALSO DID A GREAT PODCAST ABOUT THE CHINA FOLK HOUSE PROJECT BOTH SPRING AND FALL SAW MANY VISITS FROM SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS WHO LEARNED ABOUT CHINESE CULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES EMBODIED IN CHINA FOLK HOUSE AND A RECORD NUMBER OF DROP-IN VISITORS FROM THE CHINESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHO APPRECIATED A CHANCE TO RECONNECT WITH THEIR ROOTS. OUR FALL EVENT SEASON FEATURED A FOLK-FUSION CONCERT BY YANGQIN VIRTUOSO CHAO TIAN, WITH DANNY KNICELY ON MANDOLIN, JOHN PREVITI ON BASS, ZAN MCLEOD ON GUITAR, AND LOREN OPPENHEIMER ON INDIAN TABLA. GUESTS ENJOYED AN AMAZING ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE OF GLOBAL FOLK TRADITIONS FROM ASIA AND APPALACHIA. THE SUMMER 2024 HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM AND COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY. CAMPERS COMPLETED THE WELCOME CENTER; CONSTRUCTED A TIMBER-FRAME KIOSK FOR OUR ELECTRIC SERVICE; PUT UP A SOLAR HOT WATER HEATER; AND BUILT RAMMED EARTH WALLS AND A COURTYARD MOSAIC FOR OUR TEACHING GARDENS FUNDED BY THE DAO FENG AND ANGELA FOUNDATION AND BEDROCK FOUNDATION. COLLEGE INTERNS FROM BATES COLLEGE, HAVERFORD, NYU, SWARTHMORE, UVA, VCU, AND WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ST. LOUIS DID RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT OUR MISSION OF PROMOTING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE. CHINA FOLK HOUSE TOOK 26 HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ON A 28-DAY STUDY TOUR TO CHINA, FURTHERING OUR MISSION OF FOSTERING PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE. IN BEIJING WE HAD MEETINGS WITH ENVIRONMENTALIST MA JUN, AND A TALK ON US-CHINA RELATIONS FROM PROFESSOR DA WEI, DIRECTOR OF THE TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND STRATEGY. IN HONG KONG WE MET WITH US CONSUL GENERAL GREGORY MAY AND HAD A LECTURE FROM PROFESSOR CHENG LI AT HONG KONG UNIVERSITY. IN YUNNAN, STUDENTS LEARNED ABOUT TRADITIONAL BUILDING PRACTICES AND CRAFTS INCLUDING WOOD CARVING, SILVER SMITHING, POTTERY, TRADITIONAL MUSIC, AND EMBROIDERY WITH LOCAL CRAFT MASTERS. IT WAS A FANTASTIC WAY TO RETURN TO CHINA AND YUNNAN TV MADE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT OUR TRIP. OUR CEO DR. PAMELA LEONARD GAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE CHINA FOLK HOUSE AT THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON US CHINA RELATIONS PEOPLE TO PEOPLE EXCHANGE CONFERENCE IN BEIJING IN NOVEMBER. NCUSCR ALSO DID A GREAT PODCAST ABOUT THE CHINA FOLK HOUSE PROJECT

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

  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? Worth knowing.

    Status was revoked on February 15, 2020 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on February 15, 2020.

    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 December 2024.

    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 August 2020.

    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.