Advancement of Civilization Effort
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
ACE's primary exempt purpose is to advance education, scientific research, and community development through programs that cultivate human potential, ethical intelligence, ecological awareness, and sustainable civilization design. ACE develops and shares research, workshops, retreats, ecotourism experiences, and community outreach related to contemplative practice, wellness, applied physics, EEG/BCI technologies, AI ethics and governance, and long-horizon sustainable community models. ACE's long-term purpose includes acquiring land and resources for a sustainable community and research institute where residents, members, visitors, and participants can train in practices and technologies that support higher human potential, moral development, responsible energy use, and beneficial human-AI co-evolution, informed by frameworks such as the Kohlberg and Kardashev scales.
- Income
- $76,251
- Spending
- $82,707
- Reserves
- -3.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 100%
- Highest pay
- $30,344, president
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 6 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 154% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 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 (4)
- $15,000 spent. Ecotourism, Sustainability, Retreat Infrastructure, and Community-Based Program Development: ACE continued developing the foundation for its ecotourism and retreat-based program services in 2025. This included applying for a Public Utilities Commission permit to operate as a motor passenger carrier in support of ACE's emerging ecotourism program and purchasing a vehicle for this purpose: a 2025 Honda Pilot. The ecotourism program is intended to provide educational visitor experiences, sustainable transportation, island etiquette education, wellness-oriented excursions, and community-aligned activities connected to ACE's mission of ecological awareness, ethical development, and sustainable civilization design. The PUC permit process was pursued in 2025 and was subsequently granted in March 2026. ACE also continued developing the conceptual and operational framework for future workshops and retreats related to wellness, contemplative practice, ecological awareness, human potential, and responsible engagement with Kaua'i. These activities support ACE's long-term goal of acquiring land and resources for a sustainable community and research institute where residents, members, visitors, and participants can engage in educational programs, retreats, research, and regenerative community life.
- $5,000 spent. Research, Publications, AI Ethics, and BCI Development: ACE advanced its research and publication program in 2025, with emphasis on artificial intelligence ethics, human potential, consciousness studies, and brain-computer interface research. During the year, ACE acquired brain-computer interface equipment and began developing experimental designs for EEG/BCI-based studies related to meditation, coherence, attention, and subjective-objective research methods. ACE also published the first paper in a planned three-paper AI ethics and governance series on Zenodo, establishing the initial public research foundation for ACE's work on synthetic inwardness, ethical intelligence, and human-AI co-evolution. In addition to the publicly released whitepaper, ACE continued drafting and organizing longer-form research and educational writings, including the Master Narrative and a companion volume related to physics, consciousness, and civilizational development. These writings support ACE's long-term goal of developing a sustainable research institute that integrates objective scientific methods, subjective contemplative disciplines, AI ethics, and applied technologies for the advancement of civilization.
- $1,000 spent. Education, Youth Innovation, Community Outreach, and Public Learning: ACE continued educational and community outreach activities in 2025, including youth-centered program design, public demonstrations, newsletters, and local community engagement. ACE designed an Innovation Club intended for implementation at Hanalei School during the 2026-2027 school year, with the goal of introducing students to creativity, science, technology, engineering, ethics, sustainability, and hands-on problem solving. ACE also participated in Hanalei School Market Day with a geode exhibit, providing a public educational display related to geology, natural systems, and scientific curiosity. ACE sent two newsletters to its community and supporter list, maintaining public communication about ACE's mission, development, and emerging programs. These outreach efforts support ACE's broader exempt purpose of education, moral development, scientific literacy, and community-based learning. They also serve as early-stage infrastructure for future workshops, retreats, youth programs, and public educational events.
- $1,000 spent. Website, Communications, and Institutional Infrastructure: ACE rebuilt and substantially updated its public website in 2025, replacing an older site that had not been significantly updated since approximately 2018. The new website provides a clearer public-facing explanation of ACE's mission, program areas, research direction, long-term sustainable community vision, and emerging work in AI ethics, BCI research, ecotourism, education, and community development. ACE also preserved its older archived website, which documents the organization's earlier history, writings, project architecture, and long-range vision. This communications infrastructure is an important program service because ACE's work is educational, research-based, and public-facing. The website and newsletters allow ACE to distribute research, explain programs, engage supporters, prepare for funding outreach, and make its educational materials available to the public.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 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 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 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 August 2017.
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.
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.