Association for Experiential Education
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO ELEVATE AND EXPAND THE GLOBAL CAPACITY OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION BY BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY FOR EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS.
- Income
- $641,924
- Spending
- $574,912
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 4.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 90%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 200
- Highest pay
- $81,683, executive di
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
Good: 81 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 27% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 22% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 93 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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
0 of 7Reports no 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 (3)
- $313,479 spent. CONFERENCES - THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTS CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA, AND HAS CO-SPONSORED CONFERENCES IN OTHER COUNTRIES. THE PURPOSE OF THESE CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS IS TO PROMOTE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION AND TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS, EDUCATORS, THERAPISTS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTITIONERS FROM A BROAD SPECTRUM TO CONTINUALLY UPDATE AND IMPROVE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE SKILLS, LEARNING NEW TECHNIQUES, AND EXPLORE RESEARCH.
- $93,711 spent. ACCREDITATION - IN 1994, AEE DEVELOPED THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS FOR COMMON PRACTICES IN THE INDUSTRY, BECOMING THE NATION'S FIRST RECOGNIZED ACCREDITATION PROCESS FOCUSING ON EXPERIENTIAL ADVENTURE PROGRAMMING. SINCE THEN, THE AEE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM'S STANDARDS-BASED EVALUATION PROCESS BY OBJECTIVE, INDEPENDENT REVIEWERS HAVE BECOME THE INDUSTRY-ACCEPTED LEVEL OF PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL, OUTDOOR AND ADVENTURE, AND OUTDOOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS. ATTAINING ACCREDITED STATUS THROUGH THE AEE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM IS SOLID EVIDENCE OF AN ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AND SAFETY, BELIEF IN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS, AND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TOWARD CONTINUED EXCELLENCE AND IMPROVEMENT. PROGRAMS THAT ACHIEVE AEE ACCREDITED STATUS CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT THEY MEET OR EXCEED RECOGNIZED INDUSTRY STANDARDS. ACCREDITATION - IN 1994, AEE DEVELOPED THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS FOR COMMON PRACTICES IN THE INDUSTRY, BECOMING THE NATION'S FIRST RECOGNIZED ACCREDITATION PROCESS FOCUSING ON EXPERIENTIAL ADVENTURE PROGRAMMING. SINCE THEN, THE AEE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM'S STANDARDS-BASED EVALUATION PROCESS BY OBJECTIVE, INDEPENDENT REVIEWERS HAVE BECOME THE INDUSTRY-ACCEPTED LEVEL OF PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL, OUTDOOR AND ADVENTURE, AND OUTDOOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS. ATTAINING ACCREDITED STATUS THROUGH THE AEE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM IS SOLID EVIDENCE OF AN ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AND SAFETY, BELIEF IN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS, AND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TOWARD CONTINUED EXCELLENCE AND IMPROVEMENT. PROGRAMS THAT ACHIEVE AEE ACCREDITED STATUS CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT THEY MEET OR EXCEED RECOGNIZED INDUSTRY STANDARDS.
- $81,502 spent. MEMBERSHIP - AEE IS A PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION. OUR MEMBERS INFLUENCE AND INSPIRE OVER ONE MILLION INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR, WITH OUR ACCREDITED PROGRAMS WORKING WITH OVER 300,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY. AEE MEMBERS REPRESENT A BROAD SPECTRUM OF PROFESSIONAL FIELDS THAT UTILIZE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION METHODOLOGIES AND PRACTICES: OUTDOOR, CLASSROOM, HUMAN SERVICE, ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING, THERAPEUTIC, AND ADVENTURE SETTINGS. WE RECOGNIZE AND CHAMPION THE FACT THAT EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION CAN TAKE PLACE IN MANY DIFFERENT SETTINGS AND FACILITATE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL FOCUS, PERSPECTIVE AND BACKGROUND. WHILE USE OF THE OUTDOORS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, CHALLENGE IS OFTEN ACHIEVED THROUGH ACTIVITIES IN THE OUTDOORS. ACCORDINGLY, WE RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS. BECOMING A MEMBER OF AEE ALLOWS YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY DEDICATED TO PROMOTING, DEFINING,DEVELOPING, AND APPLYING THE THEORIES AND PRACTICES OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION. MEMBERSHIP - AEE IS A PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION. OUR MEMBERS INFLUENCE AND INSPIRE OVER ONE MILLION INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR, WITH OUR ACCREDITED PROGRAMS WORKING WITH OVER 300,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY. AEE MEMBERS REPRESENT A BROAD SPECTRUM OF PROFESSIONAL FIELDS THAT UTILIZE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION METHODOLOGIES AND PRACTICES: OUTDOOR, CLASSROOM, HUMAN SERVICE, ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING, THERAPEUTIC, AND ADVENTURE SETTINGS. WE RECOGNIZE AND CHAMPION THE FACT THAT EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION CAN TAKE PLACE IN MANY DIFFERENT SETTINGS AND FACILITATE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL FOCUS, PERSPECTIVE AND BACKGROUND. WHILE USE OF THE OUTDOORS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, CHALLENGE IS OFTEN ACHIEVED THROUGH ACTIVITIES IN THE OUTDOORS. ACCORDINGLY, WE RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS. BECOMING A MEMBER OF AEE ALLOWS YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY DEDICATED TO PROMOTING, DEFINING,DEVELOPING, AND APPLYING THE THEORIES AND PRACTICES OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1977.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.