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Valley Voices

EIN 84-3911625 · Hanford, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceWeak15 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Mission Statement: Rooted in the communities of Californias Central Valley, our mission is to drive lasting change across rural regions by uplifting the voices and leadership of underserved, working-class communities of color. Vision Statement: Cultivate community power to build healthy, equitable and resilient communities that thrive.

Income
$1.7 million
Spending
$1.6 million
Spent on programs
85%
Reserves
7.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 72%
Employees
21
Highest pay
$113,172, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 7.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 14% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    85% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Weak: 15 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    5 of 25

    0 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    0 of 5

    Reports that it does not keep 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

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 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, 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)
  1. $1.3 million spent. Valley Voices has three portfolios of work that are funded by grants, contracts and donations: Civic Engagement, Public Health and Workers Rights. Our Civic Engagement work has multiple aspects. Voter registration includes supplying voter registration forms and assisting individuals with filling the forms out, along with how to submit the forms to the Registrar of Voters office. Voter education includes general nonpartisan conversations and workshops prior to local elections that explain how to find information within the large Voter Guide as well as how to fully complete and submit a California Ballot. Our social media channels regularly share original posts to invite the community to attend local board meetings along with our team members our team encourages member of the public to speak up, in both Spanish and English, about their interests, concerns and hopes to enjoy better representation by elected officials. We host candidate forums and ballot education sessions during each election cycle. Our Public Health work engages our team out in the community to share free resources such as PPE (hand sanitizer, face masks and hand wipes), 3-in-1 COVID-19/Flu A/Flu B testing supplies and educational materials to help stop the spread of respiratory diseases in partnership with the Kings County Department of Public Health. In 2025 and 2026 we partnered with the California Department of Public Healths Project Wingspan to bring flu vaccine popup clinics to dairy workers to help fight the Avian Flu. Our contract with FCHIP (Fresno Community Health Improvement Partnership) funds several CHWs (Community Health Workers) for our Fresno County-based outreach to address health disparities, housing, food security and other social determinants of health. Our Workers Rights efforts focus on education and referral to state agencies and/or legal assistance. We provide support and guidance to low-income workers who may have difficulty accessing resources due to language or technology barriers. Referrals to state agencies include, but are not limited to, CalOSHA, Labor Commissioner, Agricultural Relations Labor Board (ALRB) and Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). We have also partnered with educational institutions such as University of California, Merced to stay up to date on the most pressing issues related to workers rights. In the last two years, our outreach work has also included significant conversations and education relating to immigration rights. We are funded by the United Farm Workers to host legal service providers in our office each month. We also have funding from Valley SEED to support outreach to our community relating to the High-Speed Rail station planned for Hanford and possible Heavy Maintenance Facility with a location TBD.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 October 13, 2026.

  2. 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.

  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 October 13, 2026.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since February 2020.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.