Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

The Asian American Foundation

EIN 85-2050585 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong93 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SEE SCHEDULE O.

Income
$18.9 million
Spending
$26.1 million
Spent on programs
84%
Reserves
32.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 90%
Employees
10
Volunteers
15
Highest pay
$340,496, chief partnerships 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

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 32.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 7% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 38% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 14% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    84% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    9 of 10 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave 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

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited 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 (5)
  1. $9.2 million spent. ANTI-ASIAN HATE MONITORING AND PREVENTION LAUNCHED IN 2021 IN RESPONSE TO THE RISE IN ANTI-ASIAN HATE, TAAF'S ANTI-HATE & SAFETY NATIONAL NETWORK, COMPRISED OF NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDES ESSENTIAL DIRECT SERVICES, SAFETY, AND HEALING FOR SURVIVORS, FAMILIES AND THE IMPACTED COMMUNITY. THE NATIONAL NETWORK ALSO FOCUSES ON SHARING BEST PRACTICES AND RESOURCES TO BETTER TRACK, RESPOND TO AND STREAMLINE SOLUTIONS FOR ANTI-HATE WORK. IN 2024, TAAF HOSTED ITS FIRST EVER ANTI-HATE & SAFETY NATIONAL NETWORK CONVENING, BRINGING TOGETHER OVER 50 GRANTEES AND ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS OVER TWO DAYS IN NYC. ADDITIONALLY, TAAF LAUNCHED TWO SAFETY STUDIES TO EXAMINE THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF AANHPI RESIDENTS IN NYC AND SEATTLE.
  2. $5.7 million spent. RESOURCES & REPRESENTATION TAAF'S RESOURCES & REPRESENTATION INITIATIVES FOCUS ON UNLOCKING RESOURCES THROUGH THE AAPI GIVING CHALLENGE AND STRENGTHENING AANHPI LEADERSHIP ACROSS INDUSTRIES. TAAF ENGAGES LEADERS THROUGH TAAF'S SIGNATURE BOARD AND C-SUITE STRATEGIES AND EMERGING EXECUTIVES THROUGH THE TAAF ERG NETWORK (TEN).TAAF ALSO WORKS WITH PARTNERS TO UNLOCK RESOURCES THROUGH THE AAPI GIVING CHALLENGE, A MULTI-YEAR CAMPAIGN THAT RALLIES COMPANIES, FOUNDATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS TO SUPPORT AANHPI COMMUNITIES AND CAUSES AND TAAF'S AWARD-WINNING NONPROFIT DATABASE, A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT CONNEXTS THE PUBLIC WITH AANHPI NONPROFITS ACROSS THE US.
  3. $2.7 million spent. EDUCATION TAAF'S EDUCATION EFFORTS FOCUS ON EXPANDING ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY IN CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. EFFORTS PRIMARILY CENTERED ON LAUNCHING THE "AAPI HISTORY HUB", A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND ONLINE EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM THAT PROVIDES K-12 EDUCATORS WITH OVER 280 HIGH-QUALITY, VETTED, STANDARDS- ALIGNED CURRICULAR RESOURCES COVERING AAPI HISTORY. EARLIER THIS YEAR, TAAF, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE CHICAGO, ALSO LAUNCHED THE "TEAACH FIELD GUIDE & EXECUTIVE SUMMARY" OUTLINING KEY LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADVOCATES, POLICYMAKERS AND EDUCATORS SEEKING TO STANDARDIZE THE TEACHING OF AAPI HISTORY IN K-12 SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE.
  4. $2.6 million spent. NARRATIVE CHANGETAAF'S NARRATIVE CHANGE EFFORTS ELEVATE STORIES AND STORYTELLERS THAT COMBAT STEREOTYPES AND CONTRIBUTE TO AANHPI'SBEING SEEN IN THEIR FULL HUMANITY. TAAF INVESTS IN DEBUT FILMMAKERS AND UNDERREPRESENTED AAPI VOICES, MENTORSHIP ANDTRAINING TO ADVANCE THE CAREERS OF AAPI CREATIVES, AND RESEARCH SUPPORTING AAPI LEADERS IN MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT ANDJOURNALISM.
  5. $1.7 million spent. DATA & RESEARCH.

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 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 October 13, 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 2024.

    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 September 2021.

    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 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.