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Hostage Aid Worldwide Inc

EIN 85-3148877 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak30 out of 100GovernanceFair66 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
  • 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

HOSTAGE AID'S MISSION IS TO ASSIST HOSTAGES AND UNLAWFUL DETAINEES AND THEIR FAMILIES BY PROVIDING INSIGHTS ON THEIR CASES AND COORDINATION WITH GOVERNMENTS & UN BODIES, AS WELL AS STRATEGIES TO DISRUPT THE HOSTAGE BUSINESS MODEL AND THE EMERGING THREAT OF HOSTAGE DIPLOMACY. THIS IS DONE BY COMBINING GLOBAL ADVOCACY WITH EMPIRICAL DATA DRIVEN METHODS AND EXTENSIVE RESEARCH. HOSTAGE AID FOCUSES ON ADVOCATING FOR, SUPPORTING AND DOCUMENTING CASES INVOLVING FOREIGN AND DUAL NATIONALS TAKEN HOSTAGE OR UNLAWFULLY DETAINED.

Income
$439,922
Spending
$633,721
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
-3.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 88%
Employees
3
Volunteers
2
Highest pay
$180,000, president

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

Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    0 of 20

    It owes 188% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 44% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 198% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 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

Fair: 66 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 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

    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

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    0 of 10

    Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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. $498,760 spent. DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPT PURPOSE ACHIEVEMENTS: MOBILE APP WORKED ON REVAMPING ITS MOBILE APP FOR APPLE AND ANDROID DEVICES, WHICH INCLUDES FEATURES SUCH AS THE HOSTAGE METRICS ENGINE AND HOSTAGE RISK PREDICTOR. HOSTAGE METRICS ENGINE CONTINUED TO EXPAND THE HOSTAGE METRICS ENGINE (HME), THE LARGEST COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE OF KNOWN HOSTAGES AND UNLAWFULLY DETAINED PERSONS GLOBALLY SINCE 1979, BEGINNING WITH THE IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS. COMPILED FROM MILLIONS OF RECORDS, THE HME ACCUMULATES AND ORGANIZES REAL-TIME DATA ON ARRESTS, DETENTIONS, KIDNAPPINGS, RELEASES, AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. IT FEATURES AN INTUITIVE INTERFACE THAT ALLOWS USERS TO FILTER INFORMATION BY COUNTRY, DATE, LEGAL STATUS, AND OUTCOME, ENABLING STAKEHOLDERS TO QUICKLY ACCESS RELEVANT CASE DETAILS AND HISTORICAL DATA. HOSTAGE RISK PREDICTOR CONTINUED TO ENHANCE THE HOSTAGE RISK PREDICTOR, AN ADVANCED ANALYTICAL TOOL DESIGNED TO EVALUATE AND PREDICT THE LIKELIHOOD OF INDIVIDUALS BEING TAKEN HOSTAGE OR UNLAWFULLY DETAINED ABROAD. LEVERAGING THE VAST DATASET FROM THE HOSTAGE METRICS ENGINE, THE PREDICTOR USES SOPHISTICATED ALGORITHMS TO ANALYZE PATTERNS, GEOPOLITICAL RISKS, AND OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS INCLUDING TRAVEL DESTINATIONS, PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES, POLITICAL CLIMATES, AND KNOWN THREATS IN SPECIFIC REGIONS, TO CALCULATE A RISK SCORE. THIS SCORE HELPS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT TRAVEL AND OPERATIONS IN POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS AREAS. HOSTAGE ALLIANCE DELEGATION TO EU HOSTAGE AID ORGANIZED A LARGE DELEGATION OF EU FORMER HOSTAGES AND FAMILIES OF CURRENT EU HOSTAGES. HOSTAGE AID AND THE DELEGATION TRAVELED TO BRUSSELS IN JULY 2024, AND MET WITH EU OFFICIALS AND PARLIAMENTARIANS TO RAISE AWARENESS ON THIS MATTER, ADVOCATE FOR EUROPEANS STILL UNLAWFULLY DETAINED ABROAD AND URGE THE EU TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR ARBITRARILY DETAINED CITIZENS AS A STRONG UNIFIED BODY, RATHER THAN AS SINGULAR GOVERNMENTS. EFFORTS ALSO BEGAN TOWARDS FACILITATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EU WORKING GROUP OF PARLIAMENTARIANS TO FOCUS ON THE ISSUE OF HOSTAGES. UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY UNGA79 SIDE EVENT HOSTAGE AID HOSTED ITS ANNUAL UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SIDE EVENT ON COUNTERING HOSTAGE-TAKING, IN NEW YORK DURING UNGA'S HIGH LEVEL WEEK. THIS EVENT WAS ATTENDED BY AMBASSADORS AND PERMANENT MISSIONS OF OVER 20 COUNTRIES, WITH A KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTNIO GUTERRES. MODERATED BY BOB RAE, CANADA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UN AND PRESIDENT OF THE UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL, THE EVENT FEATURED HIGH-LEVEL ADDRESSES FROM CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MLANIE JOLY AND U.S. AMBASSADOR DOROTHY SHEA, ALONG WITH UK AMBASSADOR DAME BARBARA WOODWARD, GERMAN AMBASSADOR THOMAS ZAHNEISEN, AND ARGENTINE AMBASSADOR RICARDO LAGORIO. ATTENDEES INCLUDED DIPLOMATS FROM MISSIONS AROUND THE WORLD, REPRESENTING COUNTRIES SUCH AS ALBANIA, GERMANY, NORWAY,ZIMBABWE, VENEZUELA, NIGERIA, AND MANY OTHERS. MANY FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES AND FORMER HOSTAGES ATTENDED AND PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT, INCLUDING SHAKED HARAN (FAMILY OF HOSTAGE IN GAZA) AND DEBRA TICE (MOTHER OF HOSTAGE AUSTIN TICE). THE EVENT CONCLUDED WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A UN WORKING GROUP, THE APPOINTMENT OF A UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HOSTAGE AFFAIRS, AND THE EXPLORATION OF LEGAL FRAMEWORKS SUCH AS THE RENEWAL OF THE 1979 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AGAINST THE TAKING OF HOSTAGES, AIMED AT FOSTERING GLOBAL COOPERATION TO PREVENT AND RESOLVE HOSTAGE CRISES. GAZA HOSTAGES HOSTAGE AID WORKED TIRELESSLY WITH THE EU, THE UN, U.S. OFFICIALS, AND VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS AND CAMPAIGNED FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN HOSTAGES HELD BY HAMAS IN GAZA. HOSTAGE AID RAISED AWARENESS TO THE HUMANITARIAN DIMENSION OF THIS CRISIS, BEYOND ANY POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS, AND ENCOURAGED INTERNATIONAL ACTION FOR THE RELEASE OF THE HOSTAGES. IN PARALLEL, HOSTAGE AID CLOSELY SUPPORTED HOSTAGE FAMILIES AND CONSISTENTLY ADVOCATED FOR THE FREEDOM OF ALL HOSTAGES HELD IN GAZA. ALONGSIDE OTHERS, HOSTAGE AID'S EFFORTS HELPED DRAW GLOBAL ATTENTION TO THE HUMANITARIAN ASPECT AND PLIGHT OF THE HOSTAGES, THE UNACCEPTABLE CRIME OF HOSTAGE-TAKING AND THE PRESSING RESPONSIBILITY AND OBLIGATION TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HOSTAGE AID WAS ALSO DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN ENGAGING PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE CAMPAIGN TO FREE THE HOSTAGES AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ARRANGING A MEETING BETWEEN FORMER GAZA HOSTAGES AND PRESIDENT TRUMP. HOSTAGE AID'S EFFORTS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN FREEING THE HOSTAGES. "FREE AUSTIN TICE" CAMPAIGN IN 2024, HOSTAGE AID LAUNCHED A MULTIMEDIA CAMPAIGN ACROSS THE MENA REGION, PARTICULARLY IN SYRIA AND NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, TO SEARCH FOR THE WHEREABOUTS OF AMERICAN AUSTIN TICE. THE CAMPAIGN REACHED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THROUGH ONLINE, TV AND RADIO ADS GENERATING THOUSANDS OF TIPS. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CAMPAIGN FOCUSED ON GENERATING AWARENESS. HOSTAGE AID ESTABLISHED MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS, INCLUDING TELEGRAM, EMAIL, AN ONLINE TIP SUBMISSION FORM, INSTAGRAM, AND OTHER PLATFORMS. IT ENGAGED THIRTEEN LEBANESE RADIO STATIONS TO AIR MESSAGES CALLING FOR INFORMATION ON AUSTIN, AND PARTNERED WITH LEBANON'S LEADING TELEVISION NETWORK WITH SIGNIFICANT VIEWERSHIP IN SYRIA, TO BROADCAST VIDEO MESSAGES EVERY HOUR. ADDITIONALLY, HOSTAGE AID LAUNCHED CONTINUOUS META ADS, DEPLOYED CONTEXTUAL ONLINE ADS, AND COLLABORATED WITH SYRIAN NEWS AGENCIES TO FEATURE BANNERS AND VOICE-OVER APPEALS URGING ANYONE WITH CREDIBLE INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD. IN THE SECOND PHASE, BUILDING ON THE INITIAL EFFORTS, HOSTAGE AID LAUNCHED A DIRECT SMS OUTREACH CAMPAIGN, REACHING MORE THAN 37.5 MILLION PHONE NUMBERS ACROSS SYRIA AND NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, ENCOURAGING RECIPIENTS TO SUBMIT ANY TIPS OR INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP LOCATE AUSTIN TICE. THIS NEW APPROACH TO IN-COUNTRY ADVOCACY HAS PROVEN TO BE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE CASE OF AMERICAN TRAVIS TIMMERMAN WHO WAS FOUND IN SYRIA AND IDENTIFIED THANKS TO AWARENESS GENERATED BY THIS CAMPAIGN. ANNUAL GLOBAL HO

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 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 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 April 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 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.