Association of Ramaytush Ohlone
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone (ARO) represents the interests of the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. The purposes of the ARO align with our ancestral responsibilities to care for Mother Earth and to care for the people who reside in our ancestral homeland. The ARO partners with other organizations and agencies to pursue its objectives: the rematriation of our ancestral homeland; the revitalization of our culture, language, and community; research, consultation, and education to ensure accuracy in public culture and history; ecological restoration; community service; and arts and cultures.
- Income
- $446,061
- Spending
- $600,023
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 14 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 4
- Highest pay
- $158,602, executive dir.
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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 35% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 44% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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
Fair: 56 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
5 of 251 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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, 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)
- $454,834 spent. Introduction: Sovereignty and RestorationThe Ramaytush Ohlone (rah-my-toosh oh-lone-ee) are the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula and are represented by the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone (ARO). Spanish, Mexican, and American colonization of California displaced our ancestors from our homeland and resulted in the near complete genocide of our people and culture. Of the original approximately 2,000 Ramaytush Ohlone who occupied the San Francisco Peninsula prior to colonization, only one lineage is known to have survived. To the best of our knowledge, none of our members have lived in our ancestral homeland for about 150 years and none of members have held land in our ancestral homeland for over 250 years. Because our cultural and spiritual traditions require that we be in direct relationship with our ancestral lands, our return is necessary for us to become whole as a people and for the broadening and deepening of the exercise of our sovereignty. In this instance, sovereignty means more than self-governance. Sovereignty refers also to cultural continuanceto our ability to continue into the future as a culturally distinct group of people with a shared ancestry. As Native peoples our primary responsibilities are to care for the natural world and to care for the people who reside in our ancestral homeland. Because we lack the resources (human power, technical knowledge, etc.) to fulfill some of our responsibilities to care for the earth and to care for people, we partner with other like-minded organizations and agencies who are able to work in concert with Native peoples. All of this restorative workthe revitalization of our culture, the restoration of the earth, and our ability to care for marginalized peoples, especially other Indigenous peoplesrequires financial, legal, and human resources. The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone (ARO) is the vehicle for the restorative work that evolves out of our ancestral and cultural responsibilities. Our primary project areas include 1) rematriation (land acquisition); 2) the revitalization of our culture, language, and community; 3) research, consultation, and education; 4) ecological restoration; 5) community service, especially community farms and gardens for Indigenous and other disadvantaged communities; and 6) re-indigenization through art and culture. All of these efforts are enacted within our aboriginal tribal territory, which includes all of San Francisco and San Mateo Counties and the northwestern portion of Santa Clara County.Part I. Project Areas1. Land Rematriation: Rematriation, as opposed to repatriation, refers to the giving back the earth to our Earth Mother, or, more specifically, returning care for the earth back to the original caretakers who employ perspectives and traditional ecological knowledge in their caretaking of Mother Earth.The Ramaytush Ohlone Land Trust (ROLT) is the official land trust of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. The primary goal of the ROLT is to acquire lands or to gain access to lands or to co-manage lands within our ancestral homeland for the following purposes: 1) Stewardship: to restore the health of the land; 2) Service: to work with the land in service of others; and 3) Cultural Revitalization: to reanimate our traditions and ceremonies.The actual acquisition of lands "owned," leased, or accessed has been based on developing relationships with the legal owners of said lands, most of whom are agencies and organizations like the Public Utilities Commission, the San Francisco Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Peninsula Open Space Trust. Over the past two years, we have developed relationship with these various partners and our working on terms for acquisition, management, and access. With our land trust and land trust attorney now in place, we can move forward with these and other merging land trust projects, including cultural revitalization, ecological restoration, and community farms and gardens.The primary goals of rematriation are to acquire, manage, and access lands for the purposes of cultural revitalization, ecological restoration and community farms and gardens. In regards to cultural revitalization, the long-term goals are to find a significant property of 500-1000 acres to reanimate ceremonial practices and restore our community. In regards to ecological restoration, the ARO does not need to hold land to restore and preserve it; nonetheless, holding land makes it easier to tend the land over time. In regards to community farms and gardens, the goals would be to acquire the lands and make them available first to Native peoples and second to other disadvantaged communities to enhance food security and food sovereignty, and to provide access to green space for members of marginalized communities that comparatively lack green space in their communities.Projects: Filoli (San Mateo County), Golden Gate Park (San Francisco County), San Pedro Point (San Mateo County), CalTrans Right-of-Way (Montara)2. Cultural Revitalization and Community Restoration: The near total genocide of our ancestors was accompanied by a culturcide as wellto date we have very little left our culture and language, and so one of our primary goals is to reanimate our traditions and to establish new traditions in our homeland. In addition, we are working toward reestablish our community in our ancestral homeland after years of displacement.Projects: Ohlone Culture and Language in J. P. Harringtons Field Notes, Protection and Restoration of Sacred Sites (confidential), cultural resource management, and others.3. Research, Consultation, and Education: The ARO has and will continue to produce publicly available research on California Indian history and culture, including scholarship on Ramaytush and Ohlone peoples. The ARO continues to consult with other entities on interpretive projects involving Native peoples. In addition, the ARO participates in public education at a number of leve
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
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 November 6, 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 February 2022.
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 November 4, 2026.
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