The Center of Rational Spirituality
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
EDUCATION - TO HELP PEOPLE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY AWAKEN TO THEIR INHERENT SPIRITUALITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY TEACHING PROPER MEDITATION AND INTEGRATING ANCIENT SPIRITUAL WISDOM WITH MODERN RATIONAL THOUGHT.
- Income
- $213,420
- Spending
- $209,668
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- -0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 68%
- Employees
- 17
- Volunteers
- 40
- Highest pay
- $6,000, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (religion, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (religion, under $250k).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 4 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
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 (3)
- $172,915 spent. WE PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, INSTRUCTION, GUIDANCE, AND OVERSIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING: REMOTE COURSES AND RETREATS. VISITORS TO THE VISITOR CENTER: APPROX. 12,000 VISITS TO OUR WEBSITES AVERAGED 800 PER MONTH VISITS TO MICHAEL MAMAS' BLOG AVERAGED 300 PER MONTH VISITS TO MEDITATION INSTRUCTION PAGE AVERAGED 60 PER MONTH
- $3,090 spent. DR. MAMAS CONTINUED HIS WEEKLY PODCASTS. PANDIT PRASAD CONTINUED HIS DAILY, WEEKLY,MONTHLY AND ANNUAL CEREMONIES ON THE SAME SCHEDULE AS USUAL. MANY VISITORS TO THE TEMPLE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP US IN SERVERAL WAYS. BY APRIL 2025, THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED COMMERCIAL KITCHEN WAS COMPLETED AND OPERATING. THE MAINTENANCE CREW KEPT UP WITH THE LANDSCAPING IN ALL THE AREAS, INCLUDING THE MILE LONG STRETCH ALONG THE ROAD FROM THE MAIN GATE, PAST THE TEMPLE TO THE GANGA PARK ENTRANCE, MAINTAINING ALL THE PARKS: TEMPLE PARK, HANUMAN PARK, NANDI PARK, GANGA PARK, THE TEMPLE AND TEMPLE HOUSING, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, MOUNT SOMA COMMUNITY STUDENT UNION AND MOUNT SOMA COMMUNITY VISITOR CENTER, AND COTTAGES AS WELL AS THE NECESSARY MAINTENANCE TO ALL BUILDINGS. BEAUTIFICATION OF HANUMAN PARK HAS BEGUN WITH A COMPLETELY RENOVATED WALKWAY UP TO THE SITE. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A PLANNED LARGE-SCALE RENOVATION TO HANUMAN PARK. AS WE HAVE LISTED IN PRIOR YEARS, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF EVENTS CARRIED OUT BY THE TEMPLE WHICH SUPPORT CULTURAL INTEGRITY AND HARMONY, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING EVENTS: MAHASHIVARATRI, TOLI EKADASHI, GURU PURNIMA, SHRAVAN MAAS, KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI, GANESH CHATURTHI, SHARAD NAVARATRI-DUSSEHRA, DIWALI, ANNAKOOT, KAARTHIKA MAAS TO NAME A FEW, MONTHLY EVENTS SUCH AS GOWRI TRITIYA, HAVAN FOR SARVADEVATAS, KARTHIKEYA PUJA, PRADOSHAM, SANKATAHARA CHATURTHI AND SATYANARAYANA PUJA ALONG WITH THE DAILY EVENTS, ARCHANA, RUDRABHISHEKAM AND AARATHI.
- DR. MAMAS CONTINUED HIS WEEKLY PODCASTS. PANDIT PRASAD CONTINUED HIS DAILY, WEEKLY,MONTHLY AND ANNUAL CEREMONIES ON THE SAME SCHEDULE AS USUAL. MANY VISITORS TO THE TEMPLE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP US IN SERVERAL WAYS. BY APRIL 2025, THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED COMMERCIAL KITCHEN WAS COMPLETED AND OPERATING. THE MAINTENANCE CREW KEPT UP WITH THE LANDSCAPING IN ALL THE AREAS, INCLUDING THE MILE LONG STRETCH ALONG THE ROAD FROM THE MAIN GATE, PAST THE TEMPLE TO THE GANGA PARK ENTRANCE, MAINTAINING ALL THE PARKS: TEMPLE PARK, HANUMAN PARK, NANDI PARK, GANGA PARK, THE TEMPLE AND TEMPLE HOUSING, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, MOUNT SOMA COMMUNITY STUDENT UNION AND MOUNT SOMA COMMUNITY VISITOR CENTER, AND COTTAGES AS WELL AS THE NECESSARY MAINTENANCE TO ALL BUILDINGS. BEAUTIFICATION OF HANUMAN PARK HAS BEGUN WITH A COMPLETELY RENOVATED WALKWAY UP TO THE SITE. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A PLANNED LARGE-SCALE RENOVATION TO HANUMAN PARK. AS WE HAVE LISTED IN PRIOR YEARS, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF EVENTS CARRIED OUT BY THE TEMPLE WHICH SUPPORT CULTURAL INTEGRITY AND HARMONY, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING EVENTS: MAHASHIVARATRI, TOLI EKADASHI, GURU PURNIMA, SHRAVAN MAAS, KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI, GANESH CHATURTHI, SHARAD NAVARATRI-DUSSEHRA, DIWALI, ANNAKOOT, KAARTHIKA MAAS TO NAME A FEW, MONTHLY EVENTS SUCH AS GOWRI TRITIYA, HAVAN FOR SARVADEVATAS, KARTHIKEYA PUJA, PRADOSHAM, SANKATAHARA CHATURTHI AND SATYANARAYANA PUJA ALONG WITH THE DAILY EVENTS, ARCHANA, RUDRABHISHEKAM AND AARATHI.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 June 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 April 2001.
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.
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.