Empath Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
EMPATH FOR AUTISM IS A RESOURCE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT, HOPE, AND SUCCESS ON THEIR UNIQUE JOURNEYS.
- Income
- $280,960
- Spending
- $170,433
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 9.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 75%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 3
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: 88 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 39% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% 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
Fair: 67 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 253 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.
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 (3)
- $70,711 spent. THE EMPATH FAMILY BELIEVES IN GIVING BACK AND CREATING A BETTER COMMUNITY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS WITH A FOCUS IN ASD. ONE OF THE WAYS THE ORGANIZATION ACCOMPLISHES THIS IS BY HOSTING EVENTS TO BRING AWARENESS AND SUPPORT. THIS YEAR, EMPATH FOR AUTISM BEGAN HOSTING "MOM CHAT" EVENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BE U BEAR, BRINGING TOGETHER 25 MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM FOR A SUPPORTIVE, COMMUNITY-BUILDING EXPERIENCE. THE EVENT PROVIDED A SAFE SPACE FOR PARTICIPANTS TO SHARE THEIR JOURNEYS, ACCESS RESOURCES, AND FIND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AMONG PEERS. WHILE MOTHERS ENGAGED IN OPEN DISCUSSION AND A SHARED MEAL, RESPITE CARE IS PROVIDED FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THIS GATHERING PROMOTES CONNECTION, REDUCED ISOLATION, AND REINFORCES EMPATH'S MISSION TO UPLIFT FAMILIES NAVIGATING AN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS.CIRCUS BIZIRCUS LUNAR, HELD AT THE MADISON THEATER, WAS DEVELOPED AND EXECUTED AS A CORE PROGRAM SERVICES EVENT, DELIVERING A HIGHLY IMMERSIVE, MISSION-CENTERED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. THE EVENT WAS INTENTIONALLY PROGRAMMED TO ADVANCE THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF FOSTERING AUTISM AWARENESS, EDUCATION, EMPATHY, AND SUPPORT THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. THE CORE THEME OF THE EVENT, A JOURNEY TO ANOTHER WORLD, WAS DEVELOPED TO ILLUSTRATE HOW INDIVIDUALS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM OFTEN EXPERIENCE LIFE THROUGH SENSORY PERCEPTIONS VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM NEUROTYPICAL INDIVIDUALS. GUESTS WERE GUIDED THROUGH A STRUCTURED EXPERIENCE MAP THAT REQUIRED THEM TO ENGAGE WITH MULTI-SENSORY INSTALLATIONS, NAVIGATING STATIONS THAT SIMULATED THE CHALLENGE OF ADHERING TO A "NEUROTYPICAL" PATH WHILE MANAGING OVERWHELMING ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI. THIS EXERCISE SERVED TO MIRROR THE COGNITIVE AND SENSORY DEMANDS OFTEN PLACED ON INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM AS THEY ATTEMPT TO CONFORM TO SOCIETAL EXPECTATIONS.TO DEEPEN THIS EXPERIENTIAL EMPATHY, WE INCLUDED A SILENT DISCO ACTIVATION. WHILE ON THE SURFACE A FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT, ITS TRUE INTENT WAS SYMBOLIC: IN THE SAME ROOM, SURROUNDED BY THE SAME PEOPLE, EACH PARTICIPANT DANCED TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AUDITORY EXPERIENCE. THIS DEMONSTRATED THE REALITY THAT WHILE INDIVIDUALS MAY SHARE PHYSICAL SPACE, THEIR SENSORY EXPERIENCESESPECIALLY THOSE WITH AUTISMCAN BE VASTLY DIFFERENT.FURTHER, THE EVENT INCLUDED AN INTENTIONALLY OVERSTIMULATING THEATRICAL ENVIRONMENT FEATURING INTENSE LIGHTING, LAYERED SOUNDS, AND ABSTRACT PERFORMANCESALL DESIGNED TO SIMULATE HOW SOMEONE ON THE SPECTRUM MAY EXPERIENCE EVERYDAY SETTINGS. UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL OVERWHELM, WE ALSO CREATED A "SENSORY SPEAKEASY," A SOFT-LIT, SOUND-ISOLATED SPACE WHERE GUESTS COULD DECOMPRESS. THIS QUIET ROOM SERVED AS A TANGIBLE METAPHOR FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF SENSORY REGULATION AND THE NEED FOR RETREAT THAT MANY IN THE AUTISM COMMUNITY FACE DAILY.A DEEPLY IMPACTFUL MOMENT OCCURRED WHEN 8-YEAR-OLD JAGGER WILLIAMS, WHO IS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, WAS GIVEN THE STAGE FOR UNSCRIPTED EXPRESSION. WHAT UNFOLDED WAS AUTHENTIC, RAW, AND BEAUTIFULJAGGER SANG, SMILED, SCREAMED, AND SIMPLY WAS HIMSELF. THIS UNSCRIPTED MOMENT WAS A REAL-LIFE APPLICATION OF OUR MISSION: TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED WITHOUT CONDITIONS.
- $52,876 spent. JAGTAG PROGRAM - EMPATH FOR AUTISM DEVELOPS AND DISTRIBUTES WEARABLE IDENTIFICATION BANDS FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND OTHER DISABILITIES. JAGTAG BANDS ARE DESIGNED TO HOLD COMPATIBLE BLUETOOTH TRACKING DEVICES AND PROVIDE CAREGIVER-AUTHORIZED IDENTIFICATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION THROUGH A SCANNABLE QR CODE, HELPING FAMILIES ENHANCE SAFETY AND COMMUNICATION WHEN A CHILD BECOMES SEPARATED FROM A CAREGIVER.JAGBAG PROGRAM - PROVIDES SPECIALLY CURATED WELCOME BAGS FOR FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. CREATED BY EMPATH FOR AUTISM BOARD PRESIDENT LESLIE WILLIAMS, AND INSPIRED BY HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THE INITIATIVE AIMS TO OFFER COMFORT, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT DURING A TIME OF OVERWHELMING EMOTIONS. EACH JAGBAG INCLUDES SENSORY TOOLS, SAFETY ITEMS, AND COMFORTING GIFTS, ALL REVIEWED BY CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, TO PROMOTE SECURITY, SENSORY REGULATION, AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. THIS INITIATIVE EXEMPLIFIES OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AT THE ONSET OF THEIR AUTISM JOURNEY WITH EMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING, AND TANGIBLE RESOURCES.
- $5,620 spent. EMPATH FOR AUTISM DONATES TO KELLY O'LEARY CENTER AT CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND TO OTHER CHARITIES WITH SIMILAR MISSION. ADDITIONALLY, EMPATH FOR AUTISM ALSO GRANTS DIRECTLY TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HARDSHIP.
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 October 13, 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 August 2023.
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 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.