Esperanto League for North America Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 45% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
We exist to serve the community of speakers of the international auxiliary language Esperanto within the U.S., as well as provide information about the language to the public. We provide an online bookstore, an annual conference, an annual film festival, a quarterly member newsletter, scholarships and more.
- Income
- $298,861
- Spending
- $124,006
- Spent on programs
- 45%
- Reserves
- 74.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 64%
- Employees
- 2
- Volunteers
- 30
- Highest pay
- $40,919, 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: 85 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 74.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 59% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 137% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1545% 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
Good: 86 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (8)
- $17,500 spent. We offer scholarships to Esperanto speakers, based on financial need, for the annual North American Summer Esperanto Institute, a week-long immersion course entirely in Esperanto, with three different classes intended for various levels (advanced beginner, intermediate, and advanced).
- $15,037 spent. We provide a quarterly newsletter to our members, with articles primarily in Esperanto. This excellent resource helps our members stay informed about Esperanto-related events and activities happening across the United States, updates from our organization, and news about the international Esperanto movement. It also provides a wide variety of fun and interesting articles and activities, such as comics, Esperanto grammar columns, articles in Esperanto on various topics of interest, features about historical figures in the Esperanto community, jokes, short stories, and crossword puzzles.
- $8,478 spent. We run an annual short film festival, the American Good Film Festival, which encourages anyone in the world, including non-Esperanto-speakers, to create short films entirely in Esperanto. This successful competition incentivizes participation by providing cash prizes to the top ten winners, as well as an audience choice award that encourages engagement on our YouTube channel. It also provides a creative outlet for our community to use Esperanto in a fun and practical way, while informing the public about Esperanto. In 2025, 49 films were submitted, bringing our total to almost 200, the largest collection of scripted Esperanto-language films in history. Our subscriber count on YouTube now sits at almost 3000.
- $7,620 spent. We provide membership & promotional services, including regular email newsletters, educational materials & course information, coordination of local Esperanto groups, facilitation of regional and online events, promotion of Esperanto to the general public, assistance with member requests & inquiries, management of our annual member election, and intermediary services to help members order magazine subscriptions & memberships from our partner organizations abroad.
- $2,961 spent. We run an office at the United Nations in New York City, in collaboration with our partner organization, the Universal Esperanto Association.
- $2,767 spent. We organize an annual in-person conference for the Esperanto-speaking community, which provides an opportunity to practice the language, participate in our organization's decisions, present sessions about interesting topics, and make personal connections with other Esperanto speakers from all over the country and the world.
- $1,834 spent. We provide an online bookstore with books, music and other items of cultural and educational interest for Esperanto speakers and learners in the United States. These items help our community develop and refine their ability to speak, understand, and enjoy Esperanto, by providing textbooks, music and reading material in Esperanto, as well as promote the language to the public by providing stickers, pins, badges, postcards and other merchandise.
- Program revenue had been included in the amended return.
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 December 1954.
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.