Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation is to provide for the socioeconomic betterment of the greater Latino community of California, while preserving the pride, values and heritage of the Mexican American culture.
- Income
- $206.8 million
- Spending
- $204.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 0.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 98%
- Employees
- 886
- Volunteers
- 900
- Highest pay
- $349,259, coo
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
Weak: 48 out of 100. Higher than 21% of charities in its peer group (employment, over $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.6 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 79% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 16% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (employment, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 21 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 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 (14)
- $75.0 million spent. MAOF offers CalWORKs/Alternative Payment Programs funded by the California Department of Social Services (Stages II, III & APP programs) to low-income families. Alternative Payment programs are parental choice programs, in which parents may choose from among the different types of child care services and who are also CalWORKs recipients who are either on or off cash aid or of low-income. Children accepted in these programs are under the age of 13 if the parents are working and meet eligibility requirements, seeking employment, attending school, or participating in a GAIN approved program. Eligible families may have all or part of the cost paid for by a subsidized Federal and State Block Grant. Total number of children enrolled in FY 2024-25: 9,975.
- $27.2 million spent. MAOF operates a Pre-School Early Learning Program funded by the California Department of Education. This program offers a developmental curriculum for pre-kindergarten children between the ages of 3 and 5. This program enhances the children's physical, mental, social and cultural awareness including a parent involvement component in the child's education as well as other social services. Total number of Pre-School children enrolled in FY 2024-25 was 1,018.
- $25.8 million spent. MAOF operates the Head Start program, funded by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) and the Office of Head Start, to provide comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families, with special focus on helping preschoolers develop the early reading and math skills they need to be successful in school. MAOF also offers Early Head Start services (EHS) designed to serve children 0-3 years old in partnership with MAOFs Child Care and Pre-School programs with CDE. EHS children and families receive mental health, health, nutrition, disabilities, family and community partnerships services, and additional community resources and workshops. Currently, MAOF operates around 20 Head Start and Early Head Start centers in the L.A. County area. Number of children enrolled in FY 2024-25 was 1,229.
- $21.1 million spent. MAOF offers other programs and services to its targeted population funded by various non-governmental organizations. These include: (a) Early Head Start program through the Volunteers of America of Los Angeles;(b) Financial services assistance from Local Initiatives Support Corporation to provide financial assistance services to low-income families to help them increase their earnings and income, reduce financial transaction costs, and generate new wealth for themselves and their communities; (c) Seniors Services; (d) Financial Literacy; (e) Assets Building program; (f) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance; (g) Food Bank; (h) Immigration Forums;(i) Health and Wellness forums;(j) Fundraising and Development program to launch the two major fundraising events: the Annual Aztec Awards Gala Night and the Women's Conference to generate unrestricted donor funds to support existing programs, (k) Other related supplemental programs and services benefiting low income families in the communities served.
- $15.1 million spent. The CalWORKs Stage One Program at MAOF is funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. The program is a subsidized child care program for eligible families on CalWORKs (cash assistance) or when a family starts receiving CalWORKs cash aid. CalWORKs clients may be served in Stage One, ideally within a period of six months, or until the County determines that the family situation is stable, or if no funds are available in Stage Two. Former CalWORKs clients are also eligible to receive child care services in Stage One and/or Stage Two for a total of no more than 24 months after they leave cash aid. Total number of family cases served by MAOF under this program in FY 2024-25 was 11,244.
- $13.0 million spent. MAOF provides comprehensive Child Care and Development Services funded by the California Department of Social Services to children in designated service areas whose parents are either recipient of child protective services, seeking employment or vocational training, or incapacitated. Its child care centers use the High Scope Curriculum to create a nurturing environment that promotes the development of physical, mental, cognitive, and social skills. Children accepted in these programs are: infants 0-18 months, toddlers 18-36 months, and preschoolers 3-5 years. Total number of children served in FY 2024-25: 420
- $4.3 million spent. MAOFs Infant and Toddler program (Family Child Care Home) funded by the California Department of Social Services provides subsidized child care for children ages 0-3. It is a parental-choice program allowing the parent to choose from a network of educational child care home settings which best meet the parents needs. Total number of children served in FY 2024-25: 486.
- $3.2 million spent. MAOF is also funded by the California Department of Social Services to operate the Migrant Child Care and Development Program to provide child care services to children of families who earn at least 50 percent of their total gross income from employment in fishing, agriculture or agriculturally related work. MAOF operates centers in Salinas and Kern Counties to provide child care development services for children from birth through 12 years of age and older children with exceptional needs. These program also provides an educational component that is culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate for the children served. Other services provided include meals and snacks, parent education, referrals to health and social services for agricultural families, and staff development opportunities to employees. Total number of children enrolled in this program in FY 2024-25 was 125.
- $2.2 million spent. As part of operating MAOFs Child Care and Development Programs (which include Child Care, State Pre-School, Migrant Workers, Early Childhood and Development, and the Head Start and Early Head Start programs), MAOF participates in the California Child Care and Adult Food Program (CACFP). This program gives financial aid to MAOFs childcare centers operating in seven counties for meals and snacks to children enrolled. The objectives of the program are to improve the diets of children under 13 years of age by providing them with nutritious, well-balanced meals, and to develop good eating habits that will last through later years. Total number of meals served to children in FY 2024-25 was 875,274, which includes breakfast, lunch and snacks.
- $2.2 million spent. MAOF also offers the Senior Hispanic Information and Assistance program (SHIAS) to seniors throughout Los Angeles, funded by the City of Los Angeles Department of Aging. It provides information and assistance services in the areas of health, transportation, housing, employment, naturalization, hunger awareness, documents preparation assistance, and others. In addition, the L.A. Department of Aging awarded MAOF grants to operate the Multiservice Senior Services program to provide evidence-based services, congregate meals, transportation, home delivered meals and social services to seniors in the East Los Angeles areas. In FY 2024-25, Total number of seniors served was 8,708.
- $2.1 million spent. MAOF also operates the WIOA program for Adults and the Work Experience program administered by the County of Kern Employment Training Resource and offers the same services to the adult segment of the population. These include bookkeeping and clerical class funded by WIOA, and the Work Experience Program funded by the Department of Human Services and AB 109, which provided them with the necessary skills and training to land in productive jobs in their communities. More than 333 participants and their families were served during the fiscal year.
- $1.3 million spent. The Resource and Referral program at MAOF provides families and child care providers in Los Angeles and Monterey counties with: (a) Referrals to licensed and exempt child care centers and family day care homes; (b) Technical Assistance for persons interested in obtaining a license as a child care provider; (c) Referrals to child and family related services (d) Information about child care options for children with special needs, and (e) other referral services to educate parents on child care-related topics. Total number of referrals made in FY 2024-25: 23,575.
- $345,144 spent. MAOF also has a 3-year contract with the County of Orange Social Services Agency to provide Early Childhood Education Services at the Tustin Family Center in Tustin, California. This program specifically serves children who are at-risk, abused, and neglected children and to help them grow and develop to their fullest potentially emotionally, socially, cognitively, and physically, and to allow them to live and learn successfully both in the home and in the classroom. Target population includes children ages birth through 2 and half years of age for infant/toddler services, and children ages 2 to 5 years for Preschool services. Total number of children served in FY 2024-25: 6.
- $59,213 spent. MAOF is also a recipient of funding from the California Department of Social Services to process applications for food stamps through the CalFresh Program. This program is for low-income people who meet federal income eligibility rules and want to add to their budget to put healthy and nutritious food on the table. It helps improve their overall health and well-being. It issues monthly electronic benefits cards (EBT cards) to qualified low-income families to buy most foods at many markets and food stores. Last fiscal year, 974 applications were processed.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1963.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.