Dharma Drum Retreat Center

Legal name: Dharma Drum Retreat Center Inc

Overview

Mission

Dharma Drum Retreat Center (founded in 1997) offers classes, workshops, and retreats to make the teachings of Chinese Chan Buddhism available in the Western Hemisphere, while fostering a community that learns and lives the Buddha’s teachings. Motivated to deepen his practice, Venerable Yan Xi left his professional career in Macao and traveled to Taiwan to pursue the monastic path. He joined the monastic community of Dharma Drum Mountain in August 2016 and later completed a six-year training program in Chan Meditation Practice at Dharma Drum Sangha University. He previously served as a Buddhist minister at the International Chan Retreat Center of Dharma Drum Mountain in Taiwan. He currently serves as a resident monastic at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in New York, where he leads retreats and teaches Dharma programs. Yanwu Fashi.

What it reported doing in 2024

The mission of Dharma Drum Retreat Center is to promote the practice of Chinese Chan Buddhism and to operate and maintain a place of worship.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
201849707
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Pine Bush, NY, United States
Phone
(845) 744-8114
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Buddhism
Affiliation
Buddhism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$819,360
Expenses
$760,821
Assets
$3,839,808
Liabilities
$12,508

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 95.7%; rating input score 96
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 7.1%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.05; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.5% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 89% of revenue deployed · 95.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $728K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 55/100.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Yuh-Jaan Wey (Board member)
  • Iris Wang (Board Member)
  • Tsung Ping Wang (Director)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024.