Dhammadharini

Overview

Mission

This corporation is a religious corporation and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the nonprofit religious corporation law exclusively for religious purposes. The specific purpose of this corporation is to foster and promote the teachings of the buddha in order to follow the way of the dhamma in accordance with the pali canon and to support the understanding and teaching of this wisdom by establishing in accordance with the principles of the vinaya, a residential community of fully ordained buddhist monastic women (bhikkhunis) who have undertaken the rules of training.

What it reported doing in 2025

Worldwide religious relationships, ceremonies, and monastic outreach - dhammadharini supports worldwide religious relationships and monastic outreach within the international bhikkhuni sangha. Activities under this program include participation in and hosting of religious ceremonies and commemorative events, both in person and online; support for bhikkhunis and monastic communities internationally; hosting visiting monastics; and participation in pilgrimages, conferences, and other religious gatherings. During the year, this work included activities related to initiatives such as the cambodian bhikkhuni sangha initiative, the indian bhikkhuni support project (including patimokkha printing and the footsteps of mahapajapati pilgrimage to nepal and india), and dhammacari espanol, including related activities such as theravada cuba. Program activities also included hosting visits from international members of our bhikkhunis' community, participattion sakyadhita international conference in malaysia, and commemorative religious events marking the organization's twentieth anniversary. These efforts foster connection, continuity of lineage, and mutual support among buddhist monastics across different countries. Program expenses primarily relate to travel, accommodations, event-related costs, and direct support of religious activities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 89% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
371518402
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Penngrove, CA, USA
Phone
7075839522
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Buddhism
Affiliation
Buddhism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$337,989
Expenses
$281,830
Assets
$1,234,143
Liabilities
$238,360

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 55
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 63
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 83.9%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 16.6%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.38; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70% of revenue deployed · 83.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $236K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 12 annual filings from 2013 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 16/100.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

People named in this filing

  • SUPATRA CHOWCHUVECH (PRESIDENT)
  • DOMINIC MCCARTY (TREASURER)
  • GLENN M GOFFIN (SECRETARY)

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 2025.