American Vegan Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
226058533
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2015
Location
Malaga, NJ, USA
Phone
8566942887
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$261,634
Expenses
$320,181
Assets
$221,761
Liabilities
$9,578

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANNE DINSHAH (SECY/CEO)
  • BARATA EL (President)
  • FREYA DINSHAH (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANNE DINSHAH (SECY/CEO): $25,920 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The American Vegan Society shares vegan culture and heritage to build a compassionate, healthful, and sustainable future.

What it reported doing in 2025

For the year ended December 31 2025, AVS operated the following successful programs with digital and in-person resources that continue to welcome people to the vegan lifestyle and enjoy being vegan:(i) Philadelphia ProgramAMERICAN VEGAN CENTERAmerican Vegan Center is a welcoming cultural hub in Philadelphias historic district for vegans and prevegans, visitors and locals. This international tourist attraction is AVS single biggest program; a unique combination of museum, information, community center, and engaging activities. Friendly experts areready to help guide the way along the vegan journey: taste delicious vegan food samples, explore a compassionate wardrobe, find an ethical compass, meet like-minded friends, receive restaurant dining advice, participate in a veg history walking tour, and enjoy events.(ii) National ProgramsEDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND ADVOCACYPublications/Information American Vegan magazinedelightfully inspirational original content in print or PDFprovides basic info on health, environment, animals, compassion, and recipes AmericanVegan.orgwebsite offering reliable information on veganism and ahimsa, solidresources for beginners and anyone looking to learn E-Newsletterfree monthly communication of news and events Social mediaFacebook, Instagram, and X posts with useful info and events to welcomevegan-curious people AVS also shares the legacy of founder Jay Dinshah including Powerful Vegan Messages book; Jays recorded videos, essays, and speeches. And phone or email AVS to talk with, or get a response from, a real personCELEBRATIONS AND COMMUNITYCelebrations/Events Vegan Cuisine Month (February, global celebration) Dynamic Harmlessness Day (do least harm and most good, November 2 and every day) American Vegan Garden Party (Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend in NJ)

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 78% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 75
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 81.8%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 26th 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: 75%; rating input score 75; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -22.4%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.69; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.1%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 81.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $262K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $26K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 10/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.