Asian American Scholar Forum Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
863593724
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2021
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
5082059777
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,432,609
Expenses
$903,145
Assets
$1,598,327
Liabilities
$7,282

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • YASHENG HUANG (PRESIDENT)
  • KAI LI (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • GISELA PEREZ KUSAKAWA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • GISELA PEREZ KUSAKAWA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $188,554 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Asian american scholar forum (aasf) is an association of american scholars of asian descent united to promote academic belonging, openness, freedom, and equality for all.

What it reported doing in 2024

Aasf works to ensure a seat at the table for the asian american scholar community striving to lift up their voice and advance and protect the civil rights of all. We accomplish this goal through partnerships, education, and building bridges. Aasf convenes high level discussions and meetings with the white house, federal agencies, academic institutions, associations, and community leaders. Aasf ensures that the asian american scholar community is educated on the laws and policies that impact their rights, while engaging with policymakers to provide them with the crucial expertise and lived experience of asian american and scholar communities. Furthermore, the aasf's legal defense and education fund helps to fight discrimination and racial bias against scholars by funding legal work that has a potential for national impact or setting legal precedent. Aasf also works on educational efforts to lift up the history and contributions of asian americans and further educate the general public through data and research.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 95% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 70
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 57.7%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 88.9%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $53.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: 37%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.77; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.9%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 82% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 31.9% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 57.7% of revenue deployed · 88.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $803K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $189K · 15 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 58/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.