Maharishi Vedic Pandits

Legal name: Brahmananda Saraswati Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
262986750
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Fairfield, IA, USA
Phone
6412098022
Rating
89
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution
Affiliation
Hinduism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,370,290
Expenses
$13,579,697
Assets
$77,632,957
Liabilities
$290,312

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR HARRIS KAPLAN (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • JEANNIE ROSE (CFO & SECRET): $48,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To secure peace, affluence and invincibility for life everywhere on earth by providing perpetual support for large groups practicing transcendental meditation and its advanced techniques, especially large groups of Maharishi Vedic Pandits who also offer special Vedic performances for the welfare of the world.

What it reported doing in 2025

In-residence courses held at the brahmasthan of india provided over 500 participants from 60 different countries the opportunity to experience the tangible influence of the vedic pandits. These courses also included knowledge lectures of vedic science as well as presentations on the scientific research done on the individual and group practice of transcendental meditation. As a result of these courses, brahmananda saraswati foundation expects expanded awareness of the unique value of its mission and hopes for added support.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 67% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 96% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 81
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 99.2%; rating input score 99
  • Program expense ratio: 92.6%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $31.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -9.8%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.72; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.4%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.5% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: Mission, programs, and operating context captured from the official website.
  • Where the money goes: 99.2% of revenue deployed · 92.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $12.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $48K · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 7 filed related-organization links
  • 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: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.