Burmese American Community Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
452377550
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2014, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Indianapolis, IN, US
Phone
317-731-5537
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Ethnic, Immigrant Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,680,539
Expenses
$3,548,158
Assets
$1,566,637
Liabilities
$37,984

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Elaisa Vahnie (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Elaisa Vahnie (Executive Director): $80,000 total reported compensation
  • Lian Sang (Programs Director): $70,000 total reported compensation
  • Bawi M Lian (Program Director): $60,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To build a thriving, self-sufficient, and sustainable, integrated Community through advocacy, education, and employment.

What it reported doing in 2024

Highlighted in the following are some of the outcomes and major impacts in 2023. In 2023 alone we assisted over 4500 individuals with Citizenship and English language training naturalization applications and other immigration requirements as well as provided support in gaining employment and training mentorship and scholarships and college & university admissions. This made a total of over 30,000 individuals served since 2011. Similarly we continued providing technical assistance to a number of start-up organizations including those that are faith-based which is an important part of the overall successful integration into the community. The Upward College Program UCP for high school students continued to maintain 100% admissions to postsecondary institutions for the students who completed this BACI program. Furthermore we helped over 50% of current college students who were previously enrolled in the UCP to receive scholarships. This past year also saw the college going rate among the Burmese recent high school graduates increase to 93% from 43% in 2014. In response to the emerging needs in the community especially in light of COVID-19 impact we have been able to enhance our basic needs assistance and mental health related service provision while also joining the resettlement community in the US to welcome refugees reflecting the Hoosiers hospitality and the American leadership.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.9%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 96.4%; rating input score 96
  • Fundraising efficiency: $158.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.6%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.44; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.1%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 28.2% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 24.5% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.5% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 10 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 3 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 92.9% of revenue deployed · 96.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $3.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $80K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 39 of 41 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Functional expense sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Part IX OfficeExpenses column sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.