Friends of Kyoto University North America Branch

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
853388738
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
3017046529
Rating
60
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,260,656
Expenses
$193,273
Assets
$4,364,496
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DEVANG THAKOR (PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR)
  • RIKA OKAYAMA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • DEVANG THAKOR (PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR)
  • YUKI SAKO (TREASURER & DIRECTOR)
  • SAYA TAKEUCHI (SECRETARY & DIRECTOR)

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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To advance kyoto university's commitment to academic excellence and creative scholarly endeavor in the global community through education, research, social contribution and development of diverse leadership and to facilitate and enhance intercultural relationships and international collaborations.

What it reported doing in 2024

Shida scholarship program- made possible by a generous donation from the family of the late dr. Mitsuzo shida. Shida scholarship fund was created for this program and friends of kyoto university north america branch (fku) is managing the account of the fund. The fund is to be used purely for the distribution of the scholarship and no fees should be paid out from this account for any kind of administrative work performed by fku.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 80% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 34
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 97
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 11%; rating input score 11
  • Program expense ratio: 83.5%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Limited
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • 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: 91.5%; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 22.58; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 44.6% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 73.1% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 90.1% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 11% of revenue deployed · 83.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $161K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 21 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 11/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.