Japanese American Veterans Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521786923
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bethesda, MD, USA
Phone
5712087763
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$81,353
Expenses
$68,235
Assets
$1,096,105
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Howard High (President)
  • Danielle Ngo (Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • Howard High (President)
  • Danielle Ngo (Vice President)
  • Kay Izumihara (Secretary)

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

The Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA) is a nationwide war veterans organization. We are dedicated to representing the interests and preserving the military lineage of all American veterans, reservists, and active-duty personnel including Asian American and Pacific Islander veterans. We work to honor and preserve the memory of those who valiantly served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence Service while also fostering patriotism and inclusion today. JAVA builds and strengthens camaraderie among members through luncheons, events, and a newsletter. We also conduct educational programs, give speeches, and organize discussion panels to emphasize the contributions of Japanese American War Veterans. Finally, we provide scholarships to descendants, dependents and members of 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service, and JAVA members.

What it reported doing in 2024

Central to JAVA's mission is the sponsorship of historical and educational programs that document the contributions of Japanese American Veterans, especially the Nisei in WWII. JAVA participated in the following programs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024: Day of Affirmation (D0A) Wreath Ceremony at the National WWII Memorial (Floral Wreath, NPS Permit) with a cost of $2095.28. JAVA hosted a special event luncheon to celebrate the Day of Affirmation at the Army Navy club July 15 in 2025, but budget from 2024 was used prior to the new financial year since there was no DoA luncheon for 2024. JAVA was a participant in the 19th Annual Nisei Soldiers Memorial Service at the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl on Sunday, September 2024. Approximately 150 people attended the program and JAVA's wreath expense was $227.35. For JAVA's Veterans Day program, Tak Furumoto, USA, was our keynote speaker at the annual program held at the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism in WWII in Washington, DC. The program allowed for both in-person and virtual participation and reached over 375 people with an expense of $944.27. The Memorial Day Program at Arlington National Cemetery allowed for both in-person and virtual attendance. Additionally, JAVA participated in a Memorial Day Service at the Punchbowl in HI. The combined cost of the programs was $262.50 and in total reached over 650 people. Finally, each month JAVA sends out a newsletter, the e-Advocate, to educate and inform over 1,000 members and contacts about current and historical military and cultural news and events.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 64% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 51% for direct work, and 49% for grants.

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.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 75
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 70
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.3%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 77.5%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: 16.1%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 16.06; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 200% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89.3% of revenue deployed · 77.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $53K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.