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Chinese for Affirmative Action

Also known as Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality

San Francisco, CA · EIN 94-2161304 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for calendar year 2025 (tax year 2025) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Chinese for Affirmative Action reported $20.8 million in revenue and $20.1 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $85.86 went to program services, $11.52 to management and general costs and $2.62 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 45.1% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $237,855 (Co-Executive Director). 32 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 255% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.

Where $100 of spending went

Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $20M

For context, the median across 132 covered civil rights, social action & advocacy charities: $84.11 programs, $11.40 management, $4.49 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $21M

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

2025 filing. Median across 132 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure2025Median
Program services
Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)
85.9%82.1%
Management & general
Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)
11.5%11.1%
Fundraising
Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)
2.6%4.4%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions
Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h
$0.06$0.05
Contributions & grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1h ÷ 12
45.1%94.9%
Government grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1e ÷ 12
1.9%0.0%
Program service revenue share
Part VIII 2g ÷ 12
40.7%0.3%
Highest reported compensation
Part VII-A, columns D–F
$237,855$321,771
Highest compensation as share of expenses
Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)
1.18%1.81%
People paid over $100,000
Part VII, line 2
328
Net assets, in months of expenses
Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses
31.110.5
Independent voting board members
Part VI 1a–1b
11 of 11100.0%

A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.

What the money paid for, in its own words

2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense
$6.9M expenses · 40.3% of program spending · grants $51,438 · revenue $4.7M

CAA's local programming nurtures the ability of newcomers to participate fully in civic life. These activities include leadership development for public school parents, employment services for newcomers, outreach for legal services, and community and voter education underscoring issues that impact CAA's constituency. In addition, CAA leads advocacy to improve public policy and inform public discourse through public media, and organizes to engage elected and government officials

$4.7M expenses · 27.1% of program spending · grants $5,970 · revenue $3.0M

Stop AAPI Hate is an initiative led by CAA with AAPI Equity Alliance to comprehensively address discrimination and bias

$1.8M expenses · 10.6% of program spending · grants $40,969 · revenue $135K

Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP): HIP is the largest of ten fiscally sponsored groups within the Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE) network that is housed at the Organization. HIP is a grassroots community based organization dedicated to improving the lives and well being of Hmong Youth and families

$3.8M all other programs (line 4d)

Highest reported compensation

2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here
RoleFrom this orgFrom related orgsOtherTotal
Co-Executive Director
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$208,185$0$29,670$237,855
Co-Executive Director
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$208,357$0$26,795$235,152
Managing Dir. of Finance
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$173,456$0$27,133$200,589
Managing Director, Stop AAPI Hate
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$184,528$0$9,959$194,487
Managing Director of Advocacy, CAA
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$176,298$0$17,400$193,698
Managing Director of Programs, CAA
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$173,925$0$16,673$190,598
Managing Director of Policy, CAA
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$176,058$0$8,455$184,513
Managing Director of HR & People Su
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$169,256$0$20$169,276

32 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Chinese for Affirmative Action (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $674K (Part IX, line 5).

7 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked
RevenueExpenses
$0$20M$40M$60M$80M2019202020212022202320242025$21M$20M
FilingRevenueExpensesProgramsNet assetsTop pay
2025 ⓘ$21M$20M85.9%$52M$237,855
2024 ⓘ$20M$19M85.2%$50M$221,991
2023 ⓘ$17M$16M85.8%$47M$222,589
2022 ⓘ$14M$13M90.2%$43M$214,869
2021 ⓘ$49M$9.1M89.7%$45M$182,630
2020 ⓘ$7.1M$6.3M90.3%$5.3M$148,879
2019 ⓘ$5.9M$4.3M85.2%$4.5M$137,276

Governance answers, as filed

2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means
  • Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b11 · 11 independent
  • Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
  • Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
  • Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
  • Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
  • Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
  • Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
  • Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
  • Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
  • Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
  • Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
  • Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
  • Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
  • Employees Part I, line 5162
  • Volunteers Part I, line 6300

Largest outside contractors

2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only
AAPI Equity Alliance
Program Partner for Stop AAPI Hate
$964,130
Catalyst California
Program partner for MOSAIC
$351,400
Community R&d via Asian Pacific Communit
Program partner for MOSAIC
$300,700
Asian Law Caucus
Program partner for MOSAIC
$277,100
Fenton Communications Inc
Communications and Media for Stop AAPI H
$208,000

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 15 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

31 private foundations reported grants to Chinese for Affirmative Action totaling $1.8M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.

Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.

Correct a figure or respond

Every number above is copied from Chinese for Affirmative Action's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Chinese for Affirmative Action, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Similar-sized charities in this cause

All civil rights, social action & advocacy charities · Largest charities in California

Questions people ask

How much of Chinese for Affirmative Action's spending goes to programs?

In calendar year 2025, Chinese for Affirmative Action reported that 85.9% of its $20.1 million in expenses went to program services, 11.5% to management and general and 2.6% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Chinese for Affirmative Action pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Chinese for Affirmative Action reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $237,855, for the role of Co-Executive Director (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Chinese for Affirmative Action get its money?

Of $20.8 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 45.1% came from contributions and grants (including 1.9% from government grants) and 40.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Chinese for Affirmative Action a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 94-2161304 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

  • 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202612619349301856 · read the filing
  • 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202502619349300305 · read the filing
  • 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202413109349304201 · read the filing
  • 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202313009349301511 · read the filing
  • 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202243199349316079 · read the filing
  • 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202102739349300300 · read the filing
  • 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202023149349300202 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 94-2161304: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.