The Aja Project FY2023 filing

Tax-deductible

San Diego, CA501(c)(3)InternationalEIN 33-0969020Revenue $507K in FY2023

On file with the IRSajaproject.org4504 51st St, 92115-3448 · San Diego, CATax-exempt since Jul 2001Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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To provide photography-based programming to transform the lives of youth and communities. Aja has provided long-term, community-based programming for over 4,500 individuals, and has shared visual narratives with over 1 million viewers through large-scale public exhibits.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
59¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$63K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2023 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $14K a year · 3% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
59%
of spending
Worth a look: 59% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$63K
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.7 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
6
named funders · $140K
Looks good: 6 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$2K
0.7% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$507K
-29% vs prior year
Spent
$321K
To programs
59%
Net assets
$212K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$507K
FY2023▼ -29%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$437K
FY2021$646K
FY2022$718K
FY2023$507K
FY2024$499K
FY2025$358K
Expenses
$321K
FY2023▼ -62%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$474K
FY2021$573K
FY2022$843K
FY2023$321K
FY2024$451K
FY2025$422K
Net assets
$212K
FY2023▲ +733%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$77K
FY2021$150K
FY2022$25K
FY2023$212K
FY2024$259K
FY2025$196K

From the FY2023 Form 990 (year ending August 2023) · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jul 2001.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

59 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 59% · $189K Management & general 36% · $116K Fundraising 5% · $16K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

5 people listed on the 990; $63K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Director (former)
$62,627Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Rizzhel Javier’s $63K as Director (former) is at the 58th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1637 $100K–1M international nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Rizzhel Javier$62,627$69,992$39,469$8,405

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See The Aja Project executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Empowers youth and communities through transformative photography programs and public exhibits.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $189K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Programs

The aja project exists to ignite change, break cycles of marginalization, and to build healthy communities. To achieve this, aja provides participatory art and media arts programming to underserved, marginalized, and displaced youth, while amplifying their voices to advocate for social JUSTICE.PUBLIC art: the aja project has shared its…

$189Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 6 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$507K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$455K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$52K
Other incomeLn 4–11$330
Money outPt IX
$321K
Ln 25
Programscol B$189K
Managementcol C$116K
Fundraisingcol D$16K
Owns and owesPt X
$212K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$99K
Total assetsLn 16$214K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$455K
Government grantsLn 1e$190K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$52K
Other incomeLn 4–11$330
Total revenueLn 12$507K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$78K
SavingsLn 2$21K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$99K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$24K
Other assetsLn 15$5K
Total assetsLn 16$214K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K
Net assetsLn 32$212K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 519
VolunteersI 612
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$89K$99K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$40K$24K
Total assetsLn 16$408K$214K
LiabilitiesLn 26$382K$2K
Net assetsLn 32$25K$212K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$64K$51K$6K$6K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$62K$49K$6K$6K
Payroll taxesLn 10$13K$10K$1K$1K
Accounting feesLn 11c$42K$7K$34K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$244$244
OccupancyLn 16$26K$13K$13K
TravelLn 17$16K$611$15K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$15K$15K
InsuranceLn 23$7K$218$7K$27
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$68K$53K$15K$789
All other expensesLn 24e$8K$5K$3K$50
Total functional expensesLn 25$321K$189K$116K$16K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $358K$422K−$64K$196K 990 PDF
FY2024 $499K$451K$47K$259K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $507K$321K$187K$212K 990 PDF
FY2022 $718K$843K−$125K$25K 990 PDF
FY2021 $646K$573K$73K$150K 990 PDF
FY2020 $437K$474K−$37K$77K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $507,432 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $482,594$454,910
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $210,070$52,192
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $678$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $24,282$330
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $717,624$507,432
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $2,625$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $353,860$138,360
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $486,142$182,540
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $842,627$320,900
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$125,003$186,532
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $507,432 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$190,150
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$264,760
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$454,910
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $52,192$52,192
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $330$330
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $52,522 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$507,432
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $320,900 across 11 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $51,371 · Management $6,421 · Fundraising $6,421$64,213
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $49,213 · Management $6,152 · Fundraising $6,152$61,517
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $10,104 · Management $1,263 · Fundraising $1,263$12,630
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $6,533 · Management $34,276 · Fundraising $1,440$42,249
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $244$244
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $12,838 · Management $12,837$25,675
IX-17 TravelPrograms $611 · Management $15,137$15,748
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $15,332$15,332
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $218 · Management $6,891 · Fundraising $27$7,136
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $53,039 · Management $14,583 · Fundraising $789$68,411
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $4,617 · Management $3,078 · Fundraising $50$7,745
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $188,544 · Management $116,214 · Fundraising $16,142$320,900
Part X · Balance sheet $213,540 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $47,972$78,370
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $40,587$20,744
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $275,918$82,661
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $3,691$2,461
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $39,686$24,354
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$4,950
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $407,854$213,540
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $27,059$1,545
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $355,332$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $382,391$1,545
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $25,463$211,995
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $25,463$211,995
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $407,854$213,540
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $211,995 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$507,432
XI-2 Total expenses$320,900
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$186,532
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$25,463
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$211,995

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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