Letters to Strangers

Tax-deductible

Claremont, CA501(c)(3)Mental HealthEIN 83-0837546

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Letters to Strangers (L2S) is the largest global youth-run nonprofit seeking to destigmatize mental illness and increase access to affordable, quality treatment, particularly for youth.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
49¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$60K 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

FY2025 · 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
1 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $113K a year · 42% of revenue · last 2 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
49%
of spending
Concern: 49% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$60K
to officers and key staff · 33% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 54% of similar orgs
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 33% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Named funders
3
named funders · $66K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$160K
-57% vs prior year
Spent
$182K
To programs
49%
Net assets
$270K
By yearFY2023–FY2025
Revenue
$160K
FY2025▼ -57%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$100K
FY2024$371K
FY2025$160K
Expenses
$182K
FY2025▲ +49%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023Not on file
FY2024$123K
FY2025$182K
Net assets
$270K
FY2025▼ -8%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$49K
FY2024$292K
FY2025$270K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 2018.

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

Where the money goes

49 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 49% · $89K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

4 people listed on the 990; $60K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Dir.
$60,000Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Diana Chao’s $60K as Executive Dir. is at the 46th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2094 $100K–1M mental health 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 · 7 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023
Diana Chao$60,000$7,692—
Pearl Lee——$3,600
Helen Chen——$3,600
Dan Kanceljak——$2,268
Timothy Liyada——$1,125
Alyssa Vassel——$1,000
Clayton Becker——$800

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 Letters to Strangers executive salaries →

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Programs and updates

Destigmatize mental illness and improve access to affordable treatment for youth.

Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $105K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Chapter support for locations in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Columbia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, & Sierra Leone.

$62Kprogram expense
02

Corporate expenses that directly advance the organization's mission.

$32Kprogram expense
03

Scholarships awarded to Mental Health Changemaker & Warrior participants.

$12Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$66K
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$160K
Ln 12
Other incomeLn 4–11$160K
Money outPt IX
$182K
Ln 25
Programscol B$89K
Owns and owesPt X
$270K
net assets · Ln 32
Total assetsLn 16$270K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Other incomeLn 4–11$160K
Total revenueLn 12$160K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Total assetsLn 16$270K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$270K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $160K$182K−$22K$270K 990 PDF
FY2024 $371K$123K$248K$292K 990 PDF
FY2023 $100K$49K 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

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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