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Observer Research Foundation America

Tax-deductible

Washington, DC501(c)(3)InternationalEIN 85-2694328Revenue $4.3M in FY2024

On file with the IRSorfamerica.org1100 17th St Nw Ste 501, 20036-4652 · Washington, DCTax-exempt since Nov 2020Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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The Observer Research Foundation America (orf America) is an independent, non-partisan, and nonprofit organization in washington DC dedicated to addressing policy challenges facing the united states, india, and their partners in a rapidly changing world.orf America produces Research, curates diverse and inclusive platforms, and develops networks for cooperation between the developed and developing worlds based on common values and shared interests. Its areas of focus are international affairs and security, technology policy, energy and climate, and economic development. Established in 2020, orf America is an overseas affiliate of the Observer Research Foundation (orf), india's premier non-government think tank.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
70¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 4 volunteers and 8 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $515K a year · 18% of revenue · last 4 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 2 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
70%
of spending
Fine: 70% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$499K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 81% of similar orgs
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.3 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $40K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$436K
16% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 16% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.3M
+68% vs prior year
Spent
$2.8M
To programs
70%
Net assets
$2.2M
By yearFY2021–FY2024
Revenue
$4.3M
FY2024▲ +68%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$2.3M
FY2022$2.2M
FY2023$2.6M
FY2024$4.3M
Expenses
$2.8M
FY2024▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$1.3M
FY2022$2.3M
FY2023$3.0M
FY2024$2.8M
Net assets
$2.2M
FY2024▲ +199%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$741K
FY2024$2.2M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Nov 2020.

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

Where the money goes

70 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 70% · $2.0M Management & general 29% · $815K Fundraising 2% · $45K

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

14 people listed on the 990; $499K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Dhruva Jaishankar
Executive Director
$219,311Pt VII · Sec A
Sharon Stirling
Chief Operating Officer
$176,825Pt VII · Sec A
Dhruva Jaishankar
Executive Director
$57,697Pt VII · Sec A
Sharon Stirling
Chief Operating Officer
$45,556Pt VII · Sec A
Samir Saran
Chair Executive Committee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Carl Bildt
Chair Budget /Audit Committee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Marise Payne
Chair of the Nominating Committee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Mathew Oommen
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Dhruva Jaishankar’s $219K as Executive Director is at the 81st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1168 $1–10M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Dhruva Jaishankar$219,311$214,193$160,000$155,000
Sharon Stirling$176,825$171,736$141,000$135,000

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.

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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

Researches and fosters cooperation on global policy challenges for the US, India, and partners.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $2.4M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

See schedule o

$2.0Mprogram expense
02

See schedule o

$386Kprogram 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
Armenian General Benevolent UnionFY2024$40K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$40K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.3M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.3M
Money outPt IX
$2.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.0M
Managementcol C$815K
Fundraisingcol D$45K
Owns and owesPt X
$2.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$301K
Total assetsLn 16$2.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$436K
PeoplePt VI, VII
14
listed · VII A
PaidVII A4
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.3M
Total revenueLn 12$4.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$301K
Total assetsLn 16$2.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$436K
Net assetsLn 32$2.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 64
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $4.3M$2.8M$1.5M$2.2M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.6M$3.0M−$434K$741K 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.2M$2.3M−$10K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 $2.3M$1.3M$1.0M$1.2M 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 FY2024 990 (1 part)
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
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

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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