To lead an Economic Revolution by supporting members of the Black Community build their wealth through access to education, training, networks, and funding.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
57¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 5 volunteers.
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
3 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $233K a year · 20% of revenue · last 4 filings
Fine: a surplus in 3 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
57%
of spending
Worth a look: 57% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$175K
to officers and key staff · 22% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 22% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
15 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 14.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
7
named funders · $575K
Looks good: 7 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$61K
6% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 6% 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
$523K
-59% vs prior year
Spent
$783K
To programs
57%
Net assets
$931K
By yearFY2021–FY2024
Revenue
$523K
FY2024▼ -59%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$930K
FY2022$1.9M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$523K
Expenses
$783K
FY2024▼ -30%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$131K
FY2022$1.7M
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$783K
Net assets
$931K
FY2024▼ -22%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$800K
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$931K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Mar 2021.

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

Where the money goes

57 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 57% · $445K Management & general 27% · $214K Fundraising 16% · $124K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $175K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Chief Executive Officer
$175,475Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Benilda Samuels’s $175K as Chief Executive Officer is at the 94th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1709 $100K–1M community development 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022
Benilda Samuels$175,475$155,000—
Benny Samuels——$72,195

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 Aya Foundation 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Empowers Black communities to build wealth through education, training, networks, and funding.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $426K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Aya Programs

Aya foundation supports entrepreneurs through a series of programs aimed at increasing their business success and strengthening their entrepreneurial journey. Our programs support small business owners with technical assistance, social capital and foundational training. In 2024 we supported 207 entrepreneurs.

$179Kprogram expense
02

Aya Grants

In the spirit of family and friends gifts that often support start up business owners from more affluent communities, aya provided $306,570 in start up business grants to 8 colorado entrepreneurs from a wide range of industries, to support the launch or growth of their businesses.

$137Kprogram expense
03

Fiscal sponsorships. Our fiscal sponsorship program is aimed at supporting for-profit start up and small business that are doing work that benefits our community. Fiscal sponsorship partners elevate the history and impact of the black community, or tend to a gap and need that is going unmet.

$110Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 7 funders →
Grants paid · 16 grants · $548K · 2022–2024
Community First FoundationCO · FY2024$50,000
Zuvan Renewables LLCFY2024$20,000
Welton Street Cafe INCFY2024$20,000
Harris & Co Holdings LLCFY2024$11,500
303 Xtreme Powersports LLCFY2024$9,505
Let Me Show You Different LLCFY2024$9,065
Bella Virtu Organics LLCFY2024$5,669
Individual RecipientFY2023$100,000
Wild Boyd Farm LLCFY2023$20,000
Cargari LLCFY2023$20,000
Found My Keys LLCFY2023$10,000
Queens Gate LLCFY2023$10,000
Glo Knows Unlimited Gloria NealFY2023$7,500
Greater Purpose MediaFY2023$6,000
Access Mode INCCO · FY2022$204,000

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$523K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$512K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$11K
Investment incomeLn 3$75
Money outPt IX
$783K
Ln 25
Programscol B$445K
Managementcol C$214K
Fundraisingcol D$124K
Owns and owesPt X
$931K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$963K
Total assetsLn 16$992K
LiabilitiesLn 26$61K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$512K
Government grantsLn 1e$24K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$11K
Investment incomeLn 3$75
Total revenueLn 12$523K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$898K
SavingsLn 2$65K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$963K
Other assetsLn 15$850
Total assetsLn 16$992K
LiabilitiesLn 26$61K
Net assetsLn 32$931K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 65
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.0M$963K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M$992K
LiabilitiesLn 26$60K$61K
Net assetsLn 32$1.2M$931K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$127K$127K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$183K$55K$37K$92K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$19K$18K$575$575
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$7K$3K$7K
Legal feesLn 11b$1K$1K
Accounting feesLn 11c$116K$116K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$209K$159K$25K$25K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$7K$7K
Office expensesLn 13$22K$10K$12K
OccupancyLn 16$10K$5K$5K
TravelLn 17$1K$1K
InsuranceLn 23$5K$5K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$52K$52K
All other expensesLn 24e$12K$12K$100
Total functional expensesLn 25$783K$445K$214K$124K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $523K$783K−$260K$931K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.3M$1.1M$170K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.9M$1.7M$221K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $930K$131K$800K$800K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $522,887 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,172,134$511,757
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $107,184$11,055
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,141$75
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,281,459$522,887
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $177,071$126,570
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $230,885$220,038
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $3,128$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $700,321$436,301
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,111,405$782,909
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $170,054−$260,022
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $522,887 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$24,350
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$487,407
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$511,757
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $11,055$11,055
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $75$75
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $11,055 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $75$522,887
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $782,909 across 15 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $126,570$126,570
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $55,027 · Management $36,685 · Fundraising $91,713$183,425
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $17,784 · Management $575 · Fundraising $575$18,934
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,561$1,561
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,664 · Management $2,614 · Fundraising $6,840$16,118
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $1,010$1,010
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $116,370$116,370
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $158,949 · Management $25,238 · Fundraising $24,960$209,147
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $6,842$6,842
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $9,756 · Management $12,118$21,874
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $5,150 · Management $5,150$10,300
IX-17 TravelManagement $1,352$1,352
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $5,461$5,461
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $51,667$51,667
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $12,178 · Management $100$12,278
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $445,306 · Management $213,515 · Fundraising $124,088$782,909
Part X · Balance sheet $991,515 assets, 12 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $3,500; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $916,249$897,921
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $100,917$65,152
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $213,268$18,853
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,788$5,239
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $850$850
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,250,454$991,515
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $59,891$60,974
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $59,891$60,974
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $584,952$801,297
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $605,611$129,244
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,190,563$930,541
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,250,454$991,515
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $930,541 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$522,887
XI-2 Total expenses$782,909
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$260,022
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,190,563
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$930,541

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

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