Aya Foundation EIN 85-2802236

Aya Foundation

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Empowers Black communities to build wealth through education, training, networks, and funding. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $523K in revenue, $783K in expenses, and $931K in net assets.Pt I

Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Community Development
Location
Denver, CO
Website
www.ayafoundation.org
Filings
4 on file (2021–2024)
Revenue
$523KFY2024
Expenses
$783K
Net assets
$931K
People
8
Filings
4
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  85-2802236 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Denver, CO
Form 990 (PDF)
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Empowers Black communities to build wealth through education, training, networks, and funding.
Leadership
Benilda Samuels · Chief Executive Officer · $175K
Money in and out
$523K revenue, $783K expenses
Bottom line
57% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$523K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$783K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$931K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$260K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.57 Management & general $0.27 Fundraising $0.16
Program efficiency
57%
of spending reaches programs▼ -30% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
14.8mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +35% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-50%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -475% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$523K
FY2024▼ -59%
Expenses
$783K
FY2024▼ -30%
Total assets
$992K
FY2024▼ -21%
Total liabilities
$61K
FY2024▲ +2%
Total revenue
$523K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$783K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$931K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$260K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$992K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B57%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 37
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 47
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $426K of program spending, described in the organization's 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

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CAya Foundation
EINHdr · item D85-2802236
Principal addressHdr · item CDenver, CO
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.ayafoundation.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCO
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFCommunity Development (S31)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 2021

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a7
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b7
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aNo
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

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 95th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1711 $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.

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$512K · 98%
Program service revenue$11K · 2%
Contributions & grants98%$512K
Program service revenue2%$11K
Investment income$75
— government grantsLn 1e$24K
Total revenueLn 12$523K

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.57 Management & general $0.27 Fundraising $0.16
Program services57%$445K
Management & general27%$214K
Fundraising16%$124K
Total functional expensesLn 25$783K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$963K
Total assetsLn 16$992K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$61K
Total net assetsLn 32$931K
Months of cash on handcomputed14.8

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $963K · Operating expenses/yr $783K
14.8 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $445K · Total expenses $783K
57%
Management & General
Management & general $214K · Total expenses $783K
27%
Fundraising
Fundraising $124K · Total expenses $783K
16%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $86K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $1.1M
$0.08 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $512K · Total revenue $523K
98%
Government reliance
Government grants $24K · Total revenue $523K
5%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $11K · Total revenue $523K
2%
Investment reliance
Investment income $75 · Total revenue $523K
+0.01%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $11K · Total expenses $783K
1%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $523K · Prior year $1.3M
-59%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $931K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $523K · Expenses $783K
-50%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $992K
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $931K · Total assets $992K
94%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $992K
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Benilda Samuels · Reported title CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER · Highest reported compensation $175K · Total expenses $783K
22%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $220K · Total expenses $783K
28%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 57%
Overhead ratio 27%
Fundraising cost ratio 24%
Revenue growth -59%
Legal fee ratio 0.1%
Accounting fee ratio 15%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

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
Cape InclusionFY2023$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

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024 (Latest)$523K revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$1.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$1.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$930K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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