Dhammachai Foundation

Tax-deductible

Chicago, IL501(c)(3)Since 2021ReligionEIN 87-4002425Revenue $2.0M in FY2025

On file with the IRSdhammakayameditation.org5849 N Nina Ave, 60631-2434 · Chicago, ILTax-exempt since Feb 2022Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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To support and direct dissemination of buddhism and dhammakaya meditation, to manage assets of member organizations in the united states and to support religious organizations and charitable organizations as deemed appropriate.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
95¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 5 volunteers and 2 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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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
2 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $308K a year · 34% 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
95%
of spending
Looks good: 95% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$17K
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 87% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
16 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 15.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$2K
0.2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$2.0M
+229% vs prior year
Spent
$958K
To programs
95%
Net assets
$1.2M
By yearFY2022–FY2025
Revenue
$2.0M
FY2025▲ +229%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2022$514K
FY2023$546K
FY2024$602K
FY2025$2.0M
Expenses
$958K
FY2025▲ +12%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2022$8K
FY2023$587K
FY2024$858K
FY2025$958K
Net assets
$1.2M
FY2025▲ +489%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2022$506K
FY2023$465K
FY2024$209K
FY2025$1.2M

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 Feb 2022.

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

Where the money goes

95 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 95% · $915K Management & general 2% · $18K Fundraising 3% · $25K

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

6 people listed on the 990; $17K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$16,680Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Wuttipong Sawetchai’s $17K as Treasurer is at the 13th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2133 $100K–1M religion 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023
Wuttipong Sawetchai$16,680$16,680$16,680

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Promotes Buddhist teachings and meditation, manages assets, and supports religious and charitable groups.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $352K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Offering necessities to 40k buddhist temples program in the theravada buddhist tradition, the act of supporting the monastic community - known as sangha dana - is regarded as one of the most significant expressions of religious merit, as it sustains the ordained community (sangha) responsible for preserving and transmitting the teachings…

$146Kprogram expense
02

Tsb Program

Meditation and educational grant distribution the TSB program provides financial support to 13 religious nonprofit organizations under irs code 501(c)(3) that share the same meditation-based approach, dhammakaya meditation to buddhist and non-buddhist practice and education.

$107Kprogram expense
03

Buddhist ordination program at dhammakaya temple in thailand buddhist ordination offers a spiritual path rooted in the teachings of the buddha, providing a structured environment and essential conditions for individuals to dedicate themselves to a life of discipline, wisdom, compassion, mindfulness, self-control, humility, and…

$99Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · this organization's grantmaking
Grants paid · 12 grants · $208K · 2024–2025

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$2.0M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.0M
Investment incomeLn 3$83
Money outPt IX
$958K
Ln 25
Programscol B$915K
Managementcol C$18K
Fundraisingcol D$25K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.2M
Total assetsLn 16$1.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.0M
Investment incomeLn 3$83
Total revenueLn 12$2.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$135K
SavingsLn 2$1.1M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.2M
Total assetsLn 16$1.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K
Net assetsLn 32$1.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$216K$1.2M
Total assetsLn 16$216K$1.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$7K$2K
Net assetsLn 32$209K$1.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$137K$137K
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$765K$765K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$17K$6K$6K$6K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$16K$6K$5K$5K
Payroll taxesLn 10$3K$996$967$967
Accounting feesLn 11c$4K$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$694$694
Advertising and promotionLn 12$14K$14K
Office expensesLn 13$379$379
InsuranceLn 23$263$263
Total functional expensesLn 25$958K$915K$18K$25K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $2.0M$958K$1.0M$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2024 $602K$858K−$256K$209K 990 PDF
FY2023 $546K$587K−$41K$465K 990 PDF
FY2022 $514K$8K$506K$506K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,980,868 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $600,219$1,980,785
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,595$83
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $601,814$1,980,868
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $773,886$902,675
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $35,910$35,913
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $47,938$19,425
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $857,734$958,013
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$255,920$1,022,855
Part VI · Governance 5 of 6 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members5
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 $1,980,868 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,980,785
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,980,785
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $83$83
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $83$1,980,868
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $958,013 across 10 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $137,361$137,361
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $765,314$765,314
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $5,671 · Management $5,505 · Fundraising $5,504$16,680
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $5,543 · Management $5,380 · Fundraising $5,380$16,303
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $996 · Management $967 · Fundraising $967$2,930
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $4,500$4,500
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $694$694
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $13,589$13,589
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $379$379
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $263$263
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $914,885 · Management $17,688 · Fundraising $25,440$958,013
Part X · Balance sheet $1,234,409 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $13,831$135,193
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $202,223$1,099,216
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $216,054$1,234,409
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $6,935$2,435
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $6,935$2,435
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $209,119$1,231,974
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $216,054$1,234,409
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,231,974 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,980,868
XI-2 Total expenses$958,013
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$1,022,855
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$209,119
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,231,974

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

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