East Asian Observatory

Analysis

East Asian Observatory is a registered charity in United States, based in Hilo, HI. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in May 2015, 11 years ago. Its declared purposes cover science and technology, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, East Asian Observatory reported income of $3.0m and spending of $4.0m, spending 131% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2023, income fell from $4.5m to $3.0m (-32%), an average of -9.4% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income dropped by 21%. Over the whole period it spent 125% of the income it received.

Among 45,478 United States charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, East Asian Observatory sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 89th percentile, and in the 90th percentile within HI. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Electri International the Foundation for Electrical ($3.0m), Multicultural AIDS Coalition Inc ($3.0m) and Historic Columbia Foundation Inc ($3.0m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 100% of the total. Other salaries and wages came to $964k. At year end it held assets of $7.7m against liabilities of $1.4m, net assets of $6.3m. It reported 26 employees.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.