2026-03-17T12:01:08-07:00 2025-12-31 465661043 ABA TAX ACCOUNTING 10670 HAWTHORN TRL SAINT PUAL MN 55129 990 2025-01-01 332185093 Ethio American Foundation ETHI 6122823200 10670 Hawthorn Trail Saint Paul MN 55129 Amare Berhie Executive Director 6122823200 2026-03-11 true Amare Berhie P00779848 6513370015 2026-03-17 2025 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z X Amare Berhie 10670 Hawthorn Saint Paul MN 55129 5000 false X https://ethioamericanfoundation.org/ X 2024 MN To support the Ethio-American community through charitable initiatives and community development. 5 5 0 7 0 0 5000 0 0 0 5000 0 0 0 0 0 365 365 4635 4635 0 4635 To empower Ethiopian Americans in Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and beyond by preserving and celebrating Ethiopian culture and traditions, supporting education through scholarships and mentorship, strengthening economic opportunities via job training and financial literacy, and advocating for legal rights and healthcare well-being. false false 0 0 0 During the 2025 initial tax year, the Ethio American Foundation focused on the Startup and Compliance Phase. Key accomplishments included securing IRS reclassification as a public charity under IRC Sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) , establishing a corporate banking relationship with Wells Fargo, and launching the digital platform to facilitate future community support. Although the foundation received $5,000 in corporate contributions, no direct program grants were issued in 2025 as the board finalized governance policies and strategic planning for 2026 program delivery. 0 0 0 Development of the Community Heroes and mentorship framework. The foundation successfully recruited volunteers and identified core needs within the Saint Paul Ethiopian-American community, specifically focusing on career guidance and job training resources to be deployed in the subsequent fiscal year. 0 0 0 Establishing partnerships for cultural exchange and community representation. Efforts were directed toward creating a framework for healthcare resource advocacy and mental health support initiatives tailored to first-generation immigrants. 0 true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 0 0 0 false false false false false false false false false false X 5 5 false false true false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false ABA Tax Accounting 6122823200 10670 Hawthorn Trail Saint Paul MN 55129 X Amare Berhie 5.00 X 0 0 0 false false false 5000 5000 0 0 0 5000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Business Registration 365 0 365 0 365 0 365 0 4635 0 4635 0 0 X 4635 0 4635 0 4635 X 4635 X false false false X 0 5000 5000 0 0 5000 5000 0 5000 0 0 0 5000 X 0 0 0 0 true Pt VI, Line 4 In 2025, the Ethio American Foundation successfully applied for a reclassification of its foundation status. On February 3, 2026, the Internal Revenue Service issued Letter 4425, officially updating the organizations status from a private foundation to a public charity under IRC Sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) . This change reflects the Foundations commitment to broad-based public support and its mission to serve the Ethiopian-American community in Minnesota. All governing documents have been updated to reflect this shift in tax-exempt classification. Pt VI, Line 11b The Ethio American Foundation follows a formal review process for its annual federal tax filings. Prior to the electronic submission of Form 990, a complete draft of the return, including all required schedules such as Schedule A and Schedule O, is distributed to every voting member of the Board of Directors via secure electronic transmission. The Treasurer and the Executive Director conduct a technical reconciliation of the return against the 2025 Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Financial Income and Expense. Board members are given a designated period to submit inquiries or request clarifications. Once all questions are resolved, the board formally authorizes the signing officer to execute the return. Pt VI, Line 12c The Ethio American Foundation mandates that all directors, officers, and key employees complete and sign an annual disclosure statement identifying any potential conflicts of interest. The Board of Directors reviews these statements during its first meeting of the fiscal year. Furthermore, during any meeting where a financial transaction or contract is discussed, the presiding officer is required to ask if any member has a conflict regarding the matter at hand. Any individual with a conflict must recuse themselves from the discussion and the vote. The minutes of the meeting must reflect the disclosure, the recusal, and the boards determination of whether the transaction was in the best interest of the foundation. Pt VI, Line 15a For the initial tax year ending December 31, 2025, the Ethio American Foundation did not compensate its Executive Director or any officers. As the organization was in its startup and organizational phase, all leadership services were provided on a volunteer basis. The Board of Directors has established a policy that any future compensation for top management must be reviewed and approved by independent members of the board using comparability data from similar non-profit organizations in the Saint Paul/Minneapolis region . All such deliberations will be contemporaneously documented in the board meeting minutes to ensure compliance with IRS intermediate sanction rules and Minn. Stat. 309.53 . Pt VI, Line 15b For the initial tax year ending December 31, 2025, the Ethio American Foundation did not provide compensation to any officers, directors, or key employees. All leadership and administrative functions were performed by volunteers dedicated to the foundations mission. The Board of Directors has adopted a policy requiring that any future compensation for officers or key employees must be (1) reviewed and approved by independent members of the board, (2) based on comparability data for similar positions in the Saint Paul/Minneapolis non-profit sector, and (3) documented contemporaneously in the board meeting minutes. This policy ensures that the foundation avoids any excess benefit transactions under IRC Section 4958.