Paaia Fund

“Bookkeeper prepares draft of form 990 and submits to Executive Director. Any needed changes are communicated to the Bookkeeper for inclusion in the final forms. A copy of the final 990 is then made available to all Board Members prior to submitting to IRS.”

“The conflict of interest policy is provided to each Trustee upon nomination. A conflict of interest disclosure form is also provided to each trustee annually who completes, signs and returns the form to the Executive Director. The Executive Director reviews each form. Any noted conflicts are brought to the attention of the Board Chair. All conflicts are then brought before the entire Board for discussion and appropriate corrective action. To date no conflicts have arisen.”

“The compensation is determined by the Board of Directors based on the average salary paid to those who manage similar non-profit organizations. Additionally, the managerial experience and availability of qualified persons with the appropriate cultural background are also considered.”

“The following organizational documents of IA-100 Inc are available for inspection or copying at the organization's office during normal business hours at no charge, except for nominal copying fees: Tax Exemption Application, IRS Determination Letter, Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Form 990 for the most recent and prior two years. The public inspection copy of the Form 990 will not include Schedule A excess contributors or the Schedule B. The most updated versions of all the preceding forms will be available. When responding to a public inspection request for any organizational document or Form 990 by anyone, IA-100 Inc will fulfill such requests in a timely fashion without inquiring as to the reason for the public inspection request.”

“2019 Survey. IA-100 released the findings of their 2019 National Public Opinion Survey examining the attitudes of Iranian Americans. The tensions in both the wider US society between the United States and Iran are clearly being felt by the Iranian American Community. Respondents share their concerns about discrimination and personal safety, opposition to the travel ban, and fears about a potential US Military conflict with Iran. When contemplating priorities and goals, the community advocates for deeper political participation within the United States, including electing Iranian Americans to office and increasing the capacity to influence policy. The experience of and concern about discrimination based on their ethnicity and country of origin remains high among Iranian Americans. More than 6 in 10 have either faced discrimination themselves or know another Iranian American who has had this experience. More than 7 in 10 are concerned about increasing discrimination because of the current political climate in the US. Worse still, 61% of respondents are concerned about their personal safety and the safety of other Iranian Americans. There is strong opposition to the travel ban, with 70% saying they or their family and friends have been impacted by it. The most frequently experienced impacts are preventing attendance at family events and gatherings for family emergencies (53%), preventing tourism (52%) and separating families or keeping them apart (44%). The US-Iran relationship has become the most important issue for the community, rising above domestic issues facing Iranian Americans (like civil rights) as well as those facing all Americans (like jobs or health care). And foreign policy including the US-Iran relationship is ranked first among issues the community will consider when voting in federal elections, outranking the economy and jobs, national security, education and health care. There is significant concern among Iranian Americans about a military conflict between the US and Iran with 64% saying they think it is more likely than not. Only 9% would support US Military strikes on Iran, and the opposition to or indecision about such an action is rooted in concern about potential civilian casualties (83%) and the belief that strikes will be ineffective and encourage Iran to develop nuclear weapons (63%).”

“2019 NOWRUZ ON CAPITAL HILL On March 26th, IA-100 hosted a reception to celebrate Nowruz on Capital Hill. Over 200 congressional staffers and 20 members of Congress were in attendance, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. The event was hosted in conjunction with Senators Richard Blumenthal, Tim Kaine, Chris Murphy, and Chris Van Hollen as well as Representatives Justin Amash, Tony Cardenas, Andre Carson, Judy Chu, Gerald Connolly, Dan Crenshaw, Jim Himes, Jared Huffman, Sheila Jackson Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Carolyn Maloney, Betty McCollum, Scott Peters, Jamie Raskin, Francis Rooney and Adam Schiff. Recognizing the Persian New Year, this annual event is IA-100's broader effort to foster a greater understanding of Iranian culture and heritage and to project an accurate image of the Iranian American community. In conjunction with this event and in collaboration with IA-100, our main congressional sponsor, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, introduced legislation (H.Res.238) honoring the Iranian New Year. Besides commemorating the Nowruz holiday, the resolution also underscores the importance of human rights and religious tolerance for all people and recognizes congressional support for the Iranian people's rights to freedom of expression and speech.”

“2019 Leadership Programs. ANSARI FELLOWSHIP - IA-100's Ansari Fellowship Program is an initiative seeking to encourage and empower young Iranian Americans to pursue careers in public service. We are aiming to increase interest in public service by providing funding for unpaid summer internships as well as access to a network of public policy experts and mentorship opportunities. This year, we expanded the Ansari Fellowship to include both undergraduate and graduate students. CHIP FELLOWSHIP - IA-100's Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP) recognizes that congressional internships are often the inspiration and launching point for the careers of some of the most distinguished public servants in the nation. Members of Congress and their constituents depend on interns for their work and contributions. The purpose of the CHIP Program is to promote increased civic participation among young Iranian Americans. The program seeks to simply created a more civically engaged community by providing a rewarding experience that helps participants learn about the importance of being active in the American civic process. In 2019 IA-100 had 2 CHIP fellows.”

“See Statement 1 Below”