Paaia Fund

“Membership in the organization shall be limited to those individuals who (i) are citizens of or legal residents of the United States; (ii) are upstanding members of the community; (iii) have demonstrated uncommon achievement and distinction, and (iv) confirm their commitment to the Organization by making contributions of their time, talents, and funds to further the goals and mission of the Organization. Members shall be entitled to vote only on such matters as the Board of Directors submits to the membership for a vote. Members shall have such other rights, benefits and obligations as determined by the Board of Directors from time to time.”

“Bookkeeper prepares draft of form 990 and submits to the Officers of the Board for review. Any needed changes are communicated to the Bookkeeper for inclusion in the final form. A copy of the final 990 is made available to all Board Members before submission 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 Board Chair who reviews each form. 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 nonprofit organizations. Additionally, the managerial experience and availability of qualified persons with the appropriate cultural background are also considered.”

“The following organizational documents 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, Conflict of Interest Policy, 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, PAAIA Fund will fulfill such requests in a timely fashion without inquiring as to the reason for the public inspection request.”

“With regards to educating lawmakers about Iranian American culture and celebrations of our community, the PAAIA Fund encouraged Members of Congress to recognize the Persian New Year through a Nowruz Resolution that commemorates the ancient holiday and recognizes the contributions of Persian Civilization and that of Iranian Americans to the social and economic fabric of America. As part of the education and socialization around the Nowruz Resolution, the Fund hosted a Congressional Nowruz on the Hill celebration of the holiday. A bi-partisan event co-sponsored by Members of Congress from both parties, the event was attended by Members, over 100 staffers, and the public. At the event, Iranian American women in public service were honored for their contributions to American society. With regards to educating law makers, policy makers, and the broader public about how Iranian American remain connected and communicate with their families not in the United States, the PAAIA Fund organized a congressional briefing with Congressman Swalwell and over 50 congressional staffers to discuss internet freedom in Iran. A free internet is necessary for Iranian Americans to communicate with their families in Iran via internet platforms like whatsapp, signal, or telegram. The PAAIA Fund continues its Civic Leadership Program that encourages youth to participate in the civic process and make an impact in their communities. The program provides various internship training opportunities, a mentorship program, and an immersive summer leadership experience in Washington DC. Additionally, the PAAIA Fund offers several Public Service and Capitol Hill Fellowship opportunities to college age Iranian Americans to learn about the legislative process firsthand and to inspire them to pursue careers in public service. We continue our Civic Leadership Credential - the equity component of the Civic Leadership Program through which students may learn leadership skills anywhere they are so they do not have the expense of coming to Washington DC. The Credential is an online course that equips participants with the knowledge and skills they need to get involved in civic engagement. PAAIA Fund supports the Iranian American community in times of need as well as shares the successes of community members. It also works with government agencies, like the Department of Justice to address concerns about bias, discrimination, and hate crimes as well as the State Department to address hostage diplomacy and the kidnapping of Iranian Americans. As part of this work, PAAIA informs not only its dues paying Members, but also the wider Iranian American community. Additionally, we organize retreats for members with informational and networking sessions. We also offer Members-only online meetings with experts in different professional fields. PAAIA Fund commissioned and released the 2024 National Public Opinion Survey of Iranian Americans. The survey was conducted by Zogby Research Services fand is based on a representative sample of Iranian Americans. Since 2008, PAAIA Fund has commissioned nationally recognized pollsters to survey Iranian American attitudes on important topics ranging from domestic issues to foreign policy preferences. The first of their kind, these national public opinion polls raise the voice of the Iranian American community by presenting accurate scientific data to policymakers and the media in order to better their understanding of Iranian Americans.”