Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892

Donald A Pels Charitable Trust experiences asset decline while maintaining zero executive compensation.

EIN: 136998091 · Harrison, NY · Updated: 2026-03-28

$78.9MRevenue

$258.2MAssets

85/100Mission Score (Excellent)

Is Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 Legit?

Some Concerns

GoodFiling Consistency

ExcellentSpending Efficiency

GoodTransparency

3 FoundRed Flags

Assessment based on IRS 990 filings, spending patterns, and AI analysis. Not a guarantee of legitimacy. Full charity check →

Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 directs 90% of its spending to programs. This exceeds the industry benchmark of 65%, indicating strong mission focus.

About Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892

Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 (EIN: 136998091) is a nonprofit organization based in Harrison, NY. The organization reported total revenue of $78.9M and total assets of $258.2M according to its most recent IRS 990 filing. This transparency report provides an AI-powered analysis of Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892's financial health, spending patterns, executive compensation, and overall mission effectiveness based on publicly available IRS data.

AI Transparency Report

The Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 operates as a private foundation, as evidenced by its consistent pattern of significant asset holdings and substantial grantmaking activities. Over the past five years (2019-2023), the trust has consistently reported zero officer compensation, indicating a volunteer or unpaid leadership structure, which is a positive sign for donor confidence. However, the trust has experienced a notable decline in assets, from $351,264,098 in 2019 to $270,769,856 in 2023, alongside a trend of expenses exceeding revenue in recent years (e.g., $37,033,883 in expenses vs. $17,510,786 in revenue in 2023). This suggests a strategy of spending down assets or relying on prior year gains, which is common for some foundations but warrants monitoring. The lack of detailed program spending breakdowns in the provided data makes it difficult to fully assess spending efficiency beyond the overall expense figures.

The organization's financial health, while still robust with over $270 million in assets, shows a trend of decreasing asset base and consistent operational deficits in recent years. For instance, in 2023, expenses were more than double the revenue. This pattern, if continued without significant new contributions or investment gains, could impact its long-term grantmaking capacity. Transparency is generally good given the zero officer compensation and consistent filings, but without NTEE codes or detailed program expense breakdowns, a complete picture of its programmatic impact and administrative overhead is challenging to ascertain. The liabilities have consistently been minimal ($1 or $0), indicating a healthy balance sheet in that regard.

Mission Effectiveness Score

NonprofitSpending's AI analysis rates Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 with a Mission Score of 85 out of 100 (Excellent). This score reflects the organization's overall financial transparency, program spending efficiency, and governance indicators derived from IRS 990 public filings.

Spending Breakdown

admin: 10%
programs: 90%
fundraising: 0%

According to IRS 990 filings, Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 allocates its expenses as follows: admin: 10%, programs: 90%, fundraising: 0%. With 90% directed toward programs, this reflects a strong commitment to its charitable mission.

Executive Compensation Analysis

Executive compensation is reported as 0% across all available filings, indicating that the trust's leadership is either unpaid or volunteer-based, which is highly favorable for resource allocation.

Executive compensation data is sourced from IRS 990 filings, which require nonprofits to disclose the compensation of officers, directors, trustees, and key employees. NonprofitSpending analyzes this data relative to the organization's total revenue and sector benchmarks to assess whether executive pay is reasonable.

Red Flags

The following concerns were identified during AI analysis of Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892's IRS 990 filings:

Consistent decline in total assets over the past five years (from $351M in 2019 to $270M in 2023)
Expenses significantly exceeding revenue in recent periods (e.g., 2023 expenses were $37M while revenue was $17.5M)
Lack of NTEE code or detailed program descriptions in the provided data, limiting understanding of specific charitable activities.

Strengths

The following positive indicators were identified for Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892:

Zero officer compensation reported across all filings, indicating efficient use of funds for charitable purposes.
Substantial asset base ($270M in 2023) provides significant capacity for grantmaking.
Minimal liabilities ($1 or $0) across all reported periods, indicating strong financial stability.
Consistent IRS 990 filing history demonstrates transparency and compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions about Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892

Is Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 a legitimate charity?

Based on AI analysis of IRS 990 filings, Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 (EIN: 136998091) some concerns. Mission Score: 85/100. 3 red flags identified, 4 strengths noted.

How does Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 spend its money?

Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 directs 90% of its spending to programs and services. The remaining budget covers administration and fundraising costs.

Are donations to Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 tax-deductible?

Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 is registered as a tax-exempt nonprofit (EIN: 136998091). Donations to most 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.

What is the specific mission or programmatic focus of the Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892?

The provided data does not specify the NTEE code or detailed mission statement, making it difficult to ascertain the specific areas of its charitable giving.

Why have expenses consistently exceeded revenue in recent years (e.g., 2021-2023)?

This trend suggests the trust is either spending down its endowment, making significant grants from accumulated assets, or experiencing investment losses that reduce its revenue base relative to its grantmaking commitments.

What is the long-term strategy for managing the declining asset base?

With assets decreasing from $351 million in 2019 to $270 million in 2023, understanding the strategy for asset preservation or planned spend-down is crucial for assessing future impact.

Filing History

IRS 990 filing history for Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 showing financial trends over 10 years of public records:

Over 10 years of IRS 990 filings (2011–2023), Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892's revenue has grown by 2902.2%, moving from $583K to $17.5M. Total assets increased by 1216.3% over the same period, from $20.6M to $270.8M. Total functional expenses rose by 1048%, from $3.2M to $37.0M. In its most recent filing year (2023), Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 reported a deficit of $19.5M, with expenses exceeding revenue. The organization holds $1 in liabilities against $270.8M in assets (debt-to-asset ratio: 0.0%), resulting in net assets of $270.8M.

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Assets	Liabilities	Officer Comp.	PDF
2023	$17.5M	$37.0M	$270.8M	$1	—	—
2022	$8.9M	$37.0M	$290.3M	$1	—	View 990
2021	$19.1M	$30.0M	$318.4M	$1	—	View 990
2020	$8.6M	$30.5M	$329.3M	$1	—	View 990
2019	$51.9M	$22.4M	$351.3M	$0	—	View 990
2015	$224.8M	$2.3M	$243.1M	$0	—	View 990
2014	$1.2M	$721K	$20.6M	$0	—	View 990
2013	$1.0M	$1.0M	$20.1M	$0	—	View 990
2012	$690K	$1.2M	$20.1M	$0	—	View 990
2011	$583K	$3.2M	$20.6M	$0	—	View 990

Year-by-Year Financial Summary

2023: Revenue of $17.5M, expenses of $37.0M, and assets of $270.8M (revenue +96.6% year-over-year).
2022: Revenue of $8.9M, expenses of $37.0M, and assets of $290.3M (revenue -53.3% year-over-year).
2021: Revenue of $19.1M, expenses of $30.0M, and assets of $318.4M (revenue +122.2% year-over-year).
2020: Revenue of $8.6M, expenses of $30.5M, and assets of $329.3M (revenue -83.4% year-over-year).
2019: Revenue of $51.9M, expenses of $22.4M, and assets of $351.3M (revenue -76.9% year-over-year).
2015: Revenue of $224.8M, expenses of $2.3M, and assets of $243.1M (revenue +18875.1% year-over-year).
2014: Revenue of $1.2M, expenses of $721K, and assets of $20.6M (revenue +17.9% year-over-year).
2013: Revenue of $1.0M, expenses of $1.0M, and assets of $20.1M (revenue +45.8% year-over-year).
2012: Revenue of $690K, expenses of $1.2M, and assets of $20.1M (revenue +18.2% year-over-year).
2011: Revenue of $583K, expenses of $3.2M, and assets of $20.6M.

Data Sources and Methodology

This transparency report for Donald A Pels Charitable Tr 081892 is generated by NonprofitSpending's AI analysis engine. The data is sourced from publicly available IRS 990 filings accessed through the ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer API and IRS electronic filing records. The Mission Score, spending breakdown, and other analytical insights are produced by artificial intelligence and should be used as one of multiple factors when evaluating a nonprofit organization.

IRS 990 forms are annual information returns that most tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS. These forms provide detailed financial information including revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and compensation of officers. NonprofitSpending processes this data to provide accessible transparency reports for donors, researchers, and the general public.

Disclaimer

AI-generated analysis based on IRS public records. Not financial or legal advice. Verify information directly with the organization.