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Congressional Award Foundation

The primary goal of the Congressional Award Foundation is to promote and recognize service, initiative, and achievement in America's youth. We strive to help young people realize their …

Youth Development Washington, DC EIN: 521168592 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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74
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
74/100 · methodology

About Congressional Award Foundation

United States Congress' Highest Honor for Youth Civilians

Founded
Headquarters
Washington, DC
Foundation type
Supporting organization (509(a)(3))
NTEE code
O50Z
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
medium

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1985

Mission

The primary goal of the Congressional Award Foundation is to promote and recognize service, initiative, and achievement in America's youth. We strive to help young people realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.Young people register for the Congressional Award program and set personally challenging goals in four program areas - Voluntary Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness and Expedition/Exploration. These diverse areas encourage young people to discover new talents, learn about the world around them and to take positive action in their communities.The beauty of the Congressional Award program is that all young people, regardless of their situation, can qualify for an award. The program has no minimum grade point average requirements. It accommodates youth with special needs or disabilities, and is completely non-competitive. The Congressional Award program requires that youth work with an adult mentor or advisor, providing an oppo

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Cause tags
SDG alignment The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the global agenda for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. We tag each charity to the goals its work advances.

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar youth development in United States
Program spending This charity: 60%
Peer average: 82%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 12.59%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 74
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· 1 red flag
High Executive Pay
Top executive compensation is 10.8% of total expenses ($150,500 of $1,396,402).

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.60
Program$0.60

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, Congressional Award Foundation has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.

  • It has more complete contact information than nearly all comparable organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
  • GiveRadar holds a more complete profile for this organization than for 86% of the 53,450 youth development charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
  • It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all comparable organizations, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • third-party accreditation
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • a donation page
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Congressional Award Foundation is a registered youth development nonprofit based in Washington, DC, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1979 and has been operating for 47 years. Its EIN is 521168592. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 74/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $1M in annual revenue. 319 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.

Congressional Award Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 521168592. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

Congressional Award Foundation has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 74/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 74 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for youth development charities in United States is 90/100.

Congressional Award Foundation is located in Washington, DC, United States. The organization was established in 1979 and has been active for 47 years.

Based on official tax filings, Congressional Award Foundation has $1M in annual revenue. It allocates 60% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 82% for youth development charities in United States. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Congressional Award Foundation is classified as a Youth Development organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a medium organization. It has $1M in annual revenue. The organization has 319 disclosed officers and directors.

GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for Congressional Award Foundation. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.

According to GiveRadar's records, Congressional Award Foundation holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 60% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 82%). GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

Among youth development charities registered in United States: It allocates 60% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 82%. Its annual revenue of $1M is comparable to the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Congressional Award Foundation are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Congressional Award Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 521168592, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$1M-$10M
60% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
12

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

ER
Erica W••••••••••••
National Director

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
$1.2M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$1.3M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$1.0M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.9M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$1.1M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development this charity 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 319 disclosed in the public registry.
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
90%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 319 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1979
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Congressional Award Foundation

What is Congressional Award Foundation?
Congressional Award Foundation is a youth development supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Washington, United States. United States Congress' Highest Honor for Youth Civilians
When was Congressional Award Foundation founded?
Congressional Award Foundation was founded in 1979.
Who leads Congressional Award Foundation?
Erica Wheelan-Heyse serves as National Director.
Where is Congressional Award Foundation located?
Headquartered in Washington, DC, United States.
What is Congressional Award Foundation's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $1M-$10M. 60% of expenses go to program services.
Is Congressional Award Foundation trustworthy?
Congressional Award Foundation has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 74 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Congressional Award Foundation's registration number?
IRS EIN: 521168592.
What is Congressional Award Foundation's website?
http://www.congressionalaward.org