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Vela

VELA EMPOWERS FAMILIIES OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS THROUGH HANDS ON COURSES, SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY BUILDING.

Education Austin, TX EIN: 272451077 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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68
Integrity Assessment
Partial transparency
68/100 · methodology

About Vela

VELA empowers parents of children with disabilities to become their child

Founded
Headquarters
Austin, TX
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
B28
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
small

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2010

Mission

Vela empowers familiies of children with special needs through hands on courses, support and community building.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
📚 Education · NTEE B28
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 education in United States
Program spending This charity: 85%
Peer average: 74%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 68
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2023 · IRS 990 (FY2023)
$0.85
Program$0.85
85% to programs beats the peer average (74%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Vela has a complete profile, sourced from the IRS.

  • 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
  • It has more complete contact information than 72% of comparable organizations, with a verified website, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
  • GiveRadar's profile for Vela draws on its financial disclosures and its registration, in line with the typical education charities in the United States it tracks. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (4 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a donation page
  • third-party accreditation
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • a contact email
  • 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

Vela is a registered education nonprofit based in Austin, TX, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2010 and has been operating for 16 years. Its EIN is 272451077. 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 68/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $368K in annual revenue. 30 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Vela's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 272451077. 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.

Vela has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 68/100. 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 68 ('Partial transparency') means some public data is on file but key signals are missing - worth a closer look before donating. The charity allocates 85% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for education charities in United States is 90/100.

Vela is located in Austin, TX, United States. The organization was established in 2010 and has been active for 16 years.

Based on official tax filings, Vela has $368K in annual revenue. It allocates 85% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 74% for education charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $7M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Vela is classified as an Education organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a small organization. It has $368K in annual revenue. The organization has 30 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Vela. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

According to GiveRadar's records, Vela 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 85% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 74%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. 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.

VELA empowers parents of children with disabilities to become their child Vela is classified as an education organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2010.

Among education charities registered in United States: It allocates 85% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 74%. Its annual revenue of $368K is below the peer average of $7M.

Yes, donations to Vela are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Vela is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 272451077, 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
$100K-$1M
85% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2023) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

4 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2023): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: 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
7

Leadership

From FY2023 filing

MA
Maria H••••••••
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Officers & trustees (12)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

12 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
$0.4M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.9M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.3M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.3M 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 this charity 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most.

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 2023 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 30 disclosed in the public registry.

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
75%

What we know and don't know

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

On record · 9
  • Financial data · FY2023 on record
  • Named leadership · 30 officers on file
  • 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 · 2010
Not available · 2
  • Executive pay
    Top-officer pay not disclosed
  • 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 Vela

What is Vela?
Vela is a education publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Austin, United States. VELA empowers parents of children with disabilities to become their child
When was Vela founded?
Vela was founded in 2010.
Who leads Vela?
Maria Hernandez serves as EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
Where is Vela located?
Headquartered in Austin, TX, United States.
What is Vela's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2023 is approximately $100K-$1M. 85% of expenses go to program services.
Is Vela trustworthy?
Vela has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 68 out of 100 (Partial 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 Vela's registration number?
IRS EIN: 272451077.
What is Vela's website?
https://velafamilies.org