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← PILLARS FUND

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by PILLARS FUND.

Totals

Total revenue
$17,032,203
Total expenses
$4,512,117
Contributions and grants received
$16,997,625
Grants paid
$884,529
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$34,578
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$20,878,379
Total liabilities, end of year
$311,173
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$20,567,206
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,949,845
Management and general expenses
$922,433
Fundraising expenses
$639,839
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,949,845

Program services were 65.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $16,997,625

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $37,786 · excluded $37,786

  • 4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds

    total $0

  • 5 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $0

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    other assets $3,208

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    other assets -$3,208

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total -$3,208 · related or exempt -$3,208

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $0

  • 9c · Net income from gaming

    total $0

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $0

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $0

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $816,290 · program services $816,290

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $68,239 · program services $68,239

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $0

  • 4 · Benefits paid to or for members

    total $0

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $921,777 · program services $424,017 · management and general $221,226 · fundraising $276,534

  • 6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

    total $0

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $792,555 · program services $364,575 · management and general $190,215 · fundraising $237,765

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $0

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $120,508 · program services $55,434 · management and general $28,921 · fundraising $36,153

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $113,670 · program services $52,288 · management and general $27,281 · fundraising $34,101

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $0

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $0

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $0

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $0

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $0

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $0

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $316,043 · program services $22,229 · management and general $292,634 · fundraising $1,180

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $18,255 · program services $18,255

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $20,373 · management and general $20,373

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $0

  • 15 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $7,941 · program services $3,654 · management and general $1,905 · fundraising $2,382

  • 17 · Travel

    total $738,846 · program services $645,709 · management and general $41,413 · fundraising $51,724

  • 18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials

    total $0

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $505,252 · program services $479,155 · management and general $26,097

  • 20 · Interest

    total $0

  • 21 · Payments to affiliates

    total $0

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,646 · management and general $1,646

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $13,080 · management and general $13,080

  • 24a · Other expenses: Dues & Subscriptions

    total $44,929 · management and general $44,929

  • 24b · Other expenses: Licenses & Fees

    total $12,713 · management and general $12,713

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $6,748,850 · end of year $2,856,672

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    end of year $15,036,715

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $1,350,000 · end of year $2,900,000

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    end of year $200

  • 5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

    end of year $0

  • 6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

    end of year $0

  • 7 · Other notes and loans receivable

    end of year $0

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    end of year $0

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $12,250 · end of year $79,050

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $7,320

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $2,078

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $6,141 · end of year $5,242

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    end of year $0

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    end of year $0

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    end of year $0

  • 14 · Intangible assets

    end of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $500 · end of year $500

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $70,621 · end of year $61,173

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    end of year $250,000

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $6,451,287 · end of year $17,157,133

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $1,595,833 · end of year $3,410,073

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

The mission of the Pillars Fund is to amplify the leadership, narratives, and talents of Muslims in the United States of America to advance opportunity and justice for all. The Organization drives this mission by supporting civic institutions and culture change.

  • Pillars' largest program services include its fellowship programs, which identify and invest in Muslim leaders across the arts, media, and creative industries through a competitive selection process evaluating creative practice, leadership potential, and mission alignment, providing fellows with financial support, mentorship, and connections to funders and industry partners; a storytelling prize, which recognizes and funds pioneering storytellers advancing more accurate representation of Muslim communities in arts and media, with recipients selected for the originality and impact of their work and awarded unrestricted funding and public recognition; community building events that convene artists, community members, and partner organizations around shared cultural and civic experiences not otherwise widely supported; and research that documents the state of Muslim representation and leadership in arts, media, and civic life to inform the field's understanding of where investment and advocacy are most needed.

    Expenses $2,949,845 · Grants $884,529

As filed on the 2025 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Kashif Shaikh

    Executive Dir.

    Total calculated
    $318,293
    From this org
    $299,597
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $18,696
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $299,597
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $8,988
    Nontaxable benefits
    $9,708
    Filer's total
    $318,293

  • Kalia Abiade

    Executive VP

    Total calculated
    $232,011
    From this org
    $225,621
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $6,390
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $225,621
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $6,390
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $232,011

  • Arij Mikati

    VP of Programs

    Total calculated
    $208,201
    From this org
    $194,220
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,981
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $194,220
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $5,826
    Nontaxable benefits
    $8,155
    Filer's total
    $208,201

  • Kelly Jones

    VP of Operations

    Total calculated
    $163,272
    From this org
    $157,910
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $5,362
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $157,910
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $4,737
    Nontaxable benefits
    $625
    Filer's total
    $163,272

  • Leah Pallant

    Operations Mgr

    Total calculated
    $118,584
    From this org
    $107,264
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $11,320
    Hours/week
    40

  • Aya Nimer

    Program Mgr

    Total calculated
    $114,331
    From this org
    $104,198
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,133
    Hours/week
    40

  • Mawish Raza

    Program Mgr

    Total calculated
    $108,443
    From this org
    $104,759
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $3,684
    Hours/week
    40

  • Sameer Shamsi

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Rashid Shabazz

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Deana Haggag

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Nancy A Khalil

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Noorain Khan

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Dr Rami Nashashibi

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Shakeeb Alam

    Board Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Written employment contract
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
12 August 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.1
Source object
202602259349300000

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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