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MAYA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

EIN 03-0335159 CAMBRIDGE, MA

Largest nonprofits in Massachusetts

Revenue 2024
$1,296,578
Expenses 2024
$767,845

Program services were 84.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
Classification
1000
Street
1770 MASSACHUSETTS AVE 204

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE MAYA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION (MEF) SUPPORTS PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT OF MAYA PEOPLE. HOW WE ACHIEVE THIS MISSION:WITH OUR FOCUS ON HIGHER EDUCATION, WE PARTNER WITH PROVEN NONPROFITS IN GUATEMALA, MEXICO, AND BELIZE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE UNIVERSITY-LEVEL SCHOLARSHIPS TO PROMISING AND DETERMINED MAYA STUDENTS FROM POOR ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS.WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS SHOW A HIGH REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS AND RESPECT FOR MAYA CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.IN ORDER TO INCREASE EDUCATIONAL ACCESS FOR MAYA STUDENTS IN REMOTE AREAS, WE WORK WITH NONPROFITS WHO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO ADVANCE TOWARDS VOCATIONAL HIGH-SCHOOL OR UNIVERSITY.WE ALSO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF TWO IMPORTANT GUARDIANS OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE MESOAMERICAN REGION: CIRMA IN ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA AND SNA JTZ'IBAJOM (HOUSE OF THE WRITER) IN SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, MEXICO.

Activities or mission (Part I)

SUPPORTING PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT OF MAYA PEOPLE.

  • THE FOUNDATION PRIMARILY PROVIDES GRANTS THAT SUPPORT AND PROMOTE EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS IN THE MAYA REGION OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA. APPROXIMATELY 15 - 20 GRANTS ARE AWARDED ANNUALLY TO VETTED NONPROFIT PARTNERS IN GUATEMALA, MEXICO, AND BELIZE. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FOUNDATION TRAVEL TO THESE AREAS PERIODICALLY TO MONITOR AND OBSERVE THE PROGRAMS AND REGULAR ONLINE MEETINGS ARE HELD WITH SUPERVISORS AND STUDENTS. MEF SERVES UP TO 500 MAYA STUDENTS PER YEAR IN THE VARIOUS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS IT SUPPORTS.

    Expenses $338,115 · Grants $282,100

  • THE FOUNDATION ANNUALLY PROVIDES GRANTS TO CIRMA IN GUATEMALA AND SNA JTZ'IBAJOM, IN SUPPORT OF THEIR MISSIONS TO FOSTER STUDY AND PRESERVATION OF MAYAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF THE MESOAMERICAN REGION.FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES CIRMA HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY FOR ITS DEDICATION TO THE RESCUE AND PRESERVATION OF GUATEMALA'S VISUAL AND DOCUMENTARY PATRIMONY. MEF'S SUPPORT OF CIRMA FOCUSES ON THEIR UNIQUE HISTORICAL AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVES AND THEIR COMPREHENSIVE LIBRARY SPECIALIZING IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, WITH BOOKS AND PERIODICALS PERTAINING TO THE MESOAMERICAN REGION.IN JANUARY 2024, MEF STARTED A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, WITH THE HELP OF CIRMA: 56 STUDENTS, FORMERLY IN TWO OTHER MEF PROGRAMS, ARE NOW BEING SERVED BY MEF STAFF, WITH ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING OVERSIGHT FROM CIRMA. THIS COLLABORATIVE VENTURE IS CALLED PROGRAMA DE BECAS MAYAS MEF.SNA JTZ'IBAJOM (HOUSE OF THE WRITER), THE MAYA WRITERS' GROUP IN SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS HAS FOUGHT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MAYA CULTURE AND PROMOTION OF LITERACY SINCE 1983. THE GROUP'S MEMBERS HAVE PRODUCED MANY PLAYS AND PERFORMANCES, WRITTEN BOOKS, GRAMMAR AND LANGUAGE MANUALS, TAUGHT LITERACY AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE COURSES, AND CARRIED OUT VIDEO AND RADIO PROJECTS.OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES MEF HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO SNA FOR BRINGING MAYAN LANGUAGE LITERACY COURSES TO TSELTAL- AND TSOTSIL-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES IN CHIAPAS. IN THESE COURSES, MAYA CHILDREN AND ADULTS ARE LEARNING TO READ AND WRITE IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGES. THERE IS GREAT INTEREST AND THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN AND GRADUATED FROM THESE COURSES. MEF SHARES THE GOAL OF PRESERVING MAYAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS.MEF LAUNCHED A UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WITH SNA JTZ'IBAJOM IN 1998. IT HAS SEEN MANY STUDENTS GRADUATE AND CURRENTLY SUPPORTS 35 STUDENTS IN A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING AGRONOMY, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, MEDICINE, DENTISTRY, COMMUNICATIONS, ANTHROPOLOGY, LAW AND NURSING.MORE RECENTLY, SNA HAS AGREED TO ADMINISTER MEF'S SMALL CHENALHO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL SUPERVISORS.

    Expenses $313,316 · Grants $313,315

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Amy Holly

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $16,750
    From this org
    $16,750
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Pablo Chavajay

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • Mitchell Denburg

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • Ian Lutz

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • Edward Fischer

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Maria Guadalupe Sic Lopez

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Abner Cruz

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Sterling Crockett

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Diane Carazas

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Hector Concoha

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $1,296,578
    Expenses
    $767,845
    Contributions
    $1,160,597
    Grants paid
    $595,415
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $2,158,798
    Expenses
    $758,181
    Contributions
    $1,023,701
    Grants paid
    $648,660
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $1,038,741
    Expenses
    $748,683
    Contributions
    $961,342
    Grants paid
    $645,196

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,245,195
    Expenses
    $686,372
    Assets (EOY)
    $4,404,873

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,025,444
    Expenses
    $694,712
    Assets (EOY)
    $4,523,044

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $919,797
    Expenses
    $766,154
    Assets (EOY)
    $3,198,765

  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $845,303
    Expenses
    $816,008
    Assets (EOY)
    $3,027,072

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,097,465
    Expenses
    $722,530
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,928,363

  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $832,565
    Expenses
    $875,037
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,342,710

  • 2015 · 990

    Revenue
    $739,787
    Expenses
    $787,917
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,122,890

  • 2014 · 990

    Revenue
    $758,795
    Expenses
    $831,018
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,248,111

  • 2013 · 990

    Revenue
    $726,008
    Expenses
    $711,937
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,293,310

  • 2012 · 990

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    $572,404
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,008,510

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

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

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Declared on its 2024 return

  • THE PLUMSOCK FUND INC

    501(C)(3) · SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION TO MAYA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION · IN · controlled entity

Declared as related by

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 1 November 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.