THE ROYAL ETHIOPIAN TRUST INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

THE ROYAL ETHIOPIAN TRUST INC

EIN 93-4041676 · Cultural & Ethnic Awareness (A23)

What they do

THE ROYAL ETHIOPIAN TRUST (RET) is A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED to ADVANCING THE LEGACY of HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ERMIAS SAHLE-SELASSIE and FOSTERING THE WELL-BEING of THE ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE. RETS MISSION is to SAFEGUARD, RAISE AWARENESS OF, and FORTIFY ETHIOPIAN CULTURE and UNITY. THIS MISSION is CARRIED OUT THROUGH FOUR CORE PROGRAMMATIC PILLARS: 1. EMPOWERING ETHIOPIAS FUTURE SUPPORTING THE INTELLECTUAL and MORAL GROWTH of ETHIOPIAN YOUTH THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS, MENTORSHIP, and ACCESS to EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. 2. FOSTERING ETHIOPIAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MICROFINANCE, TRAINING, and LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORT. 3. PRESERVING ETHIOPIAS IMPERIAL HERITAGE PROMOTING NATIONAL PRIDE and HISTORICAL AWARENESS BY RECOVERING, PRESERVING, and EXHIBITING SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL and HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS. 4. SUPPORTING THE ETHIOPIAN CROWN UPHOLDING THE ETHIOPIAN MONARCHY AS A UNIFYING SYMBOL of ETHIOPIAS IDENTITY and CULTURAL INTEGRITY.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $64.50 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders6 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

27.40%of revenue went to mission work64.5% of expenses · Program services

7.54%of revenue went to fundraising17.7% of expenses

$201.82spent for every $100 of revenueSpending was higher than revenue this year.

7.54%of revenue went to management and office costs17.8% of expenses

$0.90in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

475.0%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Worth asking: Expenses exceeded revenue by $48,783 this year. Ask whether that was planned or caused by a one-time event.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $16,000 for ERMIAS SAHLE SELASSIE (CHAIRMAN OF). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$227,607

Mission workProgram services$62,37527.40% of revenue64.5% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$17,1667.54% of revenue17.8% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$17,1547.54% of revenue17.7% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$130,91257.52% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$96,69542.48% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 64.5% mission · 17.8% management · 17.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 42.48% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 88.5% mission · 0.0% management · 0.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 9.62% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$47,912

Expenses$96,695

Annual shortfall $48,783 Expenses were higher than revenue for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$62,375 · 64.5% of expenses

Management and office costs$17,166 · 17.8% of expenses

Fundraising$17,154 · 17.7% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$47,912

Expenses$96,695

Assets$86,794

Income$47,912

Contributions$227,574

Mission work (program services)$62,375

Fundraising$17,154

Grants given$15,000

Average grant$7,500

Management and general$17,166

Accounting fees$2,894

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

ERMIAS SAHLE SELASSIECHAIRMAN OF · 4 hrs/week $16,000

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (6)

ERMIAS SAHLE SELASSIECHAIRMAN OF

ADAM VON GOOTKINVICE PRESIDE

ANANIA ABEBEAID TO CAMP

GIOVANNI RUFFINISECRETARY

NICHOLAS MELILLOTREASURER

SOLOMON KIBRIYEPRESIDENT

About this charity

Recognized since: January 2024
Location: 6 MAIN ST STE 121, CENTERBROOK, CT 06409-1094
County: Middlesex
In care of: % ADAM VON GOOTKIN
Primary officer: NICHOLAS MELILLO, TREASURER

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Phone(203) 738-9377 Officer phone(860) 550-1939

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: January 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: BOULDER CPA GROUP
NTEE classification: Cultural & Ethnic Awareness (A23)
IRS tax category: Cultural & Ethnic Awareness
Grant-giving organization: Yes