AHA Foundation
The AHA Foundation is an advocacy organization that supports universal human rights and liberty. AHA aims to preserve, protect, and promote Western freedoms and ideals and opposes all forms of tyranny, including oppressive traditions, illiberal ideologies, and Islamist extremism. AHA is especially concerned with opposing female genital mutilation (FGM), honor violence, and forced marriage. 1
Contents
AHA Foundation was established in 2007 by former Dutch politician and American political activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. 3
Activities
AHA Foundation states that Western freedoms and ideals are under threat by oppressive traditions, illiberal ideologies, and Islamist violence. AHA Foundation aims to protect women’s rights by opposing practices like female genital mutilation (FGM), honor violence, and child/forced marriage; defending free speech by promoting dialogue on college campuses; and exposing Islamist extremism through the CLARITy (Champions for Liberty Against the Reality of Islamist Tyranny) Coalition. Since its founding in 2007, AHA Foundation has supported five federal bills against FGM and honor violence and 50 state bills against FGM, child marriage, and domestic violence. 1
AHA Foundation claims that free speech is being stifled on college campuses as students are unwilling to engage with differing viewpoints. To address this, AHA’s Critical Thinking Fellowship aims to strengthen critical thinking, students’ liberties, and promote dialogue on campus. AHA Foundation currently supports 21 fellows, who host impartial conversations, debates, and events focused on engaging other students in open-minded inquiry about cultural, religious, human rights, and policy issues. 4
AHA Foundation provides legal guides for survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM), a resource directory for victims of forced marriages, and information on recognizing and reporting honor violence. 5 AHA also provides trainings on honor violence, FGM, and forced marriage to organizations working to protect women and girls, law enforcement, educators, shelters, and service providers. 6
CLARITy Coalition
The CLARITy (Champions for Liberty Against the Reality of Islamist Tyranny) Coalition is a global coalition that embraces democratic values and supports liberty and dignity for all persons. Founded in 2022 by Muslims, ex-Muslims, academics, scholars, authors, and activists, the CLARITy Coalition is concerned with threats posed by Islamists, especially as it regards the values of peace, democracy, liberty, and secular governance. The CLARITy Coatlition rejects the acceptance of jihad, the political use of da’wah, and advocacy for the institutionalization of Islamic law. 7
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a cofounder of the CLARITy Coaltion. 8
Funding
AHA Foundation is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While AHA Foundation does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles ($100,000 in 2021), 9 the Kovner Foundation ($75,000 in 2022), 10 and the Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation ($50,000 in 2022). 11
People
Staff
Amanda Parker is the CFO and interim executive director of AHA Foundation. 12
George Zarubin is a senior advisor and former executive director of AHA Foundation. Zarubin formerly worked as president and CEO of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, president of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, and executive director of the Soros Foundation Kazakhstan. 13
Board of Directors
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the founder and president of AHA Foundation and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. Ali is a former fellow at the Belfer Center’s Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard University and a former resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. 12 Ali is a women’s rights activist, who as a young girl was subjected to female genital mutilation in Somalia. Ali fled Somalia and claimed asylum in the Netherlands to escape a forced marriage arranged by her father to one of her cousins. In 2004, Ali received a death threat from the assassin who murdered Theo van Gogh, the director of Ali’s short film Submission, which exposed the oppression of women under Islam. 3 Before immigrating to the United States, Hirsi Ali served in the Dutch Parliament from 2003 to 2006. 14
Christopher Demuth is chair emeritus at AHA Foundation, a former distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute, and a former president of the American Enterprise Institute. 15
Zuhdi Jasser is a 2024 Republican candidate to the U.S. House to represent Arizona’s 4th Congressional District. Jasser formerly sat on the board of the American Conservative Union and is a former appointee and vice-chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. 16
Debra Coplan a founding member of the Clarity Coalition and formerly sat on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). 17
Other members of the board include Joan Boren, Donald Seitz, Joseph Weiss, and Rosa Zeegers. 18
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $928,999 | $1,187,403 | $1,302,038 | View |
| 2023 | $1,017,814 | $1,091,090 | $1,465,142 | View |
| 2022 | $1,405,096 | $1,046,410 | $1,545,166 | View |
| 2021 | $1,890,983 | $1,557,600 | $1,280,778 | View |
| 2020 | $1,597,684 | $1,249,101 | $970,033 | View |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 14
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| George Zarubin-Outgoing | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | $200,230 |
| Amanda Parker | INTERIM EXEC DIRECTOR/CFO | $153,542 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $6,291,817
- Number of Grants: 194
- Number of Funders: 74
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $45,000
- Number of Grants: 3
- Number of Recipients: 2
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:
| Amount | Year | Funder | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 2023 | Free Hearts Free Minds | TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S FOUNDERS AND THEIR SUPPORT OF THE CLARITY COALITION. |
| $10,000 | 2024 | The American Islamic Forum for Democracy | TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S FOUNDERS AND THEIR SUPPORT OF THE CLARITY COALITION. |
| $10,000 | 2023 | The American Islamic Forum for Democracy | TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S FOUNDERS AND THEIR SUPPORT OF THE CLARITY COALITION. |
Mentioned in this Article
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- American Conservative Union (ACU)
- American Enterprise Institute
- Harvard University
- Hoover Institution
- Hudson Institute
- Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles
- Kovner Foundation
- Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation
- Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan (SFK)