irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $265K* Advocate: Advocating on behalf of Yemeni Americans to protect their rights, empower them, and build coalitions that promote justice as well as encouragement to the Yemeni American community to be more civically engaged. We advocate on behalf of Yemeni American clients to elected officials to reunite separated families with senators and congressional leaders. We work to challenge hate, e.g., our merchant-led boycott of the New York Post, and decrease hate crimes. YAMA has partnerships with a lawyer who provides pro bono consultation and assistance for clients at our office biweekly. Also, we hired a part-time immigration attorney, and a full-time immigration case manager to help merchants and their workers with any immigration assistance they need.
- #2 $517K* Elevate Organizing trades and business deals among the Yemeni American communities and the outside world to obtain financial and service privileges that facilitate the advancement of Yemeni American society as a whole. We also strive to keep pace with commercial industry changes and create new opportunities for small business owners. We are also supporting Yemeni women to start their own businesses by supporting Yemeni women-led bazaars being held across the city. This program has not been fully launched yet as we are still exploring means to execute it. In the meantime, we only provide Business related assistance, especially after COVID. Like, apply for loans, or government relief grants for small businesses. Also, we provide starting new business consultants, licenses, and some violations remedy through our Pro bono attorneys.
named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Advocate
Provides civil rights advocacy for Yemeni Americans, including lobbying elected officials for family reunification, challenging discriminatory policies like the Muslim Ban, organizing legal clinics, and leading campaigns such as the merchant-led boycott of the New York Post. Includes pro bono legal partnerships and immigration case management.
Commercial Lease Assistance Program (CLAP)
Partners with Brooklyn Legal Services to offer free legal counsel for small businesses negotiating commercial leases, addressing landlord disputes, and understanding tenant rights in NYC.
Educate
Offers educational workshops and seminars on immigration rights, civic engagement, and small business management. Includes College Readiness webinars and Know Your Rights campaigns for immigrants.
Elevate
Supports Yemeni-American merchants with business development, including assistance with government relief grants, loan applications, business licensing, and compliance. Organizes women-led bazaars and aims to facilitate trade and financial privileges for the community.
Immigration Services
Provides free immigration legal assistance for applications to USCIS, including citizenship, green cards, DACA, TPS, family petitions, and work permits. Offers hardship advocacy for life-or-death cases and legal consultations.
YAMA Scholarship Program
Offers $1,000 scholarships to Yemeni-American college students in NYC, prioritizing children of merchants, with requirements including community service and participation in YAMA programs.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Small Business Technical Assistance 1 activity
- Business support and legal services for Yemeni merchantsOffers business startup consulting, licensing assistance, help with government loan and relief grant applications, and free legal counsel for negotiating commercial leases. Conducts outreach campaigns to educate commercial tenants about their rights and connects them with pro bono legal consultation through the Commercial Lease Assistance Program.
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Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 1 activity
- Civil rights advocacy and response to discriminatory policiesConducts advocacy in response to federal immigration bans (Muslim Ban 1, 2, and 3), including organizing the Yemeni Bodega Strike in 2017, holding press conferences viewed by over 50,000 people, filing federal lawsuits (including as a plaintiff in Maryland District Court), and advocating before Congress, USCIS, NVC, and embassies on behalf of clients with extreme hardships. Responded to Yemen’s suspension of international flights during COVID-19 that stranded over 2,000 Yemeni Americans.
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Immigrant Rights Education & Legal Preparedness 1 activity
- Educational workshops and community outreach programsConducts educational seminars, workshops, and one-on-one sessions on immigration, consumer affairs, safety, and security for Yemeni merchants and families across New York City’s five boroughs. Includes “Know Your Rights” trainings and ongoing outreach events to engage the community and assess service needs, such as a 2021 survey campaign targeting at least 500 Yemeni American merchants.
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Refugee and Immigrant Resettlement Services 1 activity
- Humanitarian aid for vulnerable Yemeni communitiesProvided humanitarian assistance to Yemeni diversity visa winners stranded in Yemen through a partnership with Pure Hands Charity and a Launch Good crowdfunding campaign, supporting 89 individuals with one month's rent and groceries.
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Immigration Legal Services 1 activity
- Immigration legal assistance and application supportProvides free immigration legal services to individuals across the United States, including help with applications for green cards, citizenship, travel documents, work permits, TPS, DACA, family petitions, and spouse reunification, with special focus on clients facing severe or life-threatening hardship. Offers Arabic translation and conducts monthly webinars and intake sessions to guide applicants through USCIS processes.
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Women's Microenterprise and Livelihood Development 1 activity
- Support for Yemeni women entrepreneursOrganizes and supports women-led bazaars in New York City to promote and strengthen economic opportunities for Yemeni women entrepreneurs.
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Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
- Youth scholarship and college readiness programAdministers a scholarship program awarding $1,000 to Yemeni American students, expanding from four recipients in 2020 to ten in 2021. Requires attendance at College Readiness webinars and completion of 40 hours of community service with YAMA during the award year.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.23M
Contributions & grants$1.23M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.30M
Program expenses88%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$714K
Grants paid out$159K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$152K
Cash$42K
Investments$0
Liabilities$235K
Net assets$-84K
Liquid reserves0.4 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -37.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOEL FELICIANO | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $126K |
board members · 5
- ABDUL MUBAREZ — DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT
- DR DEBBIE ALMONTASER — DIRECTOR/SECRETARY
- NAJI ALMONTASER — DIRECTOR
- SALEH HASSAN — DIRECTOR/TREASURER
- ZAID NAJI — DIRECTOR/VICE PRESIDENT
relationships · 29
Who they work with
- ACLU Partner — Represented YAMA as legal counsel when it became a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit challenging the travel ban.
- ADC Partner — Part of a coalition of national civil rights organizations that filed a lawsuit on behalf of Yemeni diversity visa winners.
- Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- Asian Law Caucus (ALC) Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- Block and Jenner Law Firm Partner — Part of a coalition of national civil rights organizations that filed a lawsuit on behalf of Yemeni diversity visa winners.
- Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation Partner — Collaborates with YAMA on outreach and legal services for commercial tenants through the Commercial Lease Assistance Program.
- CAIR California Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- CAIR Michigan Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- CAIR-Chicago Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- CAIR-New York Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- CUNY Partner — Partners with CUNY by requiring scholarship applicants to be admitted to or enrolled in a CUNY undergraduate school.
- Congress Government — Engages in advocacy work with Congress on behalf of clients facing extreme hardship in family and spouse petitions.
- Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- IRAP Coalition — Co-plaintiff with YAMA in a federal lawsuit challenging the travel ban.
- International Rescue Committee Partner — YAMA's Immigration Case Manager previously interned with the International Rescue Committee, indicating a professional connection and shared focus on immigrant services.
- NILC Partner — Part of a coalition of national civil rights organizations that filed a lawsuit on behalf of Yemeni diversity visa winners.
- National Visa Center (NVC) Government — Works with NVC on immigration applications and conducts advocacy for clients with delayed petitions.
- New York Post Partner — Engaged in a merchant-led boycott as part of advocacy efforts against hate.
- ORI Home Care Partner — Joel Feliciano previously served as Chief Operating Officer, indicating a professional affiliation.
- Pure Hands Charity Partner — Partnered with YAMA to provide humanitarian aid to Yemeni diversity visa winners through a Launch Good campaign.
- Senate Government — Engages in advocacy work with the Senate on behalf of clients facing extreme hardship in family and spouse petitions.
- U.S. Embassies Government — Conducts advocacy work with U.S. embassies on behalf of clients with extreme hardship in family and spouse petitions.
- USCIS Government — Assists clients with application submissions to USCIS for immigration benefits.
- USCIS Government — Partner agency through which immigration applications and benefits are submitted.
- USCIS Government — Works with USCIS to submit immigration applications and conduct advocacy on behalf of clients.
- Yemeni Alliance Committee Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- Yemeni American Association of California Partner — Coalition partner in the Bring Them Home campaign.
- sponsors Partner — Sponsors provide help, commitment, and support to enable the organization's work.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Civil Rights Advocacy as Community Empowermentmethodology: civil-rights-advocacyBy advocating directly for Yemeni Americans before government bodies and promoting civic engagement, the organization advances justice and inclusion because organized political voice enables marginalized communities to influence policies that affect their lives.
- Economic Empowerment Through Networked Commercemethodology: economic-empowerment-through-business-networksBy building business networks and facilitating trade deals, the organization drives economic advancement because collective commercial power increases access to capital, markets, and resilience against systemic exclusion.
- Integrated Support Services Modelmethodology: integrated_support_servicesBy combining business assistance, education, civil rights advocacy, and social services into a unified offering, the organization strengthens both individual and community-level outcomes because holistic interventions address interconnected barriers to success more effectively than siloed services.