AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)
EIN: 04-2164402
as of September 2024
as of September 09, 2024
Mission
The mission of AAVSO is to enable anyone, anywhere, to participate in scientific discovery through variable star astronomy.
We accomplish our mission by carrying out the following activities:
· observation and analysis of variable stars
· collecting and archiving observations for worldwide access
· forging strong collaborations between amateur and professional astronomers
· promoting scientific research, education, and public outreach using variable star data
Ruling year
1954
Director
Dr. Brian Kloppenborg
Main address
185 Alewife Brook Parkway, Suite 410
CAMBRIDGE, MA 02138 USA
EIN
04-2164402
Astronomy
Population served
Adults
Academics
Retired people
NTEE code
Astronomy (includes Observatories) (U31)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
AAVSO’s future and impact. Over the past two years, we listened to our members, studied the astronomy community’s needs, identified the ways our data supports research, and developed new ways to assist members with observing technology. We focused on three objectives: membership satisfaction, organizational impact, and long-term financial stability. Our challenge is to attract the interest of a diverse group of individuals worldwide in the observation of variable stars. These individuals will work to increase the size and quality of our current database that is used by professional astronomers in their research and they are critical to maintaining the AAVSO's 110 year legacy of data collection by citizen astronomers.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
CHOICE
The Caroline Hurless Online Institute for Continuing Education (CHOICE) is a collection of informal, online short courses on topics chosen to help members of the AAVSO and other adult populations contribute more to science. It has two main goals towards this end. First, we hope to train our participants to be better observers, analysts, researchers, writers and advocates. Second, by improving the quality of our data products and making them easier to use, it will help astronomers and researchers best utilize AAVSO data.
Exoplanet Observing & Research
AAVSO’s Exoplanet Observing Program is established to provide amateur astronomers with best practice techniques for conducting exoplanet observations, as well as to act as a central coordination point for professional/amateur exoplanet collaboration efforts. For example, upcoming space missions, such as TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), will be requiring extensive involvement by the amateur astronomer community in conducting followup exoplanet observations.
AAVSO International Database of Variable Star Observations
The AAVSO International Database has over 34 million variable star observations going back over one hundred years. It is the largest and most comprehensive digital variable star database in the world. Over 1,000,000 new variable star brightness measurements are added to the database every year by over 700 observers from all over the world.The AAVSO International Database is not only the largest but also the highest quality variable star database available to researchers. The AAVSO and its technical staff spend more time and resources on database maintenance and quality control than any other organization of its kind.
10 Star Tutorial - Introduction to Observing
The 10-Star Training Tutorials are designed for novices who have no prior experience observing variable stars. It is a walk through of how to find the star, how to make an estimate and how to submit the estimate to the AAVSO. If you are new to the AAVSO then these are great tutorials to get you started.
The tutorial begins with stars that are easy to find and observe. Slowly the stars become more challenging as you go down the list. By the time you reach Epsilon Aurigae at the bottom of the list, you’ll be an expert variable star observer contributing real data to professional scientists!
Mentoring Program
The AAVSO has a long tradition of mentoring its new observers. Since the earliest days of the AAVSO, experienced observers have helped new observers by corresponding, answering questions, and even providing personal guidance at the telescope.
The Mentor Program is primarily designed to pair new observers with experienced partners who can teach them about observing techniques, tools, methods, etc., as well as give them advice on target selection and interesting projects they might pursue.
We teach visual, CCD and DSLR observers how to do everything from printing comparison star charts, to finding the variables in the sky to reporting uncertainty in their CCD/DSLR observation reports.
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopic monitoring of variable stars is a relatively unexplored domain within astronomy, with the potential to produce a wealth of new information. While individual objects, such as some cataclysmic variables (CVs), have been studied with high time resolution spectroscopic observations spanning days or weeks, long-term spectroscopic monitoring data for variables does not yet exist. Many interesting variable phenomena occur on time scales of months or years, meaning we lack the information that could prove critical in advancing our understanding, and in solving long-standing problems (such as the perplexing behavior of Semi-Regular variables or the still-not-fully-understood RV Tauri variables). Even for shorter period variables, there is surely much to be learned from high time resolution spectroscopic observation. There are many bright variables with little spectroscopic data available, meaning observers with spectroscopes on smaller telescopes have an opportunity to make an impact!
We provide here brief overviews of: the information that we can derive from a star’s spectrum; how to work with spectroscopic data; what to consider when selecting equipment for spectroscopy; the specific types of variables we recommend for spectroscopic observation; and, how to submit your spectra to the AAVSO. Much more detail is provided in the accompanying manuals and guides.
How To Hours
Free online webinars on a variety of astronomy topics and research areas presented by AAVSO members and observers.
AAVSO Free Astronomy Webinars
One hour programs on a variety of topics to teach and inform the general public about variable star
astronomy
AAVSO Spanish Language Webinars
An introductory program in astronomy presented by recognized, Spanish speaking astronomy professionals
JAAVSO
The purpose of the JAAVSO is to promote the AAVSO's overall mission by serving as the preeminent publication venue not only for AAVSO Members, but for the entire community of variable star scientists and researchers.The JAAVSO has been published since 1972. It is a research publication dedicated to variable star astronomy and related topics. The JAAVSO is a refereed publication, open to any and all amateur and professional members of the variable star research and observation community, as well as related scholarly groups such as computer and information scientists, historians, and educators. Manuscripts originating from students are encouraged.
Where we work
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsTotal dollars received in contributions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
AAVSO is committed to reducing the draw on our endowment by raising funds through an Annual Campaign and educating our members on legacy gifts. We are making steady progress in this area.
Number of Publications that used AAVSO data
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Observations Submitted by AAVSO Members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
AAVSO International Database of Variable Star Observations
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The cumulative number of observations submitted by members since 1911 is 54,394,485
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
GOAL 1 | ADVANCING SCIENCE
The AAVSO will be leading a citizen astronomy movement by encouraging its international community to
collaborate with professional astronomers, enabling novel science.
Our observers contribute to long-term and short-term scientific projects. The AAVSO is committed to
supporting their work by providing the resources and opportunities needed to maximize their impact.
GOAL 2 | BUILDING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY
SUPPORTIVE OF THE AAVSO’S
MISSION AND VALUES
The AAVSO’s superpower is its active, enthusiastic, and diverse international community of stakeholders
GOAL 3 | MAINTAINING & ENHANCING
OUR TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
The AAVSO website is the hub of our international community. It is the platform that supports our programs
and initiatives and celebrates our accomplishments.
GOAL 4 | INCREASING OUR
OPERATION’S EFFECTIVENESS
The AAVSO accomplishes its mission through the combined efforts
of its staff, volunteers, observers, and members — 2,000 people
sharing a common passion and joy of observing variable stars and
contributing to scientific research. Over two hundred active volunteers
augment the six-person staff.
During the strategic planning process, we identified ways to improve
how we organize and guide our work efforts.
We established new operating committees to improve our effectiveness
that include staff, board members, and volunteers from our
community.
Programs Committee
IT Committee
Marketing Committee
Membership Committee
Observing Section Leadership Team
GOAL 5 | FOCUSING ON FINANCIAL STABILITY
The AAVSO’s long-term financial stability
depends on balancing income and expense
while not overdrawing from our endowment.
During the strategic planning process, we
scrutinized all of our expenses. This included a
detailed analysis of the work done by our staff,
contractors, and volunteers.
Next, we analyzed our income,
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
GOAL 1 | ADVANCING SCIENCE
fostering key partnerships with high-profile
international groups
• promoting the Journal of the AAVSO (JAAVSO) as
a recognized publication of variable star research
• encouraging professional-amateur collaborations
and mentorships
• maintaining and enhancing relevant tools for data
submission, retrieval, and analysis
• leveraging our observers’ expertise to educate
other citizen scientists
• educating our members and observers
• creating introductory learning materials to
encourage and support aspiring observers
• providing access to reliable data found in the
AAVSO databases
• creating engagement opportunities for individuals
with limited resources
• maintaining a help desk managed by our professional staff
GOAL 2 | BUILDING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY
SUPPORTIVE OF THE AAVSO’S
MISSION AND VALUES
• empower individuals to grow and learn in
variable star astronomy through AAVSO
meetings, webinars, and new observing section
activities
• ensure that our virtual and in-person events
provide welcoming opportunities for exchanging
ideas and information to maximize engagement
• connect professional and amateur astronomers
• promote inclusionary practices to guarantee the
fulfillment of our mission to fully involve anyone,
anywhere in scientific research.
• communicate the value of our observers’ data
to professional astronomers
GOAL 3 | MAINTAINING & ENHANCING
OUR TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
we are building a content-development strategy for our website that will provide:
• a solid and secure technical infrastructure
• curated databases
• best practices in software and content management
• enhanced cybersecurity
• updated software tools to facilitate observation submissions, data download and analysis
GOAL 4 | INCREASING OUR
OPERATION’S EFFECTIVENESS
We established new operating committees to improve our effectiveness
that include staff, board members, and volunteers from our
community.
Programs Committee
IT Committee
Marketing Committee
Membership Committee
Observing Section Leadership Team
GOAL 5 | FOCUSING ON FINANCIAL STABILITY
We are putting the following plan in place to
balance our finances, increase member support
and enable the AAVSO to grow and thrive.
• Reducing this year’s annual endowment
withdrawal to below five percent.
• Increasing non-endowment income by
working with professionals to develop a
comprehensive fundraising campaign.
Focus areas include:
o identify grant opportunities supporting
our mission
o identifying and contacting foundations
that support science research
o developing marketing materials to increase
our visibility
• Increasing volunteer involvement.
• Initiating a $200,000 Strategic Plan
Fundraising Campaign in 2020.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The AAVSO will be able to achieve its goals with the following resources:
Qualified staffing
Active Board of Directors
Supportive members
Staff, member and Board Committees to share the work
Endowment fund
110 years of experience
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Established Committees are actively working together- Marketing,IT, Diversity, Membership, Observing Sections
Annual Campaign has been completed
Decreased the draw from our endowment
planned for the sale of our building to increase the endowment and available draw to support operations
website has been updated both technically and content presentation
survey of professional astronomers has been completed plan for increase participation in the AAVSO
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
31.85
Months of cash in 2022 info
44.3
Fringe rate in 2022 info
41%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Oct 01 - Sep 30
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Oct 01 - Sep 30
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)
Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitionsFiscal Year: Oct 01 - Sep 30
This snapshot of AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $30,331 | -$240,354 | -$911,566 | $2,419,897 | -$1,153,768 |
| As % of expenses | 3.0% | -25.5% | -96.2% | 262.3% | -117.0% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$22,542 | -$291,154 | -$962,093 | $2,373,192 | -$1,202,258 |
| As % of expenses | -2.1% | -29.3% | -96.4% | 244.8% | -116.2% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,949,464 | $110,788 | $212,157 | $1,024,120 | $2,634,853 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 192.8% | -94.3% | 91.5% | 382.7% | 157.3% |
| Program services revenue | 1.6% | 33.7% | 18.7% | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Membership dues | 3.9% | 88.2% | 41.7% | 11.6% | 3.4% |
| Investment income | 63.5% | 246.3% | 177.7% | 24.2% | 5.7% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 10.7% | 168.9% | 50.2% | 43.4% | 9.4% |
| Other revenue | 20.2% | -437.1% | -188.2% | 18.1% | 79.5% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $1,004,271 | $942,519 | $947,090 | $922,730 | $986,157 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 14.0% | -6.1% | 0.5% | -2.6% | 6.9% |
| Personnel | 51.1% | 59.4% | 61.1% | 62.1% | 51.3% |
| Professional fees | 17.5% | 10.1% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 5.3% |
| Occupancy | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 31.4% | 30.5% | 35.3% | 139.2% | 43.4% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,057,144 | $993,319 | $997,617 | $969,435 | $1,034,647 |
| One month of savings | $83,689 | $78,543 | $78,924 | $76,894 | $82,180 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $1,140,833 | $1,071,862 | $1,076,541 | $1,046,329 | $1,116,827 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 9.5 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 44.3 |
| Months of cash and investments | 163.7 | 170.5 | 158.5 | 192.2 | 180.2 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 119.9 | 124.5 | 112.4 | 146.8 | 136.0 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $798,883 | $486,964 | $548,290 | $558,090 | $3,639,049 |
| Investments | $12,903,911 | $12,903,636 | $11,962,011 | $14,221,800 | $11,169,987 |
| Receivables | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $1,907,498 | $1,916,248 | $1,837,128 | $1,827,926 | $140,133 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 33.7% | 36.2% | 36.1% | 38.3% | 75.4% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 3.1% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $11,296,460 | $11,005,306 | $10,043,213 | $12,416,405 | $11,214,147 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $201,382 | $173,184 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $3,367,794 | $3,367,794 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $3,569,176 | $3,540,978 | $3,545,270 | $3,587,907 | $3,554,932 |
| Total net assets | $14,865,636 | $14,546,284 | $13,588,483 | $16,004,312 | $14,769,079 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Director
Dr. Brian Kloppenborg
Dr. Brian Kloppenborg (Ph.D. Physics - Astrophysics Specialization) is an astrophysicist and entrepreneur. He earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Denver, and a B.A. in Physics from Hastings College. Prior to joining the AAVSO, Brian worked as a Research Scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute, where he served as a subject matter expert, lead engineer, product owner, and project director on a variety of government programs. He also ran a small business that provided data science, machine learning, and GPU accelerated computing services. Brian's research interests include photometry, spectroscopy, astrometry, and long-baseline optical interferometry of eclipsing binaries, novae, and young stellar objects. His work is published in Nature, ApJ, JAAVSO, and similar scholarly journals.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS (AAVSO)
Board of directorsas of 02/14/2024
Board of directors data
David E Cowall MD
Retired physician
Term: 2021 - 2023
!st Vice President RIchard Berry
Kristine Larsen
Ph.D.
David Cowall
Robert Buchheim
Ken Hudson
Richard Berry
Robert Stephens
Thomas Maccarone
Texas Tech
Peter Bealo
Antonella Nota
International Space Science institute
Patrick Boyce
Boyce Education Foundation
Arne Henden
Sarah Austrin Willis
Financial Health Network
Martina Arndt
Bridgewater State University
Dennis Conti
Board leadership practices
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/14/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Contractors
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- Officer and/or Employee data for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018
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