Our Visionis to foster “A Vibrant, Active, and Unified Iranian American Community in Greater Seattle.”
Our Mission is to unite and strengthen our current and future Iranian and Iranian American communities by:
Creating opportunities for community service (benefiting the Iranian, Iranian American, and the greater community);
Organizing cultural and educational programs (to serve the Iranian, Iranian American, and the greater community); and
Providing an avenue for the Iranian and Iranian American community to dialogue and communicate our concerns about civic issues.
We are guided by the following principles and values in our work:
Appreciate diversity & build unity.
Demonstrate dedication & passion.
Commit to positive change.
Mentor future leaders and appreciate experience and wisdom of our elders.
Build bridges within and between communities. (Solidarity.)
Work for social justice.
Be Open & Honest, Exhibit Transparency
In short, the IACA promotes the three C’s: community service, culture & education, and civic action. We are a non-religious, non-political, not-for-profit organization.
The IACA emerged out of discussions among several Iranians and Iranian Americans in the fall and winter of 2006, led by Ali Ghambari, owner of Cherry Street Coffee House. Based on an initial meeting where first- and second-generation Iranians brainstormed ideas, a small group of energetic people drafted a mission and vision statement. This statement was circulated to leaders within the Iranian community for comments and suggestions.
In order to make this vision a reality, a core group of energetic people formed a Board of Directors to help guide the organization in its first year. The founding board consisted of Negin Almassi, Sorayya Aminian, Mona Beuk Aghaei, Julia Getsch, AJ Ghambari, Ali Ghambari, Paimahn Nakhjiri, Arash Oliaei, and Eiman Zolfaghari.
Below are some important milestones and accomplishments:
Jan 2007
IACA Board of Directors holds its first board retreat.
IACA holds a kickoff celebration. Over 50 people attend, many of whom sign up to join committees or serve as volunteers. IACA collects roughly $200 in food donations to support the Asian Counseling and Referral Services’ food bank, the state’s only Asian-focused food bank. ACRS distributes over 126,000 pounds of food to 6,000 households per month, including Iranian households.
Feb 2007
IACA holds its first fundraiser. With the generous support of the community, the IACA raises a net of $4,500 to get the organization off of the ground.
Mar 2007
Culture & Education: IACA serves tea, aajeel, and balaal to over 100 people at the Chahar Shanbeh Souri gathering.
Culture & Education: IACA hosts a Sizdeh Bedar picnic at Lake Sammamish park. Over 250 people attend, capping the picnic off with a great dance party involving the whole family.
Apr 2007
Community Service: IACA organizes groups of young Iranian Americans to participaten two weekends of cleaning and planning along the streets of Seattle as a part of Mayor Nickels’ “Clean and Green Initiative.”
May 2007
Civic Action: IACA hosts a successful “Know Your Rights” event presented in Persian by Mozhdeh Oskouian, J.D., Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP). A dozen people attend, learning about how to apply for a family visa, citizenship and naturalization, refugee/asylum status, and protection from domestic violence.
"I have been here [in the United States] for 28 years and a citizen for 25 years, and I benefited from this program. There's a lot I didn't know about Iranians' rights. Now I can tell Iranian patients about this information and where to go for help."
-Touba Both, medical and legal interpreter
Jun 2007
Community Service: IACA supports women in situations of domestic violence by organizing 13 people to attend Chaya’s annual fundraiser. Chaya is a community based nonprofit organization that serves South Asian women in times of crisis and raises awareness of domestic violence issues. Chaya’s clients include Iranian and Afghan women, and IACA attendees contribute a total of over $1500 at the event.
Cultural & Educational: IACA organizers the first-ever Iranian Festival in Seattle, gathering an estimated 2,000 people of all ages and backgrounds. Held at the Seattle Center, the day featured music, dance, children's activites, tea, food, film, art, and fun.
Jul 2007
Community Service: IACA turns out supporters for the Pars FC Soccer Team's competition in the All Nations Cup. While the team does not advance, everyone enjoys a fun time rooting for the team and representing the community.
Aug 2007
Civic Action: IACA offers an encore presentation of the “Know Your Rights” workshop, presented in Persian
by Mozhdeh Oskouian, J.D., Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP).
A dozen people attend, learning about how to apply for a family visa,
citizenship and naturalization, refugee/asylum status, and protection
from domestic violence.
Sep 2007
Community Service: IACA supports the Tavon Center--a horticultural-based program for young adults with developmental disabilities--by attending its fundraiser.
The IACA is led by a passionate group of volunteers who believe strongly in our mission. These people include the board of directors, committees, and individual volunteers. Every individual plays a key role in fostering a vibrant Iranian American community.
We seek to not only bring our current Iranian American community together, but also to promote the future prosperity of ones to come. In order to accomplish this, we have solicited (and deeply appreciate!) support from the older Iranian and Iranian American generations. At the same time, we are fostering new leaders by recruiting the second generation to play key roles in the organization.
Committees
More information to come soon on our committee members!
Board of Directors
Negin Almassi
AJ Ghambari
Sorayya Aminian
Julia (Mohseni) Getsch
Ali Ghambari
Paimahn Nakhjiri
Arash Oliaei
Polly Peshtaz
For a full biography on the directors, please click here .
IACA is sad to say good-bye to Eiman Zolfaghari, who moved back to California in May 2007, and to Mona Beuk Aghaei, who moved out of the country in August 2007. We wish them both well in their new adventures!
IACA stands for: Iranian American Community Alliance. The founding board members went through a rigorous vetting process where we received many name suggestions. We all agreed that IACA and its meaning best represent the spirit of the organization.
When was IACA Established?
IACA was founded in January 2007. Mr. Ali Ghambari gathered many of us together at his home in Kirkland in November 2006, and from there we all decided to create this organization.
Is IACA an official nonprofit 501(c)(3) now?
IACA officially incorporated as a not-for-profit organization with the State of Washington on February 21, 2007. We have submitted our 501(c)(3) application to the IRS and our application is pending; obtaining federal not-for-profit status takes an average of six to nine months.
So If I wish to donate to IACA, will I receive a tax exemption?
It depends. Generally speaking, a donation can qualify as tax-deductible if it is made to a registered 501(c)(3) organization and if no goods or services are received in return. Please consult with your tax adviser to determine whether your personal circumstances are such that you can itemize your deductible expenses on your tax returns.
While IACA is not yet a registered 501(C)(3) organization, we do have a fiscal sponsor, Salaam Cultural Museum, that is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. All checks for the IACA can be made out to Salaam Cultural Museum, P.O. Box 31642, Seattle, WA, 98103. Please note “IACA” in the memo line.
Unfortunately, donations made online are not guaranteed tax deductibility at this time. However, if IACA receives our 501(c)(3) status by the end of the year, tax-exemption will be retroactive to our date of incorporation on February 21, 2007.
If I previously donated to IACA, will I receive a tax exemption?
Unfortunately, as we had not yet negotiated a fiscal sponsorship, any checks made out to IACA from February through May (unless made out to Salaam Cultural Museum) will not necessarily be tax-exempt. However, if IACA receives our 501(c)(3) status by the end of the year, tax-exemption will be retroactive to our date of incorporation on February 21, 2007.
*Please consult with your tax adviser to receive professional advice on whether tax-exempt donations made out to Salaam Cultural Museum are deductible, as this is dependent upon your personal circumstances and the types of exemptions you take.
How do I get involved?
Click here. The IACA is an all-volunteer organization made possibly through the hard work of volunteers, committee members, and board members.
One-Time Volunteering: Click here to add yourself to the volunteers list.
Committee Service: Contact a committee chair to let us know if you are interested in serving on any of these committees: Fundraising, Public Relations, Community Service, Culture & Educational Activities, or Civic Action. Committee members are asked to attend once a month meetings and give their time to make committee events happen.
Board Service: IACA may have open board slots for 2008. If you are interested, please contact the board co-chairs. Board service requires a substantial commitment of time, resources, and leadership, including: attending monthly board meetings, chairing a committee or serving as an officer, and making all the organization’s events happen. IACA looks for people who are committed to the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
Why should I trust IACA?
Read our Mission and Vision Statement. You will see that transparency is a core part of our organization’s values. We hope to earn your trust through staying true to our original mission. We believe that by working hard to build a strong and vibrant Iranian American community in Seattle, and by working hard to represent our community well to other communities, we will earn your trust and support.
How is IACA funded?
IACA’s activities are being made possible through the support of individual donations, board member donations, sponsorships of events, and fundraising events. We depend upon continual support of the community in order to make our activities possible.Donate to IACA today by clicking the Donate button on the top-right..
To request a copy of IACA’s 2007 budget, please send an email to .
Is IACA a political organization?
IACA is a non-partisan, community-based organization. As a nonprofit organization we do not and will not endorse any candidates. We will, however, protect the civil rights of our community, educate our community and others about these rights, promote dialogue about issues facing the Iranian and larger community, and similar activities.
About IACA 