Socrates Academy INC

Tax-deductible

Rutherfordton, NC501(c)(3)Since 2004EducationEIN 20-1361228Revenue $13.7M in FY2025

On file with the IRSPo Box 86, 28139-0086 · Rutherfordton, NCTax-exempt since Feb 2007School — 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)

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Operate a charter school.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 200 volunteers and 157 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $574K a year · 6% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
77%
of spending
Looks good: 77% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$185K
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 97% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $11K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$14.1M
138% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 138% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$13.7M
+29% vs prior year
Spent
$11.9M
To programs
77%
Net assets
−$3.9M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$13.7M
FY2025▲ +29%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$6.9M
FY2021$8.0M
FY2022$8.9M
FY2023$9.3M
FY2024$10.6M
FY2025$13.7M
Expenses
$11.9M
FY2025▼ -3%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$7.0M
FY2021$6.7M
FY2022$7.5M
FY2023$8.6M
FY2024$12.3M
FY2025$11.9M
Net assets
−$3.9M
FY2025▲ +32%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$7.3M
FY2021−$6.1M
FY2022−$4.7M
FY2023−$4.0M
FY2024−$5.7M
FY2025−$3.9M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Form 990 (PDF) Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 2007.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 77% · $9.2M Management & general 23% · $2.7M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

12 people listed on the 990; $185K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Principal
$102,373Pt VII · Sec A
Business Manager
$42,508Pt VII · Sec A
Asst Business Mgr
$40,110Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Vanessa Baker’s $102K as Principal is at the 3rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3683 $10–100M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Vanessa Baker$102,373$112,835$98,060$87,900$75,700—
Sandra Brighton—————$88,398
Vanessa Morgan$40,110$43,459————
Lena Bakis$42,508$33,056$36,337$37,493$36,910$35,773

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Socrates Academy INC is an education nonprofit based in Rutherfordton, NC, formed in 2004.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $9.2M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Operate a public charter school.

$9.2Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$11K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $1.5M · 2023–2023
Socrates Academy Foundation INCFY2023$1,500,000

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$13.7M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$11.7M
Other incomeLn 4–11$1.7M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$300K
Money outPt IX
$11.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$9.2M
Managementcol C$2.7M
Owns and owesPt X
−$3.9M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$3.8M
Total assetsLn 16$10.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$14.1M
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$11.7M
Government grantsLn 1e$11.5M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$300K
Investment incomeLn 3$38K
Other incomeLn 4–11$1.7M
Total revenueLn 12$13.7M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$3.7M
SavingsLn 2$117K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$3.8M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$548K
Other assetsLn 15$5.2M
Total assetsLn 16$10.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$14.1M
Net assetsLn 32−$3.9M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5157
VolunteersI 6200
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.9M$3.8M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$78K$548K
Total assetsLn 16$7.7M$10.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$13.4M$14.1M
Net assetsLn 32−$5.7M−$3.9M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$185K$185K$0$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$5.3M$5.3M$35K$0
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$1.8M$1.8M$0$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$625K$625K$0$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$426K$423K$3K$0
Legal feesLn 11b$38K$0$38K$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$8K$0$8K$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$3K$0$3K$0
Office expensesLn 13$80K$55K$25K$0
Information technologyLn 14$86K$29K$57K$0
OccupancyLn 16$1.7M$0$1.7M$0
TravelLn 17$28K$28K$0$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$38K$38K$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$11K$0$11K$0
InsuranceLn 23$226K$0$226K$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$995K$664K$331K$0
All other expensesLn 24e$345K$87K$257K$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$11.9M$9.2M$2.7M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $13.7M$11.9M$1.8M−$3.9M 990 PDF
FY2024 $10.6M$12.3M−$1.7M−$5.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $9.3M$8.6M$723K−$4.0M 990 PDF
FY2022 $8.9M$7.5M$1.4M−$4.7M 990 PDF
FY2021 $8.0M$6.7M$1.3M−$6.1M 990 PDF
FY2020 $6.9M$7.0M−$86K−$7.3M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $13,730,688 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $9,985,566$11,692,773
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $272,023$300,360
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $58,856$38,365
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $324,285$1,699,190
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $10,640,730$13,730,688
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $1,500,000$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $7,925,000$8,339,072
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,879,192$3,599,675
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $12,304,192$11,938,747
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$1,663,462$1,791,941
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $13,730,688 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$11,486,834
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$205,939
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$11,692,773
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$300,360
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$38,365
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $1,699,190 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,699,190
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $2,037,915 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$13,730,688
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $11,938,747 across 17 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $184,991 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$184,991
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $5,259,217 · Management $34,763 · Fundraising $0$5,293,980
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $1,809,203 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$1,809,203
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $625,095 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$625,095
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $423,013 · Management $2,790 · Fundraising $0$425,803
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $0 · Management $38,157 · Fundraising $0$38,157
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $8,200 · Fundraising $0$8,200
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $0 · Management $2,554 · Fundraising $0$2,554
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $54,700 · Management $25,183 · Fundraising $0$79,883
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $29,075 · Management $56,561 · Fundraising $0$85,636
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $0 · Management $1,743,606 · Fundraising $0$1,743,606
IX-17 TravelPrograms $27,672 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$27,672
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $37,774 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$37,774
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $0 · Management $10,807 · Fundraising $0$10,807
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $226,197 · Fundraising $0$226,197
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $663,844 · Management $330,836 · Fundraising $0$994,680
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $87,307 · Management $257,202 · Fundraising $0$344,509
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $9,201,891 · Management $2,736,856 · Fundraising $0$11,938,747
Part X · Balance sheet $10,209,723 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,750,154$3,659,579
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $106,015$117,344
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $559,051$448,767
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $17,348$196,214
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $78,280$547,621
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $5,182,072$5,240,198
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $7,692,920$10,209,723
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $68,324$130,685
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $56,015$67,344
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $12,994,887$13,657,174
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $13,353,093$14,077,955
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$5,660,173−$3,868,232
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$5,660,173−$3,868,232
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $7,692,920$10,209,723
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$3,868,232 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$13,730,688
XI-2 Total expenses$11,938,747
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$1,791,941
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$5,660,173
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$3,868,232

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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