To propel at-risk middle school students through high school and on to college and career success with enrichment, counseling and scholarships.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
83¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$134K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2024 · 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 $374K a year · 15% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
83%
of spending
Looks good: 83% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$134K
to officers and key staff · 5% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 5% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $6.0M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 2.8 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
10
named funders · $661K
Looks good: 10 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
17
of 17 voting members
Looks good: 17 of 17 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$2.4M
+3% vs prior year
Spent
$2.5M
To programs
83%
Net assets
$6.6M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$2.4M
FY2024▲ +3%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$2.3M
FY2021$2.0M
FY2022$3.7M
FY2023$2.3M
FY2024$2.4M
FY2025$2.3M
Expenses
$2.5M
FY2024▲ +6%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.7M
FY2021$1.9M
FY2022$1.9M
FY2023$2.4M
FY2024$2.5M
FY2025$2.1M
Net assets
$6.6M
FY2024+0.4%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$4.9M
FY2021$5.0M
FY2022$6.7M
FY2023$6.6M
FY2024$6.6M
FY2025$6.9M

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending August 2024) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 2006.

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

Where the money goes

83 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 83% · $2.1M Management & general 3% · $66K Fundraising 14% · $364K

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

18 people listed on the 990; $134K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$134,083Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Development Committee Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Committee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Marketing Committee Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Shelly Williams’s $133K as Past Executive Director is at the 55th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3394 $1–10M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Shelly Williams$133,419$134,083$124,548$114,408$16,984—
Thomas Mackowiak—————$93,336

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

Helps at-risk students succeed in school, college, and careers through support and scholarships.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $2.1M · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

The organization assisted four schools with their student support, financial aid and programming needs as well as funded scholarships at several ST. Louis area private, college-prep high schools.

$2.1Mprogram 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 · FY2024
See all 10 funders →
Grants paid · 9 grants · $2.5M · 2022–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$631,472
Unitemized GrantFY2024$133,893
Unitemized GrantFY2024$98,427
Unitemized GrantFY2023$603,477
Unitemized GrantFY2023$154,197
Unitemized GrantFY2023$60,151
Unitemized GrantFY2022$576,269
Unitemized GrantFY2022$166,189
Unitemized GrantFY2022$27,696

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$2.4M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$37K
Money outPt IX
$2.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.1M
Managementcol C$66K
Fundraisingcol D$364K
Owns and owesPt X
$6.6M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$598K
Total assetsLn 16$6.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
18
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a17
IndependentVI 1b17
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$37K
Total revenueLn 12$2.4M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$598K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$598K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$6.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$170
Total assetsLn 16$6.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$6.6M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$762K$598K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$5.9M$6.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$283$170
Total assetsLn 16$6.6M$6.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$482$0
Net assetsLn 32$6.6M$6.6M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$818K$818K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$134K$13K$121K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$706K$621K$37K$47K
Accounting feesLn 11c$10K$10K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$3K$3K
Office expensesLn 13$27K$17K$5K$5K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$113$113
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$833K$649K$184K
All other expensesLn 24e$5K$5K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.5M$2.1M$66K$364K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $2.3M$2.1M$135K$6.9M 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $2.4M$2.5M−$181K$6.6M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.3M$2.4M−$100K$6.6M 990 PDF
FY2022 $3.7M$1.9M$1.8M$6.7M 990 PDF
FY2021 $2.0M$1.9M$38K$5.0M 990 PDF
FY2020 $2.3M$1.7M$602K$4.9M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $2,354,843 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,096,723$2,317,913
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $186,834$36,930
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,283,557$2,354,843
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $770,154$817,825
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $769,495$839,753
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $843,475$877,879
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $2,383,124$2,535,457
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$99,567−$180,614
Part VI · Governance 17 of 17 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body17
VI-1b Independent voting members17
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $2,354,843 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$2,317,913
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$2,317,913
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $36,930$36,930
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $36,930$2,354,843
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,535,457 across 9 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $817,825$817,825
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $13,408 · Fundraising $120,675$134,083
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $621,417 · Management $36,977 · Fundraising $47,276$705,670
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $9,663$9,663
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $3,266$3,266
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $17,311 · Management $5,435 · Fundraising $4,693$27,439
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $113$113
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $648,998 · Fundraising $183,831$832,829
IX-24e All other expensesFundraising $4,569$4,569
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $2,105,551 · Management $65,596 · Fundraising $364,310$2,535,457
Part X · Balance sheet $6,641,810 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $762,470$597,685
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $283$170
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $5,851,414$6,043,955
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $6,615,713$6,641,810
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $482$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $6,015,231$6,248,060
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $600,000$393,750
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $6,615,231$6,641,810
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $6,615,713$6,641,810
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $6,641,810 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$2,354,843
XI-2 Total expenses$2,535,457
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$180,614
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$6,615,231
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$207,193
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$6,641,810

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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