The Stern Center for Language and Learning is a nonprofit educational Center dedicated to helping children and adults reach their full potential through high-quality direct services and professional Learning. We are committed to enriching the lives of learners

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$106K 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

FY2021 · 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 $211K a year · 4% 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
$106K
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $6.4M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 4.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
12
named funders · $405K
Looks good: 12 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$1.0M
10% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 10% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
14
of 17 voting members
Looks good: 14 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
$4.9M
-0.3% vs prior year
Spent
$4.7M
To programs
77%
Net assets
$9.4M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$4.9M
FY2021-0.3%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$4.9M
FY2021$4.9M
FY2022$5.4M
FY2023$4.6M
FY2024$4.4M
FY2025$5.4M
Expenses
$4.7M
FY2021▲ +14%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$4.2M
FY2021$4.7M
FY2022$5.3M
FY2023$4.6M
FY2024$4.6M
FY2025$4.8M
Net assets
$9.4M
FY2021▲ +11%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$8.5M
FY2021$9.4M
FY2022$8.4M
FY2023$8.3M
FY2024$8.8M
FY2025$9.6M

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending August 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Mar 1984.

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% · $3.6M Management & general 15% · $719K Fundraising 8% · $386K

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

19 people listed on the 990; $106K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
$106,354Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Laurie Quinn’s $179K as President is at the 65th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3128 $1–10M health care 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 · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Laurie Quinn$179,343$179,133$193,552$193,552——
Blanche Podhajski PHD—————$126,050
Elizabeth Marcus$109,232$106,050$85,250———
Blanche Podhajski PHD Left 2021————$106,354—
Janna Osman$42,275$41,309$40,499———

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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Helps children and adults reach their full potential through educational support.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $3.6M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Evaluations, instruction, consultation and counseling for over 2,000 students with learning-style differences and learning disabilities, professional development for educators and research focused on professional development programs.

$3.6Mprogram 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 12 funders →
Grants paid · 40 grants · $1.7M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$187,192
Burlington School DistrictFY2024$54,245
Albany Community SchoolFY2024$6,880
Unitemized GrantFY2023$179,379
Windham Northeast Supervisory UnionFY2023$23,140
Burlington School DistrictFY2023$19,475
Two River Supervisory UnionFY2023$10,760
South Burlington School DistrictFY2023$7,627
Bennington-Rutland Supervisory UnioFY2023$6,240
Unitemized GrantFY2022$183,763
South Burlington School DistrictFY2022$22,595
Burlington School DistrictFY2022$19,135
White River Valley Supervisory UnioFY2022$14,064
Windham Northeast Supervisory UnionFY2022$13,650
Winooski School DistrictFY2022$9,610
Bennington-Rutland Supervisory UnioFY2022$9,145
Addison Northwest Supervisory UnionFY2022$7,203
See all 40 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.9M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$3.4M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.2M
Investment incomeLn 3$341K
Money outPt IX
$4.7M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.6M
Managementcol C$719K
Fundraisingcol D$386K
Owns and owesPt X
$9.4M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.8M
Total assetsLn 16$10.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.0M
PeoplePt VI, VII
19
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a17
IndependentVI 1b14
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.2M
Government grantsLn 1e$470K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$26K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$3.4M
Investment incomeLn 3$341K
Other incomeLn 4–11$45K
Gains on assetsLn 7$231K
Total revenueLn 12$4.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$1.7M
SavingsLn 2$113K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.8M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$6.4M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.4M
Other assetsLn 15$25K
Total assetsLn 16$10.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.0M
Net assetsLn 32$9.4M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 560
VolunteersI 615
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.2M$1.8M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$5.4M$6.4M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.5M$1.4M
Total assetsLn 16$9.4M$10.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$895K$1.0M
Net assetsLn 32$8.5M$9.4M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$289K$289K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$130K$130K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$160K$40K$40K$80K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.7M$2.2M$310K$238K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$31K$28K$3K$583
Other employee benefitsLn 9$315K$105K$211K
Payroll taxesLn 10$209K$161K$25K$22K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$14K$14K
Investment management feesLn 11f$39K$39K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$58K$58K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$50K$49K$445
Office expensesLn 13$238K$201K$19K$19K
Information technologyLn 14$64K$55K$6K$3K
OccupancyLn 16$98K$72K$18K$8K
TravelLn 17$14K$11K$1K$1K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$151K$147K$3K$2K
InterestLn 20$3K$3K$551$282
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$110K$86K$17K$8K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$51K$38K$9K$5K
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.7M$3.6M$719K$386K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $5.4M$4.8M$551K$9.6M 990 PDF
FY2024 $4.4M$4.6M−$211K$8.8M 990 PDF
FY2023 $4.6M$4.6M−$84K$8.3M 990 PDF
FY2022 $5.4M$5.3M$83K$8.4M 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $4.9M$4.7M$167K$9.4M 990 PDF
FY2020 $4.9M$4.2M$761K$8.5M 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 M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $4,913,121 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,931,496$1,167,884
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $2,509,393$3,358,752
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $405,110$341,052
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $83,852$45,433
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,929,851$4,913,121
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $380,211$419,180
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $2,932,634$3,432,772
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $855,989$894,568
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $4,168,834$4,746,520
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $761,017$166,601
Part VI · Governance 14 of 17 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body17
VI-1b Independent voting members14
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
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 $4,913,121 across 10 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$470,500
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$697,384
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$25,760
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,167,884
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $3,358,752$3,358,752
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $109,995$109,995
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $34,103$34,103
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $231,057$231,057
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $11,330$11,330
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $3,601,139 · Excluded from tax $144,098$4,913,121
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,746,520 across 20 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $288,768$288,768
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $130,412$130,412
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $39,921 · Management $39,921 · Fundraising $79,841$159,683
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $2,169,212 · Management $310,324 · Fundraising $238,231$2,717,767
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $27,841 · Management $3,018 · Fundraising $583$31,442
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $104,702 · Management $210,638$315,340
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $161,263 · Management $25,470 · Fundraising $21,807$208,540
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $3,151$3,151
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $14,500$14,500
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $39,346$39,346
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $58,006$58,006
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $49,450 · Fundraising $445$49,895
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $200,652 · Management $18,675 · Fundraising $18,513$237,840
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $55,248 · Management $5,682 · Fundraising $2,617$63,547
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $71,998 · Management $18,237 · Fundraising $7,803$98,038
IX-17 TravelPrograms $11,481 · Management $1,284 · Fundraising $1,336$14,101
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $146,558 · Management $2,915 · Fundraising $1,679$151,152
IX-20 InterestPrograms $2,528 · Management $551 · Fundraising $282$3,361
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $85,708 · Management $16,745 · Fundraising $7,712$110,165
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $37,605 · Management $8,735 · Fundraising $5,126$51,466
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $3,641,353 · Management $719,192 · Fundraising $385,975$4,746,520
Part X · Balance sheet $10,369,952 assets, 16 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,102,112$1,707,459
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $112,965$112,907
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,133,484$627,677
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $117,495$84,185
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $17,872$26,371
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,462,231$1,366,914
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $5,379,220$6,419,414
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $25,775$25,025
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $9,351,154$10,369,952
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $220,827$162,682
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $126,867$259,097
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $895,308$1,008,463
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $909,468$891,653
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $7,546,378$8,469,836
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $8,455,846$9,361,489
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $9,351,154$10,369,952
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $9,361,489 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$4,913,121
XI-2 Total expenses$4,746,520
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$166,601
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$8,455,846
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$739,042
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$9,361,489

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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