To provide great learning opportunities to every person on the planet by spurring and scaling innovation in learning that will lead to more equitable and higher quality education systems particularly in low income areas. The organization's activities will consist of promotion and guidance in educational innovation through publishing, networking, conferences and summits that engage stakeholders (educators, parents, students, citizenry) in the process of promoting equity in learning.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
96¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$455K 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

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
1 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $379K a year · 16% of revenue · last 3 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
96%
of spending
Looks good: 96% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$455K
to officers and key staff · 22% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 22% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.8 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $35K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$59K
12% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 12% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$428K
-72% vs prior year
Spent
$2.0M
To programs
96%
Net assets
$419K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$428K
FY2025▼ -72%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$50K
FY2021$5K
FY2023$5.3M
FY2024$1.5M
FY2025$428K
Expenses
$2.0M
FY2025▼ -44%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021Not on file
FY2023$433K
FY2024$3.7M
FY2025$2.0M
Net assets
$419K
FY2025▼ -79%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$56K
FY2021$43K
FY2023$4.9M
FY2024$2.0M
FY2025$419K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

990 PDF Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 2011.

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

Where the money goes

96 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 96% · $2.0M Management & general 3% · $70K Fundraising 0% · $9K

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

9 people listed on the 990; $455K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director/CEO
$215,159Pt VII · Sec A
Partner, Advocacy
$122,187Pt VII · Sec A
Partner, Storytelling
$117,648Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Caroline Vander Ark’s $215K as Executive Director/CEO is at the 99th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023
Caroline Vander Ark$215,159$223,195$109,176
Rashawn Caruthers—$125,559—
Rashwan Caruthers$122,187——
Mason Pashia$117,648——

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.

See Getting Smart Collective executive salaries →

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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

Spurs learning innovation and equitable education through publishing, networking, and conferences.

Questions for Getting Smart Collective

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Your first name shows with your question. Getting Smart Collective answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $2.0M · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Getting smart collective (formerly eduinnovation) is a washington state nonprofit 501(c)(3) and has been an important part of the education innovation landscape for over a decade. Through extended advocacy, grantmaking and storytelling campaigns, we have worked with countlesspartners, organizations and schools to focus on innovations…

$2.0Mprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$35K
Grants paid · 14 grants · $1.5M · 2024–2024
Meaning FoundationUT · FY2024$150,000
Lab School of Memphis INCTN · FY2024$150,000
Kind Academy CorporationFY2024$150,000
Colossal CommunityFL · FY2024$150,000
Black Mothers Forum INCAZ · FY2024$150,000
Asu Preparatory AcademyAZ · FY2024$150,000
Spark Community SchoolsAZ · FY2024$100,000
P A S T FoundationOH · FY2024$100,000
Issaquah School District No 411FY2024$100,000
Ellemercito AcademyCA · FY2024$100,000
Lamont Elementary School DistrictFY2024$40,000
Escondido Union School DistrictFY2024$40,000
Lincon High SchoolCA · FY2024$25,000

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$428K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$251K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$137K
Investment incomeLn 3$38K
Money outPt IX
$2.0M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.0M
Managementcol C$70K
Fundraisingcol D$9K
Owns and owesPt X
$419K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$478K
Total assetsLn 16$478K
LiabilitiesLn 26$59K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$137K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$251K
Investment incomeLn 3$38K
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Total revenueLn 12$428K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$478K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$478K
Total assetsLn 16$478K
LiabilitiesLn 26$59K
Net assetsLn 32$419K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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$158K$478K
Total assetsLn 16$2.9M$478K
LiabilitiesLn 26$824K$59K
Net assetsLn 32$2.0M$419K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$215K$199K$14K$2K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$484K$448K$32K$5K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$26K$22K$4K$254
Other employee benefitsLn 9$29K$25K$4K$285
Payroll taxesLn 10$54K$50K$4K$527
Legal feesLn 11b$18K$18K
Accounting feesLn 11c$48K$48K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$777K$764K$12K$270
Office expensesLn 13$29$29
TravelLn 17$3K$3K$93
InsuranceLn 23$4K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$385K$385K
All other expensesLn 24e$5K$4K$951$718
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.0M$2.0M$70K$9K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $428K$2.0M−$1.6M$419K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.5M$3.7M−$2.1M$2.0M 990 PDF
FY2023 $5.3M$433K$4.9M$4.9M 990 PDF
FY2022 Not on file
FY2021 $5K$43K 990 PDF
FY2020 $50K$56K 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 J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $427,515 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,061,000$136,513
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $368,144$250,636
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $94,692$37,670
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $1,517$2,696
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,525,353$427,515
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $1,505,000$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $849,879$808,116
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,319,707$1,240,891
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,674,586$2,049,007
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$2,149,233−$1,621,492
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
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 $427,515 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$136,513
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$136,513
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $250,636$250,636
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $37,670$37,670
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $2,696$2,696
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $253,332 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $37,670$427,515
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,049,007 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $198,954 · Management $14,121 · Fundraising $2,084$215,159
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $447,557 · Management $31,767 · Fundraising $4,687$484,011
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $21,874 · Management $3,600 · Fundraising $254$25,728
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $24,514 · Management $4,034 · Fundraising $285$28,833
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $50,289 · Management $3,569 · Fundraising $527$54,385
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $18,470$18,470
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $48,067$48,067
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $764,114 · Management $12,205 · Fundraising $270$776,589
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $29$29
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,799 · Fundraising $93$2,892
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $4,153$4,153
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $385,346$385,346
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $3,676 · Management $951 · Fundraising $718$5,345
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,969,842 · Management $70,247 · Fundraising $8,918$2,049,007
Part X · Balance sheet $478,449 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $158,055$477,669
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $16,205$780
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,864,962$478,449
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $59,291$59,270
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $824,291$59,270
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $86,026$139,853
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $1,954,645$279,326
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $2,040,671$419,179
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,864,962$478,449
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $419,179 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$427,515
XI-2 Total expenses$2,049,007
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$1,621,492
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$2,040,671
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$419,179

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

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