The Avalon Charter School FY2021 filing

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Avalon School seeks to establish a just world by nurturing an equitable school community for students that inspires active learning, social justice, engaged citizenship, and hope for the future.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
93¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$348K 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
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $46K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
93%
of spending
Looks good: 93% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$348K
to officers and key staff · 8% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 8% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $6K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$5.0M
135% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 135% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 8 voting members
Worth a look: 3 of 8 voting members are independent, under half.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.1M
-5% vs prior year
Spent
$4.4M
To programs
93%
Net assets
−$1.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$4.1M
FY2021▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$4.3M
FY2021$4.1M
FY2022$4.7M
FY2023$4.9M
FY2024$5.3M
FY2025$5.8M
Expenses
$4.4M
FY2021▼ -4%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$4.6M
FY2021$4.4M
FY2022$4.6M
FY2023$4.6M
FY2024$5.3M
FY2025$5.4M
Net assets
−$1.3M
FY2021▼ -31%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$971K
FY2021−$1.3M
FY2022−$1.1M
FY2023−$834K
FY2024−$861K
FY2025−$446K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 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 May 2001.

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

Where the money goes

93 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 93% · $4.1M Management & general 7% · $302K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $348K 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
$83,449Pt VII · Sec A
Director/Teacher
$76,346Pt VII · Sec A
Director/Teacher
$65,128Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer/Teacher
$65,081Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary/Teacher
$58,237Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Carrie Bakken’s $109K as Executive Director is at the 38th 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Carrie Bakken$108,545$101,006$104,473———
Kevin Ward$88,958$83,921$73,816———
Regina Goldner—$85,110$78,690$80,488$76,346—
Gretchen Sage - Martinson———$84,984$83,449$70,355
Tim Quealy$84,850$80,453$75,474$65,563$65,081$63,014
Sarah Wallis$80,076$75,048$69,783———
Elizabeth Kearney$73,494—————
Samantha Mau$72,402—————

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 The Avalon Charter School executive salaries →

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

Nurtures an equitable school community inspiring active learning, social justice, and engaged citizenship.

Questions for The Avalon Charter School

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1 program · $4.1M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Avalon served approxiamtely 240 students in grades 6-12 with instruction taking place both in person and via distance learning during the pandemic.

$4.1Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$6K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.1M
Other incomeLn 4–11$21K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2K
Money outPt IX
$4.4M
Ln 25
Programscol B$4.1M
Managementcol C$302K
Owns and owesPt X
−$1.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.6M
Total assetsLn 16$3.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$5.0M
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A5
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.1M
Government grantsLn 1e$3.9M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2K
Investment incomeLn 3$141
Other incomeLn 4–11$21K
Total revenueLn 12$4.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$1.6M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.6M
Pledges and grants receivableLn 3$321K
Accounts receivableLn 4$2K
Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesLn 9$42K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$114K
Other assetsLn 15$1.6M
Total assetsLn 16$3.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$5.0M
Net assetsLn 32−$1.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 551
VolunteersI 630
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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$1.4M$1.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$143K$114K
Total assetsLn 16$4.3M$3.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$5.2M$5.0M
Net assetsLn 32−$971K−$1.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$261K$253K$8K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.0M$1.9M$59K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$537K$511K$25K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$275K$251K$23K
Payroll taxesLn 10$162K$159K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$11K$11K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$326K$179K$147K
Office expensesLn 13$98K$85K$13K
Information technologyLn 14$45K$36K$9K
OccupancyLn 16$576K$573K$3K
TravelLn 17$46K$46K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$9K$9K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$37K$37K
InsuranceLn 23$13K$13K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$30K$29K$636
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.4M$4.1M$302K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS Mar 11, 2026 $5.8M$5.4M$415K−$446K 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS Nov 13, 2024 $5.3M$5.3M−$27K−$861K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Jan 16, 2024 $4.9M$4.6M$276K−$834K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Mar 20, 2023 $4.7M$4.6M$163K−$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Apr 20, 2022 $4.1M$4.4M−$302K−$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Apr 27, 2021 $4.3M$4.6M−$246K−$971K 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $4,113,408 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $4,285,498$4,090,229
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $31,319$1,580
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $397$141
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $13,145$21,458
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,330,359$4,113,408
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $3,288,027$3,225,410
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,288,610$1,190,036
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $4,576,637$4,415,446
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$246,278−$302,038
Part VI · Governance 3 of 8 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members3
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 $4,113,408 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$3,908,746
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$181,483
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$4,090,229
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,580$1,580
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $141$141
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $21,458$21,458
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,580 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $21,599$4,113,408
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,415,446 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $253,294 · Management $7,855$261,149
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,931,574 · Management $59,433$1,991,007
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $511,228 · Management $25,459$536,687
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $251,168 · Management $23,386$274,554
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $159,360 · Management $2,653$162,013
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $10,800$10,800
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $178,939 · Management $146,972$325,911
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $85,353 · Management $12,559$97,912
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $36,216 · Management $8,606$44,822
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $572,793 · Management $3,202$575,995
IX-17 TravelPrograms $46,408$46,408
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $8,515$8,515
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $36,746$36,746
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $13,175$13,175
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $29,116 · Management $636$29,752
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $4,113,885 · Management $301,561 · Fundraising $0$4,415,446
Part X · Balance sheet $3,687,594 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,427,486$1,636,941
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $453,275$320,855
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $16,234$1,603
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $64,962$41,988
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $142,717$114,493
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $2,162,627$1,571,714
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $4,267,301$3,687,594
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $444,892$421,922
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $4,793,840$4,539,141
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $5,238,732$4,961,063
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$971,431−$1,273,469
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$971,431−$1,273,469
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $4,267,301$3,687,594
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$1,273,469 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$4,113,408
XI-2 Total expenses$4,415,446
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$302,038
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$971,431
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$1,273,469

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

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