Universal Vare Charter School FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Philadelphia, PA501(c)(3)Since 2011EducationEIN 45-0649209Revenue $4.0M in FY2021

On file with the IRSuniversalcompanies.org/vare800 S 15th St, 19146-2105 · Philadelphia, PATax-exempt since Sep 2011School — 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)

Tell your story. Claim this org

To provide a School-to-career academic program that emphasizes self-sufficiency, civic responsibility and problem solving through mathematics, language arts and the sciences.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
65¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$163K 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
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.0M a year · 25% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
65%
of spending
Fine: 65% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$163K
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
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 · $20K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$4.3M
237% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 237% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.0M
-13% vs prior year
Spent
$2.6M
To programs
65%
Net assets
−$2.5M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$4.0M
FY2021▼ -13%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$4.6M
FY2021$4.0M
FY2022$5.3M
FY2023$3.9M
FY2024$3.5M
FY2025$3.0M
Expenses
$2.6M
FY2021▼ -23%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$3.4M
FY2021$2.6M
FY2022$3.3M
FY2023$3.8M
FY2024$3.0M
FY2025$2.0M
Net assets
−$2.5M
FY2021▲ +36%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$3.9M
FY2021−$2.5M
FY2022−$548K
FY2023−$396K
FY2024$151K
FY2025$1.1M

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

Give Claim
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 Sep 2011.

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

Where the money goes

65 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 65% · $1.7M Management & general 35% · $896K

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

Something off? Claim to fix it

Who runs it and what they're paid

5 people listed on the 990; $163K 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
$163,169Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Karen Howell-Toomer’s $173K as Princpal is at the 75th 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Karen Howell-Toomer$172,724$167,074$161,360$150,630$163,169

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 Universal Vare Charter School executive salaries →

On this list? Claim this org

Something off? Claim to fix it

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

Operates a charter school, providing educational programs and community partnerships to support students and families.

Questions for Universal Vare Charter School

Tap to ask. Universal Vare Charter School sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Universal Vare Charter School answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

Know this org? Add your story

1 program · $1.7M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

The educational program utilizes community resources within the universal vare's immediate neighborhood through a variety of before, during, and after school partnerships with families, businesses, social agencies, civic groups and community organizations to enhance the academic program and to support students and their families.

$1.7Mprogram 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 · FY2020
Elevate 215FY2020$20K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$20K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.0M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$3.2M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$725K
Other incomeLn 4–11$50K
Money outPt IX
$2.6M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.7M
Managementcol C$896K
Owns and owesPt X
−$2.5M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$610K
Total assetsLn 16$1.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.3M
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$725K
Government grantsLn 1e$725K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$3.2M
Other incomeLn 4–11$50K
Total revenueLn 12$4.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$610K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$610K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$129K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$44K
Other assetsLn 15$765K
Total assetsLn 16$1.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.3M
Net assetsLn 32−$2.5M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 522
VolunteersI 65
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$245K$610K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$36K$129K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$6K$44K
Total assetsLn 16$810K$1.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.7M$4.3M
Net assetsLn 32−$3.9M−$2.5M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.8M$1.3M$500K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8−$531K−$222K−$309K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$51K$41K$10K
Payroll taxesLn 10$140K$101K$39K
Management feesLn 11a$185K$185K
Legal feesLn 11b$74K$74K
Accounting feesLn 11c$22K$22K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$101K$72K$29K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$11K$11K
Office expensesLn 13$69K$30K$39K
Information technologyLn 14$188K$145K$43K
OccupancyLn 16$108K$108K
TravelLn 17$27K$27K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$5K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$78K$33K$46K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$204K$136K$68K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.6M$1.7M$896K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $3.0M$2.0M$909K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2024 $3.5M$3.0M$547K$151K 990 PDF
FY2023 $3.9M$3.8M$152K−$396K 990 PDF
FY2022 $5.3M$3.3M$1.9M−$548K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $4.0M$2.6M$1.4M−$2.5M 990 PDF
FY2020 $4.6M$3.4M$1.2M−$3.9M 990 PDF

More to add? Claim this org

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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $3,984,804 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $701,339$724,885
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $3,849,106$3,210,237
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $7,722$49,682
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,558,167$3,984,804
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 $2,223,761$1,503,937
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,126,400$1,070,599
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,350,161$2,574,536
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,208,006$1,410,268
Part VI · Governance 4 of 4 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members4
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 $3,984,804 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$724,885
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$724,885
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $3,210,237$3,210,237
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $49,682$49,682
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $3,259,919 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$3,984,804
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,574,536 across 16 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,343,939 · Management $500,208$1,844,147
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms −$221,815 · Management −$308,875−$530,690
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $40,586 · Management $10,062$50,648
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $101,093 · Management $38,739$139,832
IX-11a Management feesManagement $184,578$184,578
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $74,219$74,219
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $22,180$22,180
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $71,721 · Management $29,073$100,794
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $10,517$10,517
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $29,905 · Management $38,781$68,686
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $144,596 · Management $42,959$187,555
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $108,137$108,137
IX-17 TravelManagement $26,875$26,875
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $4,950$4,950
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $32,650 · Management $45,509$78,159
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $135,620 · Management $68,329$203,949
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,678,295 · Management $896,241 · Fundraising $0$2,574,536
Part X · Balance sheet $1,818,547 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $245,495$610,007
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $208,701$221,369
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $49,109$49,893
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $6,265$43,715
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $36,208$128,898
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $263,975$764,665
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $809,753$1,818,547
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $673,797$326,883
X-19 Deferred revenue$32,637
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $4,038,000$3,950,803
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $4,711,797$4,310,323
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$3,902,044−$2,491,776
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$3,902,044−$2,491,776
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $809,753$1,818,547
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$2,491,776 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$3,984,804
XI-2 Total expenses$2,574,536
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$1,410,268
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$3,902,044
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$2,491,776

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

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

Your org? Add context

Made it to the end? Claim this org

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the pay comparisons above.