Intrinsic Schools FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

Chicago, IL501(c)(3)Since 2012EducationEIN 45-5454261

The mission of intrinsic schools is to create a revolutionary new school model in order to 1) prepare all students for postsecondary success and world-changing endeavors; and 2) provide the education community with a roadmap to sustainable implementation.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$639K 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

FY2020 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.1M a year · 4% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$639K
to officers and key staff · 4% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 4% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
10
named funders · $14.5M
Looks good: 10 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$27.2M
65% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 65% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$18.9M
Spent
$17.9M
To programs
87%
Net assets
$14.4M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$18.9M
FY2020
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$18.9M
FY2021$21.2M
FY2022$28.4M
FY2023$32.7M
FY2024$35.2M
FY2024$42.2M
Expenses
$17.9M
FY2020
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$17.9M
FY2021$20.5M
FY2022$27.2M
FY2023$31.0M
FY2024$34.3M
FY2024$37.7M
Net assets
$14.4M
FY2020
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$14.4M
FY2021$15.0M
FY2022$16.2M
FY2023$18.0M
FY2024$18.9M
FY2024$23.4M

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending June 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Status and standing

Is it real, and can you give to it?

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Filed FY2024 (typical filing lag)
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CIntrinsic Schools
EINHdr · item D45-5454261
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFMay 2013
Year of formationHdr · item L2012
Latest filingForm 990FY2024 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CChicago, IL
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEducation (B29)
WebsiteHdr · item Jintrinsicschools.org

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.87 Management & general $0.12 Fundraising $0.01
Program services87%$15.6M
Management & general12%$2.2M
Fundraising1%$118K
Total functional expensesLn 25$17.9M

Finances

Money in and out, what it owns and owes

Spent on programs
87%
of spending reaches programs
Months of spending covered by cash
4.8mo
months of spending covered by cash and easy-to-sell investments
Surplus or deficit
+5%
as % of revenue, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2020 · Form 990
Total assets
$41.6M
FY2020
Total assets by fiscal year
FY2020$41.6M
FY2021$39.8M
FY2022$40.3M
FY2023$77.1M
FY2024$77.2M
FY2024$95.9M
Total liabilities
$27.2M
FY2020
Total liabilities by fiscal year
FY2020$27.2M
FY2021$24.8M
FY2022$24.1M
FY2023$59.1M
FY2024$58.2M
FY2024$72.5M
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$1.0M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$41.6M
Spent on programsPt IX · col B87%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 37
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 47

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$7.1M
Total assetsLn 16$41.6M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$27.2M
Total net assetsLn 32$14.4M
Months of cash on handcomputed4.8

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants100%$18.8M
Program service revenue$85K
Investment income$3K
Other revenue$1K
— government grantsLn 1e$14.9M
Total revenueLn 12$18.9M

Money in detail

Form 990 · FY2020 · each figure shown with the dollars behind it
Cash and giving out
Months of spending covered by cash
Cash and easy-to-sell investments $7.1M · Operating expenses/yr $17.9M
4.8 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $15.6M · Total expenses $17.9M
87%
Management & General
Management & general $2.2M · Total expenses $17.9M
12%
Fundraising
Fundraising $118K · Total expenses $17.9M
0.7%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense $118K · Solicited contributions $3.9M
$0.03 to raise $1
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $18.8M · Total revenue $18.9M
100%
Government reliance
Government grants $14.9M · Total revenue $18.9M
79%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $85K · Total revenue $18.9M
0.5%
Investment reliance
Investment income $3K · Total revenue $18.9M
+0.02%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $85K · Total expenses $17.9M
0.5%
Growth & trend
Revenue change from last year
This year $18.9M · Prior year —
No prior year on file
Net assets change over the year
End of year $14.4M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus or deficit, as % of revenue
Revenue $18.9M · Expenses $17.9M
+5%
Debts compared to what it owns
Total liabilities — · Total assets $41.6M
—
Net assets compared to what it owns
Net assets $14.4M · Total assets $41.6M
35%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $41.6M
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Melissa Zaikos · Reported title CEO · Highest reported compensation $159K · Total expenses $17.9M
0.9%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $9.8M · Total expenses $17.9M
55%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Spent on programs 87%——
Spent on management, % of spending 12%——
Fundraising cost, % of gifts 0.6%——
Legal fees, % of spending 0.1%——
Accounting fees, % of spending 0.8%——

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A share is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Leadership and pay

Who runs it, and what are they paid?

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
$158,560Pt VII · Sec A
$140,860Pt VII · Sec A
Dir of Personalized Learning
$120,720Pt VII · Sec A
$115,017Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Information
$104,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Melissa Megliola’s $203K as CEO is at the 38th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3683 $10–100M 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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Melissa Megliola$203,370$201,018————
Melissa Zaikos——$188,015$165,169$161,521$158,560
Tim Ligue$179,518$177,748$167,737$148,421$144,466$140,860
Barry Rodgers$172,864$167,490————
Ami Gandhi$170,778$166,075$150,334$124,792$120,255$120,720
Michelle Trojan$164,127$150,990$149,094$122,700$118,726$115,017
Daena Barrett Adams$159,746$156,065$137,513———
Luz Hernandez——$129,595$134,130——

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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Governance & Policies

Part VI
  • 7Voting board membersPt VI · Ln 1a
  • 7Independent board membersPt VI · Ln 1b
  • Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
  • Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14No
  • Top official’s pay independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Family or business ties among leadersPt VI · Ln 2No

Mission and programs

What it does.

Prepares students for success and shares a roadmap for implementing new educational models.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Intrinsic Schools claims this page.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $15.6M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2019.
01

The school is a public charter school that promises to integrate technology into teaching and learning in order to personalize the experience for each student. Each student will have an individual mobile device.

$15.6Mprogram expense

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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 · 6 grants · $2.1M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$1,069,639
Unitemized GrantFY2023$580,853
Unitemized GrantFY2022$200,839
Unitemized GrantFY2021$118,252
Unitemized GrantFY2020$68,840
Unitemized GrantFY2019$34,463

Filing history

Every return on file.

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2024 $35.2M$34.3M+8% 990 PDF
FY2023 $32.7M$31.0M+15% 990 PDF
FY2022 $28.4M$27.2M+34% 990 PDF
FY2021 $21.2M$20.5M+12% 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $18.9M$17.9M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash

Full filing: Form 990 for FY2020

Every line we hold from the return, cited to its Part and line.
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $18,890,483 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$14,907,913
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$3,893,430
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$18,801,343
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $85,049$85,049
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $2,897$2,897
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $1,194$1,194
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $85,049 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $4,091$18,890,483
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $17,852,389 across 19 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $34,463$34,463
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $133,591 · Fundraising $33,398$166,989
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $7,574,916 · Management $312,140 · Fundraising $81$7,887,137
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $794,451 · Management $5,559$800,010
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $643,793 · Management $34,013 · Fundraising $1,063$678,869
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $246,239 · Management $38,446 · Fundraising $2,146$286,831
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $19,770$19,770
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $143,743$143,743
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $642,970 · Management $523,925 · Fundraising $768$1,167,663
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $47,084 · Management $173,144$220,228
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $423,792 · Management $135,993 · Fundraising $1,307$561,092
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $202,413 · Management $14,318$216,731
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,199,891 · Management $129,415 · Fundraising $8,688$2,337,994
IX-17 TravelPrograms $27,216 · Management $2,938$30,154
IX-20 InterestPrograms $1,160,190 · Management $66,930 · Fundraising $4,793$1,231,913
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $1,023,745 · Management $59,059 · Fundraising $4,229$1,087,033
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $59,312 · Management $3,422 · Fundraising $245$62,979
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $329,094 · Management $347,914 · Fundraising $6$677,014
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $164,968 · Management $15,549 · Fundraising $61,259$241,776
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $15,574,537 · Management $2,159,869 · Fundraising $117,983$17,852,389
Part X · Balance sheet $41,630,250 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $5,502,106$7,107,956
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $8,710,898$6,281,732
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $194,077$215,421
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $17,835,729$20,657,013
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $2,595,859$7,368,128
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $34,838,669$41,630,250
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $1,118,659$4,167,047
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $20,269,990$19,970,453
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payable$300,000
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $100,843$2,812,355
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $21,496,367$27,249,855
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $4,897,302$7,842,212
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $8,445,000$6,538,183
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $13,342,302$14,380,395
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $34,838,669$41,630,250
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $14,380,395 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$18,890,483
XI-2 Total expenses$17,852,389
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$1,038,094
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$13,342,302
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$14,380,395

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2020IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

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