The academic and personal growth and development of children.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
85¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$77K 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

FY2024 · 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
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $128K a year · 10% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
85%
of spending
Looks good: 85% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$77K
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
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $5K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$324K
44% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 44% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.3M
-2% vs prior year
Spent
$1.7M
To programs
85%
Net assets
$411K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.3M
FY2024▼ -2%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$742K
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$1.4M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$1.3M
FY2025$1.6M
Expenses
$1.7M
FY2024-0.1%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$850K
FY2021$800K
FY2022$1.3M
FY2023$1.7M
FY2024$1.7M
FY2025$1.9M
Net assets
$411K
FY2024▼ -21%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$25K
FY2021$390K
FY2022$696K
FY2023$520K
FY2024$411K
FY2025$786K

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending June 2024) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

990 PDF Claim
You’re viewing the FY2024 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Exemption reinstated (2018-11-15). Per the IRS revocation list. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 2020.

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

Where the money goes

85 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 85% · $1.5M Management & general 12% · $202K Fundraising 4% · $62K

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

7 people listed on the 990; $77K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
$77,233Pt VII · Sec A
Chairperson
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice-Chairpe
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Trustee
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Kristen Hess’s $70K as Founder is at the 13th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Kristen Hess$69,582$77,233$105,083$81,152$63,439$66,995

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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Nurtures children's academic and personal growth.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $1.5M · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Elementary and middle school education provided to students from preschool to grade 8 for 181 instructional days. Hess academy takes a holistic approach to student education tailoring teaching to the individual and incorporating best practices in education and child development.

$1.5Mprogram 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$5K
Grants paid · 2 grants · $477K · 2019–2023
Unitemized GrantFY2023$303,350
Unitemized GrantFY2019$173,255

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.3M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.3M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$10K
Investment incomeLn 3$510
Money outPt IX
$1.7M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.5M
Managementcol C$202K
Fundraisingcol D$62K
Owns and owesPt X
$411K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$170K
Total assetsLn 16$735K
LiabilitiesLn 26$324K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$10K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$510
Total revenueLn 12$1.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$170K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$170K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$538K
Other assetsLn 15$27K
Total assetsLn 16$735K
LiabilitiesLn 26$324K
Net assetsLn 32$411K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 519
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$268K$170K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$484K$538K
Total assetsLn 16$854K$735K
LiabilitiesLn 26$335K$324K
Net assetsLn 32$520K$411K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$303K$303K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$77K$62K$12K$4K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$914K$731K$137K$46K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$28K$23K$4K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$80K$64K$12K$4K
Legal feesLn 11b$788$788
Accounting feesLn 11c$4K$4K
Office expensesLn 13$13K$13K
OccupancyLn 16$83K$83K
TravelLn 17$152$152
InterestLn 20$17K$17K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$4K$4K
InsuranceLn 23$16K$16K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$151K$120K$32K
All other expensesLn 24e$55K$43K$6K$7K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.7M$1.5M$202K$62K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.6M$1.9M−$315K$786K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $1.3M$1.7M−$430K$411K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.3M$1.7M−$405K$520K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.4M$1.3M$136K$696K 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.2M$800K$352K$390K 990 PDF
FY2020 $742K$850K−$108K−$25K 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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,317,986 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $7,279$9,682
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,337,006$1,307,794
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $245$510
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,344,530$1,317,986
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $240,913$303,350
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,129,327$1,100,260
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $379,524$344,194
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,749,764$1,747,804
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$405,234−$429,818
Part VI · Governance 5 of 5 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members5
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 $1,317,986 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$9,682
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$9,682
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,307,794$1,307,794
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $510$510
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,308,304$1,317,986
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,747,804 across 15 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $303,350$303,350
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $61,786 · Management $11,585 · Fundraising $3,862$77,233
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $731,405 · Management $137,139 · Fundraising $45,713$914,257
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $22,681 · Management $4,253 · Fundraising $1,418$28,352
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $64,334 · Management $12,063 · Fundraising $4,021$80,418
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $788$788
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $4,095$4,095
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $13,211$13,211
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $82,623$82,623
IX-17 TravelPrograms $152$152
IX-20 InterestPrograms $16,555$16,555
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $4,073$4,073
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $15,901$15,901
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $119,673 · Management $31,791$151,464
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $42,948 · Management $5,539 · Fundraising $6,845$55,332
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,483,575 · Management $202,370 · Fundraising $61,859$1,747,804
Part X · Balance sheet $735,218 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $267,527$170,207
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $484,156$537,611
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $102,263$27,400
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $854,078$735,218
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $18,690$18,982
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $334,575$324,160
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $519,503$411,058
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $519,503$411,058
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $854,078$735,218
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $411,058 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,317,986
XI-2 Total expenses$1,747,804
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$429,818
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$519,503
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$321,373
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$411,058

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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