PLATO nurtures young peoples curiosity, critical thinking, and desire to explore big questions, through philosophy and ethics programs for students, educators, and families.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
76¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 108 volunteers and 3 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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
4 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $192K a year · 41% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
76%
of spending
Looks good: 76% 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 · 21% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 21% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $714K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 2.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $30K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
16
of 16 voting members
Looks good: 16 of 16 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$387K
-60% vs prior year
Spent
$359K
To programs
76%
Net assets
$782K
By yearFY2022–FY2025
Revenue
$387K
FY2025▼ -60%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2022$300K
FY2023$223K
FY2024$980K
FY2025$387K
Expenses
$359K
FY2025▲ +26%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2022$257K
FY2023$221K
FY2024$284K
FY2025$359K
Net assets
$782K
FY2025▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2022$56K
FY2023$58K
FY2024$755K
FY2025$782K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 2014.

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

Where the money goes

76 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 76% · $274K Management & general 13% · $46K Fundraising 11% · $39K

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

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

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Dir.
$75,000Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$1,500Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$500Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jana Mohr Lone’s $75K as Executive Dir. is at the 67th 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 · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022
Jana Mohr Lone$75,000$68,863$57,500$53,750
David Shapiro—$3,150$5,600$500
Ariel Sykes$1,500$2,250$1,250$1,500
Aaron Yarmel$500$1,250$750—
Stephen Miller———$500

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

Fosters curiosity and critical thinking in youth through philosophy and ethics programs.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $274K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Our program aims to bring philosophy into the lives of young people, teachers and other educators, and families and communities. In 2025, over 10,000 educators and students participated in PLATOs online and in-person events, workshops, and classes. More than 100,000 people visited our new resource-rich website.

$274Kprogram 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$30K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$387K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$260K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$91K
Investment incomeLn 3$37K
Money outPt IX
$359K
Ln 25
Programscol B$274K
Managementcol C$46K
Fundraisingcol D$39K
Owns and owesPt X
$782K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$65K
Total assetsLn 16$782K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
17
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a16
IndependentVI 1b16
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$260K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$91K
Investment incomeLn 3$37K
Gains on assetsLn 7$18K
Total revenueLn 12$387K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$65K
SavingsLn 2$284
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$65K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$714K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$782K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$782K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 6108
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$70K$65K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$710K$714K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$781K$782K
LiabilitiesLn 26$26K$0
Net assetsLn 32$755K$782K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$16K$16K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$77K$66K$8K$4K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$78K$32K$15K$31K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$13K$8K$2K$3K
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$7K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$5K
Office expensesLn 13$979$979
Information technologyLn 14$0
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$0
TravelLn 17$0
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$25K$25K
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$0
InsuranceLn 23$4K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$89K$87K$2K
All other expensesLn 24e$43K$33K$8K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$359K$274K$46K$39K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $387K$359K$28K$782K 990 PDF
FY2024 $980K$284K$696K$755K 990 PDF
FY2023 $223K$221K$2K$58K 990 PDF
FY2022 $300K$257K$43K$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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $387,299 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $898,107$259,527
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $71,983$91,211
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $9,815$36,561
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $979,905$387,299
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $13,501$16,311
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $125,238$168,550
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $145,130$174,158
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $283,869$359,019
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $696,036$28,280
Part VI · Governance 16 of 16 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body16
VI-1b Independent voting members16
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $387,299 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$259,527
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$259,527
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $91,211$91,211
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $18,237$18,237
VIII-5 Royalties$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or loss$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $18,324$18,324
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $109,535 · Excluded from tax $18,237$387,299
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $359,019 across 31 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $16,311$16,311
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $65,750 · Management $7,500 · Fundraising $3,750$77,000
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $32,002 · Management $15,100 · Fundraising $31,234$78,336
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefits$0
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,045 · Management $1,966 · Fundraising $3,203$13,214
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal fees$0
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,655$6,655
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $5,187$5,187
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $979$979
IX-14 Information technology$0
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 Occupancy$0
IX-17 Travel$0
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $25,492$25,492
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $4,100$4,100
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $87,300 · Management $1,929$89,229
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $33,442 · Management $7,781 · Fundraising $1,293$42,516
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $273,529 · Management $46,010 · Fundraising $39,480$359,019
Part X · Balance sheet $782,423 assets, 17 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $68,851$65,168
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $1,264$284
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $1,000$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$2,847
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$0
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $709,988$714,124
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assets$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $781,103$782,423
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $25,960$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $755,143$782,423
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $755,143$782,423
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $781,103$782,423
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $782,423 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$387,299
XI-2 Total expenses$359,019
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$28,280
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$755,143
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$1,000
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$782,423

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

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