The Academy Project works to improve academic and life outsomes for foster, homeless, and at-risk youth in los angeles, ca

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
75¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 50 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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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
3 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $85K a year · 38% of revenue · last 3 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 3 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
75%
of spending
Fine: 75% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$36K
to officers and key staff · 13% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 13% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
10 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 10.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $10K
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
7
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$384K
+73% vs prior year
Spent
$284K
To programs
75%
Net assets
$244K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$384K
FY2025▲ +73%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$40K
FY2022$59K
FY2024$222K
FY2025$384K
Expenses
$284K
FY2025▲ +232%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$41K
FY2024$85K
FY2025$284K
Net assets
$244K
FY2025▲ +79%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$33K
FY2022$57K
FY2024$136K
FY2025$244K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 2015.

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

Where the money goes

75 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 75% · $211K Management & general 22% · $61K Fundraising 4% · $11K

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; $36K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Ed/President
$35,975Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Lauren Costa’s $36K as Ed/President is at the 27th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1992 $100K–1M youth development 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2022FY2021
Lauren Costa$35,975$24,709$11,046$12,000
Claire Conley———$6,800

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 Academy Project executive salaries →

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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

Improves academic and life outcomes for foster, homeless, and at-risk youth.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $211K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The co-op--a no-cost after school program for foster youth in los angeles, ca.

$150Kprogram expense
02

Camp xavier- no-cost summer day camp for foster youth in los angeles ca

$62Kprogram 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$10K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$384K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$384K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$158
Money outPt IX
$284K
Ln 25
Programscol B$211K
Managementcol C$61K
Fundraisingcol D$11K
Owns and owesPt X
$244K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$244K
Total assetsLn 16$244K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$384K
Government grantsLn 1e$367K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$158
Total revenueLn 12$384K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$244K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$244K
Total assetsLn 16$244K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$244K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 650
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$136K$244K
Total assetsLn 16$136K$244K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$136K$244K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$42K$13K$21K$8K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$41K$41K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$4K$143$3K$543
Payroll taxesLn 10$7K$4K$2K$672
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$547$6K$83
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$52K$37K$14K$1K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$533$533
Office expensesLn 13$24K$24K$746
Information technologyLn 14$3K$2K$1K
OccupancyLn 16$59K$50K$9K
TravelLn 17$16K$14K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$21K$20K$1K
InsuranceLn 23$8K$6K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$284K$211K$61K$11K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $384K$284K$101K$244K 990 PDF
FY2024 $222K$85K$136K$136K 990 PDF
FY2023 Not on file
FY2022 $59K$41K$18K$57K 990 PDF
FY2021 $40K$33K 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 $384,296 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $221,677$384,138
I-9 Program service revenue$158
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $221,677$384,296
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $26,776$93,360
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $58,687$190,241
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $85,463$283,601
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $136,214$100,695
Part VI · Governance 7 of 8 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members7
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 $384,296 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$366,667
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$17,471
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$384,138
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $158$158
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $158$384,296
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $283,601 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $12,714 · Management $20,740 · Fundraising $8,296$41,750
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $41,208$41,208
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $143 · Management $3,000 · Fundraising $543$3,686
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $4,365 · Management $1,679 · Fundraising $672$6,716
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $547 · Management $5,610 · Fundraising $83$6,240
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $36,627 · Management $13,989 · Fundraising $1,176$51,792
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $533$533
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $23,601 · Management $746$24,347
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,064 · Management $1,169$3,233
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $50,233 · Management $8,864$59,097
IX-17 TravelPrograms $13,641 · Management $2,007$15,648
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $19,642 · Management $1,494$21,136
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $6,161 · Management $2,054$8,215
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $211,479 · Management $61,352 · Fundraising $10,770$283,601
Part X · Balance sheet $244,279 assets, 6 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $136,214$244,279
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $136,214$244,279
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $136,214$244,279
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $136,214$244,279
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $136,214$244,279
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $244,279 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$384,296
XI-2 Total expenses$283,601
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$100,695
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$136,214
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$7,370
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$244,279

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

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