Propel Education EIN 47-4045034 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Propel Education

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Equips educators with tools for active learning in schools and communities. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $8.5M in revenue, $12.9M in expenses, and $16.1M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
2015
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Employment
Location
Birmingham, AL
Website
edfarm.org
Filings
5 on file (2020–2025)
Revenue
$8.5MFY2025
Expenses
$12.9M
Net assets
$16.1M
People
21
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  47-4045034 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Birmingham, AL Founded 2015
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/15/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Equips educators with tools for active learning in schools and communities.
Leadership
Lisa Herring · President, Propel Center · $319K
Money in and out
$8.5M revenue, $12.9M expenses
Bottom line
80% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$8.5M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$12.9M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$16.1M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$4.4M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.80 Management & general $0.15 Fundraising $0.05
Program efficiency
80%
of spending reaches programs▼ -9% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
12.2mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -2% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-52%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -72% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$8.5M
FY2025▼ -25%
Expenses
$12.9M
FY2025▼ -13%
Total assets
$26.4M
FY2025▼ -7%
Total liabilities
$10.3M
FY2025▲ +28%
Total revenue
$8.5M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$12.9M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$16.1M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$4.4M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$26.4M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B80%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 36
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 46
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $10.0M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Propel

Propel center provides historically black colleges and universities (hbcu) with shared services to support their work of preparing leaders who improve our world. Via digital learning tools, students from hbcus will connect with the brightest minds in the world, be given global opportunities and develop into civic-minded leaders and…

$6.2Mprogram expense
02

K-12 Educational Support

Teacher fellows program: school district leaders and administrators partner with ed farm to identify educators who are passionate about innovative teaching and learning. These educators form an annual cohort known as "teacher fellowsed farm equips them with innovative resources and teaching strategies that support active learning for all…

$3.6Mprogram expense
03

Community Digital Skills Grants

Funds 'kids coding'birmingham can code' programs which encourage, inspire and ignite children and adults to discover and explore technology, learn to code and pursue stem careers. Grants serve to help ed farm achieve its goals of expanding the region's technology ecosystem.

$153Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CPropel Education
EINHdr · item D47-4045034
Principal addressHdr · item CBirmingham, AL
WebsiteHdr · item Jedfarm.org
Year of formationHdr · item L2015
State of legal domicileHdr · item MAL
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEmployment (J20)
Ruling yearIRS BMFJun 2015

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a6
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b6
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
President, Propel Center
$319,033Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Innovation & Design Offi
$202,825Pt VII · Sec A
President, Ed Farm
$193,077Pt VII · Sec A
SR. Director, Academic Partner
$180,467Pt VII · Sec A
Chief of Staff
$167,429Pt VII · Sec A
VP, Community & External Affai
$158,788Pt VII · Sec A
VP, Talent, Culture, & Operati
$133,183Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Impact & Programs Office
$129,344Pt VII · Sec A

Lisa Herring’s $319K as President, Propel Center is at the 97th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1236 $1–10M employment 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2022FY2021FY2020
Sherrie Deans$603,185
Waymond Jackson$200,000$338,568$163,200$117,194
Lisa Herring$319,033
Juanita Reynolds$294,941$107,396
Charles Gibbs$281,468
Hae-Sin Kim Thomas$246,100
Camesha Whittaker$202,825
Waymond Jackson$193,077

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$6.3M · 74%
Program service revenue$2.0M · 23%
Investment income$254K · 3%
Contributions & grants74%$6.3M
Program service revenue23%$2.0M
Investment income3%$254K
— government grantsLn 1e$4.5M
Total revenueLn 12$8.5M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.80 Management & general $0.15 Fundraising $0.05
Program services80%$10.4M
Management & general15%$2.0M
Fundraising5%$622K
Total functional expensesLn 25$12.9M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$13.1M
Total assetsLn 16$26.4M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$10.3M
Total net assetsLn 32$16.1M
Months of cash on handcomputed12.2

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $13.1M · Operating expenses/yr $12.9M
12.2 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $10.4M · Total expenses $12.9M
80%
Management & General
Management & general $2.0M · Total expenses $12.9M
15%
Fundraising
Fundraising $622K · Total expenses $12.9M
5%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $398K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $3.1M
$0.13 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $6.3M · Total revenue $8.5M
74%
Government reliance
Government grants $4.5M · Total revenue $8.5M
53%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $2.0M · Total revenue $8.5M
23%
Investment reliance
Investment income $254K · Total revenue $8.5M
+3%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $2.0M · Total expenses $12.9M
15%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $8.5M · Prior year $11.4M
-25%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $6.2M · FY2024 $8.5M
+8%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $16.1M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $8.5M · Expenses $12.9M
-52%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $26.4M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $16.1M · Total assets $26.4M
61%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $0 · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $26.4M
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Lisa Herring · Reported title President, Propel Center · Highest reported compensation $319K · Total expenses $12.9M
2%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $6.1M · Total expenses $12.9M
47%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 80%
Overhead ratio 15%
Fundraising cost ratio 10%
Revenue growth -25%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 4%
Accounting fee ratio 2%
Fundraising fee ratio 0%

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

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2022
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$65K
Grants paid · 31 grants · $6.0M · 2020–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$113,076
Unitemized GrantFY2023$406,520
Unitemized GrantFY2023$42,500
Unitemized GrantFY2022$890,000
Unitemized GrantFY2022$360,909
Harris-Stowe Foundation INCMO · FY2022$200,000
Cheyney FoundationPA · FY2022$200,000
Unitemized GrantFY2022$48,879
Unitemized GrantFY2022$35,000
Unitemized GrantFY2022$26,343
Unitemized GrantFY2022$9,500
See all 31 grants →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$8.5M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$11.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023not on file
FY2022$731K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$29.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$6.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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