Summer Search EIN 68-0200138

Summer Search

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Mentors low-income students for leadership, college, and lifelong success. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $28.8M in revenue, $24.4M in expenses, and $35.6M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
1990
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Employment
Location
Oakland, CA
Website
www.summersearch.org
Filings
5 on file (2020–2024)
Revenue
$28.8MFY2024
Expenses
$24.4M
Net assets
$35.6M
People
28
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  68-0200138 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Oakland, CA Founded 1990
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/8/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Mentors low-income students for leadership, college, and lifelong success.
Leadership
Ursulina Ramirez · CEO · $334K
Money in and out
$28.8M revenue, $24.4M expenses
Bottom line
68% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$28.8M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$24.4M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$35.6M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $4.4M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.68 Management & general $0.13 Fundraising $0.19
Program efficiency
68%
of spending reaches programs▼ -0.9% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
12.2mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +28% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+15%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +518% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$28.8M
FY2024▲ +23%
Expenses
$24.4M
FY2024▲ +6%
Total assets
$39.4M
FY2024▲ +15%
Total liabilities
$3.8M
FY2024▲ +3%
Total revenue
$28.8M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$24.4M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$35.6M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$4.4M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$39.4M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B68%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 322
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 422
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $15.2M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2023.
01

Summer Placement and Mentoring

Each student receives two full scholarships to life-changing summer experiential education programs, including wilderness leadership expeditions, academic enrichment programs, community service, and internships.

$7.4Mprogram expense
02

Staff Training and Development

Summer Search conducts a strong training effort to teach the uniquely effective interview process that identifies students that have leadership potential through an original youth development model that identifies three character metrics that it hopes to cultivate in young people: resiliency, altruism, and performance.

$5.6Mprogram expense
03

Post-Secondary Program

The Organization provides students support to towards their education and long-term goals. The Post-Secondary Program supports a broad set of mid and long-term outcomes for its participants: educational attainment, career readiness, integrated identity, sense of purpose, and financial well-being.

$2.1Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CSummer Search
EINHdr · item D68-0200138
Principal addressHdr · item COakland, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.summersearch.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1990
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEmployment (J200)
Ruling yearIRS BMFJan 1990

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a22
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b22
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 (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
$333,958Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director New York
$302,012Pt VII · Sec A
Cofo and Secretary
$270,752Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director - Boston
$207,200Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Development
$204,434Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Talent
$195,641Pt VII · Sec A
$191,125Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Ursulina Ramirez’s $334K as CEO is at the 77th percentile of top reported officer pay among 415 $10–100M 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Ursulina Ramirez$333,958
Marc Spencer$327,043$282,132$294,750
Peter Retzlaff$302,012$198,259$172,734$148,426$147,625
Nick Hutchinson$270,752$216,476$199,560$188,972$187,020
Hermese Velasquez$207,200$181,909$165,386$128,422
Megan Sussman$204,434$185,310$176,209$170,600
Eunice Dunham$195,641$164,875$169,632$157,782
Malika Graham - Bailey$191,125

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$27.2M · 94%
Investment income$1.2M · 4%
Program service revenue$382K · 1%
Contributions & grants94%$27.2M
Investment income4%$1.2M
Program service revenue1%$382K
Other revenue$4K
— government grantsLn 1e$203K
Total revenueLn 12$28.8M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.68 Management & general $0.13 Fundraising $0.19
Program services68%$16.6M
Management & general13%$3.3M
Fundraising19%$4.5M
Total functional expensesLn 25$24.4M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$12.6M
Total assetsLn 16$39.4M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$3.8M
Total net assetsLn 32$35.6M
Months of cash on handcomputed6.2

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $20.6M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $24.4M · Less non-cash grants $4.2M · Cash operating expenses/yr $20.2M
12.2 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $16.6M · Total expenses $24.4M
68%
Management & General
Management & general $3.3M · Total expenses $24.4M
13%
Fundraising
Fundraising $4.5M · Total expenses $24.4M
19%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $4.3M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $25.1M
$0.17 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $27.2M · Total revenue $28.8M
94%
Government reliance
Government grants $203K · Total revenue $28.8M
0.7%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $382K · Total revenue $28.8M
1%
Investment reliance
Investment income $1.2M · Total revenue $28.8M
+4%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $382K · Total expenses $24.4M
2%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $28.8M · Prior year $23.5M
+23%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $18.4M · FY2023 $28.8M
+12%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $35.6M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $28.8M · Expenses $24.4M
+15%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $39.4M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $35.6M · Total assets $39.4M
90%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $7.9M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $63K · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $39.4M
20%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Ursulina Ramirez · Reported title CEO · Highest reported compensation $334K · Total expenses $24.4M
1%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $18.3M · Total expenses $24.4M
75%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 68%
Overhead ratio 13%
Fundraising cost ratio 17%
Revenue growth 23%
Investment management fee ratio 0.1%
Legal fee ratio 0.06%
Accounting fee ratio 0.7%

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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$19K
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 15 grants · $1.5M · 2019–2023
Unitemized GrantFY2023$161,618
Unitemized GrantFY2023$53,504
Unitemized GrantFY2022$131,720
Unitemized GrantFY2022$79,726
Unitemized GrantFY2022$38,402
Unitemized GrantFY2021$129,217
Unitemized GrantFY2021$79,330
Unitemized GrantFY2021$58,100
Unitemized GrantFY2020$205,816
Unitemized GrantFY2020$92,172
Unitemized GrantFY2020$81,406
Unitemized GrantFY2020$46,189
Unitemized GrantFY2019$246,028
Unitemized GrantFY2019$65,056
Unitemized GrantFY2019$33,972

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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
FY2024 (Latest)$28.8M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$23.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$26.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$33.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$18.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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