To support Education leaders as they strive to create high-quality, equitable DC public schools.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
86¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 8 volunteers and 21 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
1 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $368K a year · 3% of revenue · last 4 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
86%
of spending
Looks good: 86% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$1.8M
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
19 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 18.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
11
named funders · $15.3M
Looks good: 11 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$622K
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
13
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 13 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$21.9M
+118% vs prior year
Spent
$10.0M
To programs
86%
Net assets
$26.3M
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$21.9M
FY2025▲ +118%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$11.8M
FY2023$5.0M
FY2024$10.1M
FY2025$21.9M
Expenses
$10.0M
FY2025▼ -21%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$12.8M
FY2023$14.8M
FY2024$12.6M
FY2025$10.0M
Net assets
$26.3M
FY2025▲ +82%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$14.3M
FY2023$17.1M
FY2024$14.4M
FY2025$26.3M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jul 2016.

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

Where the money goes

86 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 86% · $8.6M Management & general 6% · $581K Fundraising 8% · $818K

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

23 people listed on the 990; $1.8M 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
$306,001Pt VII · Sec A
Managing Partner
$248,085Pt VII · Sec A
$196,625Pt VII · Sec A
$196,442Pt VII · Sec A
$186,765Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Manager
$131,435Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Manager
$129,302Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Manager
$126,239Pt VII · Sec A

Bisi Oyedele’s $306K as CEO is at the 66th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3683 $10–100M 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2021
Maura Marino———$371,225
Bisi Oyedele$306,001$293,283—$212,800
Maura Marino CEO Until——$278,744—
Bisi Oyedele Managing Partner——$256,361—
Margie Yeager$248,085$242,500—$160,876
Fonda Sutton$196,442$206,415$185,748$180,972
Erin Sheehy$196,625$205,541$182,347$177,428
Vicki Koussoglou—$195,226$165,938$109,935

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 Education Forward DC 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

Empowering education leaders to build excellent, fair public schools.

Questions for Education Forward DC

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $8.6M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Education forward DC accelerates innovation and improvement in D.C.'S education system by supporting a portfolio of schools designed to serve at-risk and special education students well, human capital organizations to ensure that schools have great teachers and leaders, and organizations creating and sustaining the conditions under which…

$8.6Mprogram 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
See all 11 funders →
Grants paid · 171 grants · $32.1M · 2020–2024
Pave INCDC · FY2024$1,190,000
DC Charter School AllianceDC · FY2024$430,000
Education Reform Now INCNY · FY2024$350,000
DC Policy CenterDC · FY2024$350,000
Ednavigator INCIL · FY2024$325,000
The Urban InstituteDC · FY2024$200,000
Citybridge EducationDC · FY2024$200,000
Ingenuity PrepDC · FY2024$192,000
Black Swan Academy INCDC · FY2024$175,000
Schooltalk INCDC · FY2024$120,000
Teach for America INCNY · FY2024$100,000
School Leader LabDC · FY2024$100,000
See all 171 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$21.9M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$20.9M
Investment incomeLn 3$1.1M
Other incomeLn 4–11$11K
Money outPt IX
$10.0M
Ln 25
Programscol B$8.6M
Managementcol C$581K
Fundraisingcol D$818K
Owns and owesPt X
$26.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$15.5M
Total assetsLn 16$26.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$622K
PeoplePt VI, VII
23
listed · VII A
PaidVII A10
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b13
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$20.9M
Investment incomeLn 3$1.1M
Other incomeLn 4–11$11K
Gains on assetsLn 7$334K
Total revenueLn 12$21.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$873K
SavingsLn 2$14.6M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$15.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$2.6M
Other assetsLn 15$378K
Total assetsLn 16$26.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$622K
Net assetsLn 32$26.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 521
VolunteersI 68
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$4.9M$15.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$7.0M$2.6M
Total assetsLn 16$15.2M$26.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$741K$622K
Net assetsLn 32$14.4M$26.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$5.9M$5.9M
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$76K$76K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$1.5M$914K$80K$457K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.2M$887K$145K$214K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$48K$34K$5K$9K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$31K$31K
Payroll taxesLn 10$185K$124K$15K$45K
Legal feesLn 11b$30K$30K
Accounting feesLn 11c$99K$99K
Investment management feesLn 11f$273$273
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$462K$294K$149K$20K
Office expensesLn 13$24K$15K$3K$6K
Information technologyLn 14$86K$65K$4K$17K
OccupancyLn 16$145K$97K$12K$37K
TravelLn 17$13K$10K$2K$1K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$67K$56K$2K$9K
InsuranceLn 23$8K$5K$625$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$132K$126K$3K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$10.0M$8.6M$581K$818K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $21.9M$10.0M$11.9M$26.3M 990 PDF
FY2024 $10.1M$12.6M−$2.6M$14.4M 990 PDF
FY2023 $5.0M$14.8M−$9.8M$17.1M 990 PDF
FY2022 Not on file
FY2021 $11.8M$12.8M−$1.0M$14.3M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $21,929,078 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $9,314,343$20,866,941
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $744,003$1,051,573
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$10,564
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $10,058,346$21,929,078
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $8,517,857$5,982,609
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $2,891,893$2,959,740
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,205,453$1,067,832
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $12,615,203$10,010,181
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$2,556,857$11,918,897
Part VI · Governance 13 of 14 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14
VI-1b Independent voting members13
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 $21,929,078 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$20,866,941
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$20,866,941
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $717,591$717,591
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $333,982$333,982
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $10,564$10,564
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $10,564 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,051,573$21,929,078
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $10,010,181 across 18 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $5,907,109$5,907,109
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $75,500$75,500
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $914,226 · Management $79,628 · Fundraising $456,520$1,450,374
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $887,280 · Management $144,852 · Fundraising $213,500$1,245,632
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $34,218 · Management $5,126 · Fundraising $8,728$48,072
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $30,989$30,989
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $124,270 · Management $15,268 · Fundraising $45,135$184,673
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $30,273$30,273
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $99,342$99,342
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $273$273
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $293,883 · Management $148,580 · Fundraising $20,000$462,463
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $15,058 · Management $3,209 · Fundraising $5,714$23,981
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $64,767 · Management $3,960 · Fundraising $17,291$86,018
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $96,915 · Management $11,934 · Fundraising $36,545$145,394
IX-17 TravelPrograms $10,367 · Management $1,616 · Fundraising $1,308$13,291
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $56,275 · Management $1,642 · Fundraising $9,183$67,100
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,068 · Management $625 · Fundraising $1,913$7,606
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $126,267 · Management $3,224 · Fundraising $2,600$132,091
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $8,611,203 · Management $580,541 · Fundraising $818,437$10,010,181
Part X · Balance sheet $26,876,440 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $837,779$873,192
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $4,014,391$14,602,069
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $2,906,655$8,402,870
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $60,041$17,320
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $7,019,517$2,602,977
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $347,514$378,012
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $15,185,897$26,876,440
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $315,974$450,265
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $85,000$0
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $340,175$171,762
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $741,149$622,027
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,568,748$7,981,662
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $8,876,000$18,272,751
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $14,444,748$26,254,413
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $15,185,897$26,876,440
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $26,254,413 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$21,929,078
XI-2 Total expenses$10,010,181
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$11,918,897
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$14,444,748
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$309,232
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$200,000
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$26,254,413

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

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