The mission of Lead Charter is to help students ages 16-21 in grades 9-12 to master the essential skills crucial for success in post-secondary education, career and community leadership within a global society.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
67¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 5 volunteers and 37 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 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.2M a year · 15% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
67%
of spending
Fine: 67% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$587K
to officers and key staff · 7% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 7% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
11 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 10.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $22K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$772K
10% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 10% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$11.0M
+15% vs prior year
Spent
$7.9M
To programs
67%
Net assets
$6.6M
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$11.0M
FY2025▲ +15%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$5.0M
FY2022$5.9M
FY2023$6.8M
FY2024$9.5M
FY2025$11.0M
Expenses
$7.9M
FY2025▲ +3%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$5.3M
FY2022$5.5M
FY2023$6.1M
FY2024$7.7M
FY2025$7.9M
Net assets
$6.6M
FY2025▲ +85%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$551K
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$1.8M
FY2024$3.6M
FY2025$6.6M

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 Jun 2017.

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

Where the money goes

67 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 67% · $5.3M Management & general 33% · $2.6M

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

10 people listed on the 990; $587K 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
Chief Academic Officer
$129,438Pt VII · Sec A
Network Support Specialist
$122,134Pt VII · Sec A
Special Education & Financial Literacy Teacher
$117,700Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Operations
$113,782Pt VII · Sec A
Social Studies and Sped Teacher
$104,430Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Shabani Stewart’s $129K as Chief Academic Officer is at the 9th 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Shabani Stewart$129,438$121,550$112,650——
Tracey Kuhn—$125,703———
Kashon Abdul-Qadir$122,134$111,321———
Dr Jerome Patterson$117,700$104,167$110,093——
Mark Comesanas————$114,600
Zeuxi De La Cruz$113,782————
Andrew Currie$104,430————
Daniel Cruz———$101,025—

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

Empowers high school students with essential skills for post-secondary success and leadership.

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1 program · $5.3M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Lead charter schools key design elements support the unique academic and nonacademic needs of students who have disengaged from traditional schooling. Its innovative model reengages young people via active participation in rigorous and relevant content and standards-driven, competency based instruction aligned with emerging market…

$5.3Mprogram 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 · FY2019
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$22K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$11.0M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$10.9M
Other incomeLn 4–11$36K
Money outPt IX
$7.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$5.3M
Managementcol C$2.6M
Owns and owesPt X
$6.6M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$7.0M
Total assetsLn 16$7.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$772K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A5
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$10.9M
Government grantsLn 1e$10.9M
Other incomeLn 4–11$36K
Total revenueLn 12$11.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$7.0M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$7.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$64K
Other assetsLn 15$100K
Total assetsLn 16$7.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$772K
Net assetsLn 32$6.6M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 537
VolunteersI 65
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$3.2M$7.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$42K$64K
Total assetsLn 16$3.9M$7.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$332K$772K
Net assetsLn 32$3.6M$6.6M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$827K$331K$496K$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.0M$1.1M$824K$0
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$173K$69K$104K$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$904K$475K$430K$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$212K$112K$101K$0
Management feesLn 11a$1.2M$1.2M$0$0
Legal feesLn 11b$23K$0$23K$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$207K$0$207K$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$900K$540K$360K$0
OccupancyLn 16$808K$808K$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$24K$21K$3K$0
InsuranceLn 23$74K$74K$0$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$394K$306K$88K$0
All other expensesLn 24e$211K$211K$0$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$7.9M$5.3M$2.6M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $11.0M$7.9M$3.0M$6.6M 990 PDF
FY2024 $9.5M$7.7M$1.8M$3.6M 990 PDF
FY2023 $6.8M$6.1M$758K$1.8M 990 PDF
FY2022 $5.9M$5.5M$468K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $5.0M$5.3M−$244K$551K 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 $10,971,482 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $9,518,748$10,935,676
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $19,189$35,806
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $9,537,937$10,971,482
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $4,109,852$4,067,714
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $3,627,422$3,863,104
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $7,737,274$7,930,818
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,800,663$3,040,664
Part VI · Governance 5 of 5 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members5
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 $10,971,482 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$10,935,676
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$10,935,676
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $35,806 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$35,806
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $35,806 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$10,971,482
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $7,930,818 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $330,888 · Management $496,331 · Fundraising $0$827,219
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,126,725 · Management $823,768 · Fundraising $0$1,950,493
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $69,267 · Management $103,901 · Fundraising $0$173,168
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $474,555 · Management $429,784 · Fundraising $0$904,339
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $111,507 · Management $100,988 · Fundraising $0$212,495
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $1,223,100 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$1,223,100
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $0 · Management $22,593 · Fundraising $0$22,593
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $206,821 · Fundraising $0$206,821
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $539,900 · Management $359,934 · Fundraising $0$899,834
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $807,704 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$807,704
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $20,924 · Management $3,406 · Fundraising $0$24,330
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $74,033 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$74,033
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $305,820 · Management $88,111 · Fundraising $0$393,931
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $210,758 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$210,758
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $5,295,181 · Management $2,635,637 · Fundraising $0$7,930,818
Part X · Balance sheet $7,390,718 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $3,217,781$7,003,487
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $650,609$222,898
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $42,271$64,333
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$100,000
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $3,910,661$7,390,718
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $98,712$33,485
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $44,020$39,889
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $189,685$698,438
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $332,417$771,812
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $3,578,244$6,618,906
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $3,578,244$6,618,906
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $3,910,661$7,390,718
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $6,618,906 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$10,971,482
XI-2 Total expenses$7,930,818
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$3,040,664
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$3,578,244
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$2
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$6,618,906

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

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