#halfthestory's mission is to empower the next generation's relationship with social media through advocacy, education, and providing access to resources for youth. We believe in digital wellbeing.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$66K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2023 · 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 $264K a year · 21% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$66K
to officers and key staff · 10% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 10% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $94K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 0.0 months of spending in cash, plus $94K in investments.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $5K
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
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$827K
+118% vs prior year
Spent
$656K
To programs
71%
Net assets
$321K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$827K
FY2023▲ +118%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$210K
FY2022$380K
FY2023$827K
FY2024$2.2M
FY2025$2.6M
Expenses
$656K
FY2023▲ +60%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$42K
FY2022$409K
FY2023$656K
FY2024$1.3M
FY2025$2.5M
Net assets
$321K
FY2023▲ +115%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$171K
FY2022$149K
FY2023$321K
FY2024$1.3M
FY2025$1.3M

From the FY2023 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 2018.

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

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $464K Management & general 18% · $121K Fundraising 11% · $72K

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

4 people listed on the 990; $66K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
CEO/Acting Secretary
$66,085Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Larissa May’s $200K as Executive Director is at the 86th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1683 $1–10M mental health 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023
Larissa May$200,000$109,092$66,085
Lauren Smits$153,700——

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

Empower youth to build healthy social media habits through education and resources.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $464K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Through our advocacy, education, and research programs we have been able to reach a wide audience with our mission of improving digital wellbeing. We have launched social media u, an educational program that has reached over 2,500 teens to empower them to develop healthy relationships with technology.

$464Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K
Grants paid · 3 grants · $250K · 2025–2025
Girls IncorporatedNY · FY2025$200,000
Georgetown UniversityDC · FY2025$40,000
Girls IncorporatedNY · FY2025$10,000

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$827K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$798K
Other incomeLn 4–11$20K
Investment incomeLn 3$9K
Money outPt IX
$656K
Ln 25
Programscol B$464K
Managementcol C$121K
Fundraisingcol D$72K
Owns and owesPt X
$321K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$746
Total assetsLn 16$321K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$798K
Investment incomeLn 3$9K
Other incomeLn 4–11$20K
Total revenueLn 12$827K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$746
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$746
InvestmentsLn 11–13$94K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$223K
Total assetsLn 16$321K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$321K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 63
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$43K$746
InvestmentsLn 11–13$111K$94K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0$223K
Total assetsLn 16$154K$321K
LiabilitiesLn 26$5K$0
Net assetsLn 32$149K$321K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$204K$177K$26K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$14K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$258K$170K$55K$33K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$754$4K
Office expensesLn 13$9K$3K$6K$65
Information technologyLn 14$34K$566$33K$962
OccupancyLn 16$3K$3K
TravelLn 17$80K$77K$3K$15
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$15K$15K
InsuranceLn 23$1K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$29K$18K$8K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$656K$464K$121K$72K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $2.6M$2.5M$80K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2024 $2.2M$1.3M$929K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $827K$656K$171K$321K 990 PDF
FY2022 $380K$409K−$29K$149K 990 PDF
FY2021 $210K$42K$168K$171K 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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $827,265 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $386,498$797,934
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,070$8,831
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$7,368$20,500
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $380,200$827,265
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $22,374$221,366
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $386,615$434,893
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $408,989$656,259
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$28,789$171,006
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $827,265 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$797,934
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$797,934
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $8,831$8,831
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $20,500$20,500
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $20,500 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $8,831$827,265
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $656,259 across 12 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $177,421 · Fundraising $26,434$203,855
IX-9 Other employee benefitsFundraising $1,800$1,800
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $13,689 · Fundraising $2,022$15,711
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $170,492 · Management $54,962 · Fundraising $32,914$258,368
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $754 · Fundraising $4,249$5,003
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,190 · Management $5,563 · Fundraising $65$8,818
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $566 · Management $32,927 · Fundraising $962$34,455
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $3,008$3,008
IX-17 TravelPrograms $77,284 · Management $2,718 · Fundraising $15$80,017
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $14,900$14,900
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $1,326$1,326
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $18,165 · Management $7,778 · Fundraising $3,055$28,998
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $463,815 · Management $120,928 · Fundraising $71,516$656,259
Part X · Balance sheet $321,320 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $43,023$746
X-4 Accounts receivable$3,634
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$223,100
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $111,426$93,840
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $154,449$321,320
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $5,000$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $149,449$321,320
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $149,449$321,320
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $154,449$321,320
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $321,320 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$827,265
XI-2 Total expenses$656,259
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$171,006
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$149,449
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$865
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$321,320

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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