Diploma Equity Project

Tax-deductible

Shelby Twp, MI501(c)(3)EducationEIN 86-3315625

The organization works with k-12, higher education and other community partners to design and implement programs to improve rates of college persistence and completion.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
94¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
Is it a real charity?
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
Are gifts tax-deductible?
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Is it filing on time?
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 years looks good.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Is it financially stable?
4 of 4
years in the black
Looks good: no deficit in the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
How much reaches the programs?
94%
of spending
Looks good: 94% of spending went to programs; 75% or more looks good.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Do they have reserves?
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 2.3 months of spending in cash; under 3 is worth a look.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Who is supporting them already?
1
named funder · $60K
Worth a look: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3 is worth a look.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Do they carry debt?
$46K
liabilities
Looks good: debts are 5% of assets; 50% or less looks good.
Pt X · Ln 26
Who oversees it?
8
independent of 8 voting board members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodWorth a lookConcernTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.5M
+59% vs prior year
Spent
$1.3M
To programs
94%
Net assets
$802K
By yearFY2022–FY2025
Revenue
$1.5M
FY2025▲ +59%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$972K
FY2025$1.5M
Expenses
$1.3M
FY2025▲ +60%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2022$682K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$839K
FY2025$1.3M
Net assets
$802K
FY2025▲ +32%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2022$357K
FY2023$475K
FY2024$607K
FY2025$802K

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

Give Claim

Status and standing

Is it real, and can you give to it?

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Filed FY2025 (typical filing lag)
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CDiploma Equity Project
EINHdr · item D86-3315625
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFNov 2021
Latest filingForm 990FY2025 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CShelby Twp, MI
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEducation (B90)
WebsiteHdr · item Jdiplomaequityproject.org

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.94 Management & general $0.06
Program services94%$1.3M
Management & general6%$86K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.3M

Financial health

Is it on solid ground?

Program efficiency
94%
of spending reaches programs▲ +4% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
2.3mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -73% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+13%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -7% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Total assets
$848K
FY2025▲ +40%
Total assets by fiscal year
FY2022$449K
FY2023$492K
FY2024$607K
FY2025$848K
Total liabilities
$46K
FY2025
Total liabilities by fiscal year
FY2022$92K
FY2023$18K
FY2024$0
FY2025$46K
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$195K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$848K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B94%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 38
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 48

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$262K
Total assetsLn 16$848K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$46K
Total net assetsLn 32$802K
Months of cash on handcomputed2.3

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants100%$1.5M
Total revenueLn 12$1.5M

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $262K · Operating expenses/yr $1.3M
2.3 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $1.3M · Total expenses $1.3M
94%
Management & General
Management & general $86K · Total expenses $1.3M
6%
Fundraising
Fundraising $0 · Total expenses $1.3M
0%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $0 · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $824K
Solicited contributions below reporting floor
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $1.5M · Total revenue $1.5M
100%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $1.5M
—
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $0 · Total revenue $1.5M
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $0 · Total revenue $1.5M
0%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $0 · Total expenses $1.3M
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $1.5M · Prior year $972K
+59%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $802K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $1.5M · Expenses $1.3M
+13%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $848K
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $802K · Total assets $848K
95%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $848K
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Melissa Hamann · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $0 · Total expenses $1.3M
0%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $0 · Total expenses $1.3M
0%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 94%——
Overhead ratio 6%——
Fundraising cost ratio 0%——
Revenue growth 59%——
Investment management fee ratio 0%——
Legal fee ratio 0.4%——
Accounting fee ratio 2%——

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.

Leadership and pay

Who runs it, and what are they paid?

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Doug Ross’s $90K as Treasurer is at the 25th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023
Doug Ross$90,275$129,350

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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Governance & Policies

Part VI
  • 8Voting board membersPt VI · Ln 1a
  • 8Independent board membersPt VI · Ln 1b
  • Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13No
  • Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
  • Top official’s pay independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Family or business ties among leadersPt VI · Ln 2No

Mission and programs

What it does.

Improves college persistence and completion through K-12, higher education, and community programs.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Diploma Equity Project claims this page.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $1.3M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Diploma equity project dep supported a number of initiatives aimed at increasing the college completion rates of both detroiters and michiganders in support of the states 60 higher education attainment by 2030 goal as well as closing the completion gaps for students based on race, income and geography.

$1.3Mprogram expense

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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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$60K
Grants paid · 5 grants · $786K · 2022–2024
Trio New College Network INCMA · FY2024$316,000
Oakland UniversityMI · FY2024$240,000
Oakland UniversityMI · FY2023$100,000
Oakland UniversityMI · FY2022$110,000
University Prep Science & MathFY2022$20,000

Filing history

Every return on file.

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.5M$1.3M+59% 990 PDF
FY2024 $972K$839K-23% 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.3M$1.1M+21% 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.0M$682K 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

Full filing: Form 990 for FY2025

Every line we hold from the return, cited to its Part and line.
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,345,881 across 30 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $556,000$556,000
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staff$0
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wages$0
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefits$0
IX-10 Payroll taxes$0
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $334,718 · Management $47,670$382,388
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $5,108$5,108
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $25,075$25,075
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-11g Other fees for services$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $1,937$1,937
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $1,876$1,876
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $1,645$1,645
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 Occupancy$0
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,346$1,346
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $749$749
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $4,919$4,919
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $362,080 · Management $2,738$364,818
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $20$20
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,259,812 · Management $86,069 · Fundraising $0$1,345,881

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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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
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

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