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.
75¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$129K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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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 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $200K a year · 17% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
75%
of spending
Fine: 75% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$129K
to officers and key staff · 11% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 11% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $60K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$18K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.3M
+21% vs prior year
Spent
$1.1M
To programs
75%
Net assets
$475K
By yearFY2022–FY2025
Revenue
$1.3M
FY2023▲ +21%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$972K
FY2025$1.5M
Expenses
$1.1M
FY2023▲ +67%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2022$682K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$839K
FY2025$1.3M
Net assets
$475K
FY2023▲ +33%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2022$357K
FY2023$475K
FY2024$607K
FY2025$802K

From the FY2023 Form 990 (year ending June 2023) · 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 Nov 2021.

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

Where the money goes

75 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 75% · $854K Management & general 25% · $285K

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

9 people listed on the 990; $129K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Treasurer
$129,350Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$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.

See Diploma Equity Project 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

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

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $854K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Diploma equity project supported two primary 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.

$854Kprogram 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
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

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.3M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.3M
Money outPt IX
$1.1M
Ln 25
Programscol B$854K
Managementcol C$285K
Owns and owesPt X
$475K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$488K
Total assetsLn 16$492K
LiabilitiesLn 26$18K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.3M
Government grantsLn 1e$967K
Total revenueLn 12$1.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$488K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$488K
Total assetsLn 16$492K
LiabilitiesLn 26$18K
Net assetsLn 32$475K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$442K$488K
Total assetsLn 16$449K$492K
LiabilitiesLn 26$92K$18K
Net assetsLn 32$357K$475K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$130K$130K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$0
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$0
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$0
Management feesLn 11a$273K$246K$27K
Legal feesLn 11b$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$23K$23K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$231K$231K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$9K$9K
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$0
TravelLn 17$6K$6K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$0
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$0
InsuranceLn 23$7K$7K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$456K$454K$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$65$65
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.1M$854K$285K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.5M$1.3M$195K$802K 990 PDF
FY2024 $972K$839K$132K$607K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $1.3M$1.1M$117K$475K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.0M$682K$356K$357K 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 $1,256,480 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,038,045$1,256,480
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,038,045$1,256,480
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$130,000
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$0
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $682,177$1,009,001
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $682,177$1,139,001
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $355,868$117,479
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,256,480 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$967,480
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$289,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,256,480
VIII-12 Total revenue$1,256,480
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,139,001 across 30 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $130,000$130,000
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 $245,999 · Management $27,485$273,484
IX-11b Legal fees$0
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $22,942$22,942
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $231,432$231,432
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $2,434$2,434
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $9,361$9,361
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 Occupancy$0
IX-17 TravelPrograms $6,468$6,468
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetings$0
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $7,140$7,140
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $454,475 · Management $1,200$455,675
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $65$65
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $853,508 · Management $285,493 · Fundraising $0$1,139,001
Part X · Balance sheet $492,491 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $442,437$488,034
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $6,862$4,457
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $449,299$492,491
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $91,991$17,704
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $91,991$17,704
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $8,302$27,348
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $349,006$447,439
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $357,308$474,787
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $449,299$492,491
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $474,787 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,256,480
XI-2 Total expenses$1,139,001
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$117,479
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$357,308
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$474,787

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

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