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Ascend Learning

Brooklyn, NY · EIN 33-1200239 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Ascend Learning reported $19.6 million in revenue and $18.1 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $83.42 went to program services, $13.83 to management and general costs and $2.75 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 86.4% of the total. Government grants made up 6.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $344,002 (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - THRU 5/2025). 37 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 6% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $18M

Program services$83.42 $15M
Management & general$13.83 $2.5M
Fundraising$2.75 $497K

For context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $20M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$5.75 $1.1M
Government grants$6.05 $1.2M
Program service revenue$86.37 $17M
Investment income$0.80 $157K
Other revenue$1.03 $203K

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 5,499 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	83.4%	84.4%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	13.8%	13.4%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	2.7%	0.8%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.22	$0.04
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	11.8%	19.1%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	6.0%	1.1%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	86.4%	69.9%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$344,002	$331,578
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	1.90%	1.28%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	37	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	10.0	13.3
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	8 of 8	100.0%

A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.

What the money paid for, in its own words

FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense

$15M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · grants $1.4M · revenue $17M

Ascend Learning, inc. Operates as a charter management organization based in new york city and provides management and development services and facility development services for ascend charter schools, an education corporation comprised of nine charter schools

Highest reported compensation

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here

Role	From this org	From related orgs	Other	Total
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - THRU 5/2025 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$334,649	$0	$9,353	$344,002
PRESIDENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$296,929	$0	$7,594	$304,523
GENERAL COUNSEL Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$229,568	$0	$55,415	$284,983
CHIEF OF SCHOOLS Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$243,786	$0	$24,612	$268,398
SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$200,469	$0	$23,781	$224,250
MANAGING DIR. OF SAFETY & FACILITIES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$177,697	$0	$27,692	$205,389
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$182,723	$0	$14,334	$197,057
MANAGING DIR. OF PEOPLE OPERATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$186,562	$0	$6,419	$192,981

37 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Ascend Learning (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.5M (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
FY2025 ⓘ	$20M	$18M	83.4%	$15M	$344,002
FY2024 ⓘ	$19M	$19M	76.1%	$14M	$332,594
FY2023 ⓘ	$29M	$24M	75.3%	$14M	$332,187
FY2022 ⓘ	$20M	$16M	77.6%	$9.7M	$224,677
FY2021 ⓘ	$20M	$16M	83.9%	$6.3M	$348,708
FY2020 ⓘ	$19M	$17M	84.3%	$2.0M	$743,850

Governance answers, as filed

FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means

Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b8 · 8 independent
Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 5122
Volunteers Part I, line 69

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

PKF O'CONNOR DAVIES LLP Auditing services	$190,294
SEYFARTH SHAW LLP Legal services	$163,821
ROCKET 55 LLC Digital marketing services	$107,067

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 4 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

5 private foundations reported grants to Ascend Learning totaling $572K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.

Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.

Correct a figure or respond

Every number above is copied from Ascend Learning's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Ascend Learning, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Ascend Learning How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Ronald C Wornick Jewish Day School
Foster City, CA · revenue $20M · programs 88.0% · FY2025
University Union Operation of California State University Sacramento
Sacramento, CA · revenue $20M · programs 76.8% · FY2025
Georgia Southern University Foundation
Statesboro, GA · revenue $20M · programs 78.3% · FY2025
Bluebird Education Network
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The Summit School
Herman, PA · revenue $20M · programs 92.4% · FY2025

All education charities · Largest charities in New York

Questions people ask

How much of Ascend Learning's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Ascend Learning reported that 83.4% of its $18.1 million in expenses went to program services, 13.8% to management and general and 2.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Ascend Learning pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Ascend Learning reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $344,002, for the role of CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - THRU 5/2025 (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Ascend Learning get its money?

Of $19.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 11.8% came from contributions and grants (including 6.0% from government grants) and 86.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Ascend Learning a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 33-1200239 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202641359349317159 · read the filing
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521359349310407 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401369349309195 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311359349320311 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202231379349300803 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202121379349305762 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 33-1200239: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.