2-6 Project Limited

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
842582680
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2023, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Fayetteville, NC, USA
Phone
9109885108
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Student Services, Organizations of Students

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$221,838
Expenses
$266,170
Assets
$23,725
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • GRANT BENNETT (PRESIDENT/FOUNDER)

People named in this filing

  • GRANT BENNETT (PRESIDENT/FOUNDER)
  • MARC SOMAR (DIRECTOR)
  • KENDALL MCCLUNEY (DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Founded by grant bennett in 2020 at the height of covid-19, the two-six project was born from a deep passion for community and a bold vision for a brighter future. By connecting young entrepreneurs, creatives, and athletes with youth from marginalized backgrounds, the organization quickly became a powerful catalyst for change in bennetts hometown of fayetteville, North Carolina. Through grassroots programming, strategic partnerships, and collaborations with influential organizations like google, microsoft, dreamville, and the nba, the two-six project has evolved into a vital resource for marginalized youth across the southeast. Led by a dynamic team of young professionals, the project is empowering the next generation of leaders through innovative, community-driven initiatives.

What it reported doing in 2025

The emerging leaders program is the two six project s flagship youth development initiative designed to expose underrepresented high school students to career pathways in technology creativity and business. The program connects students with industry professionals through experiential learning opportunities including travel experiences and mentorship engagements that broaden their exposure to real-world careers they may not otherwise encounter. During the program year elp hosted more than 20 sessions giving students consistent and structured access to professional development opportunities. This work is made possible entirely through the dedication of the two six project s volunteer staff each of whom individually contributed more than 100 hours of service this year to ensure every student has access to the guidance and opportunities they deserve. The program s success is measured by the breadth of career awareness built among participants and the meaningful relationships formed between students and professionals in high-growth industries laying a foundation for future academic and professional pursuits.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 24
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 95.9%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 79.9%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -20%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.09; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 34.1% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 22.2% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -4.2% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 95.9% of revenue deployed · 79.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $102K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 12/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 6/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.