Ladders for Leaders

Overview

Mission

Bridge the gap between high school students and career exploration through internships and occupational experience. We aim to ensure diverse students acquire workplace readiness skills and experience, thus becoming more competitive as they apply to colleges, scholarships, trade schools, or enter the workforce.

What it reported doing in 2025

402 participants in the Ladders for Leaders University Programs. They completed the following sessions: Mindset for Success, Workplace success, Power of Mentors 7 Networking, Money Mindset & AI in the Workplace. Emotional Intelligence at the Workplace and Enhancing Resume & Interviews.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 95% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
270547111
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2022, Form 990-N 2020
Headquarters
Round Rock, TX, USA
Phone
5128174322
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Children's, Youth Services

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 31
  • Sustainability: 22
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 87.8%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $638.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

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: 0%; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -8.1%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.14; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 30.3%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 26.1% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.9% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -7.1% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 87.8% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 12 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $224K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $84K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 annual filings from 2023 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • LaKissa Bright (CEO): $83,531 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2025.