826 National Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 263217538
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Phone
- 4158642098
- Rating
- 80
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Educational Services and Schools - Other
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $2,629,119
- Expenses
- $2,675,689
- Assets
- $2,583,950
- Liabilities
- $235,045
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
23 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Laura Brief (CEO)
- Sandro Olivieri (Board President)
- Miah Daughtery (Vice President)
Highest reported compensation
- Amira Seaboch (Chief Dev. Off): $213,776 total reported compensation
- Laura Brief (CEO): $205,656 total reported compensation
- Abbey Hayward-Fogt (Chief of Staff): $151,191 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
826 is the largest youth writing network in the country. 826 National serves as the hub of the movement to amplify student voices and champions the belief that strong writing skills are essential for lifelong success. Founded in 2002, the 826 Network now serves more than 900,000 students annually ages 6-18 in under-resourced communities each year through nine chapters in twelve US cities and via 826 Digital, a free online platform serving educators through lesson plans, student writing, and resources, designed to help teach and ignite a love of writing. In addition, there are more than fifty 826-inspired organizations across the globe. Collectively, we work toward a country in which the power and the joy of writing is accessible to every student in every classroom. We believe writing is the key to cultivating a new generation of creative and diverse thinkers who will define a better, brighter, and more compassionate future.
What it reported doing in 2024
826 National provides programmatic, training, and financial support to our 9 chapters. Additionally we provide a digital learning platform to teachers and users both within and outside of our chapter communities.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 76% for direct work, and 24% for grants.
The verdict
STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 68
- Transparency & Controls: 91
- Accountability: 97
- Sustainability: 31
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 73.5%; rating input score 74
- Program expense ratio: 72.2%; rating input score 72
- Fundraising efficiency: $6.12 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
- Compensation committee: Missing
- Independent consultant: Pass
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 25th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -1.8%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.97; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 31.9%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 73.5% of revenue deployed · 72.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 18 of 19 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.9M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $214K · 23 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 14 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 9 filed related-organization links
- 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.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 22/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 36/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.