Elevate 215

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
273097212
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone
4847858111
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,527,958
Expenses
$6,392,565
Assets
$6,246,702
Liabilities
$724,348

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STACY E HOLLAND (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • STACY E HOLLAND (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $336,205 total reported compensation
  • Scott Gaiber (Deputy Chief - Talent Initiati): $226,789 total reported compensation
  • Letisha Laws (Deputy Chief - School Initiati): $182,699 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Elevate 215 is a catalyst for preparing students for the world of tomorrow by modernizing the learning experience in philadelphia schools today. We do this by: supporting schools and talent, collaborating with our partners, expanding access and resources for families, and advocating to create the conditions for success.

What it reported doing in 2024

School and Talent Grants Elevate 215 makes grants to school operators to support the start-up, expansion, or the capacity building of public, public charter, and catholic schools located in Philadelphia. Grant funding supports the expenses of startup, growth and/or improvement activities over the course of single or multiple years. The Organization screens prospective applications by conducting extensive due diligence on the applicants before approving grants, including examination of school models, quantitative data on academic outcomes, analysis of student attendance, attrition, graduation and matriculation data, financial analysis, review of strategic growth plans, assessment of organizational leadership capacity, interviews with school leaders, and school site visits. The Organization invests in talent development initiatives, which are focused on strengthening the recruitment, retention and skill development of school leaders and teachers. During the year ended June 30, 2025, Elevate 215 supported 22 organizations. Community Resources The Organization develops and maintains two technology-based resources to support families in learning about and selecting a school that is a good fit for their children. GreatPhillySchools.org is a web-based information resource that helps parents and guardians learn about school options in Philadelphia by sharing information on school services and performance ratings for more than 2,000 pre-kindergarten and K-12 schools; it also features advice and answers to frequently asked questions on various topics including school application processes specific by sector, scholarships, how to apply to high schools, interacting with a student's teacher, and other relevant information. Policy and Advocacy To ensure that the conditions exist in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania to support the growth and improvement of quality schools, the Organization educates and advocates for evolved education-related policies and makes grants to support such advocacy. The Organization's advocacy is always nonpartisan; it does not support or advocate on behalf of candidates for elected office or education legislation. SCHOOLS, THE ORGANIZATION EDUCATES AND ADVOCATES FOR EVOLVED EDUCATION-RELATED POLICIES AND MAKES GRANTS TO SUPPORT SUCH ADVOCACY. THE ORGANIZATION'S ADVOCACY IS ALWAYS NONPARTISAN; IT DOES NOT SUPPORT OR ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF CANDIDATES FOR ELECTED OFFICE OR EDUCATION LEGISLATION.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 42% for direct work, and 58% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 78.1%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: -41.2%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.98; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -11.6% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -9.7% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -6.7% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 78.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $336K · 21 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $243K reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 24 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 18 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 43/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.