Human Better EDU

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
863051246
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
9176708782
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$229,373
Expenses
$262,368
Assets
$64,994
Liabilities
$118,777

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

People named in this filing

  • GABRIELLA JORDAN (CHAIRPERSON)
  • RICK WAGNER (Director)
  • MONIQUE NELSON (Director)

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

We empower individuals to take charge of their futures. We equip students - and the ecosystems that support them - with the tools needed to foster personal agency, build healthy connections, and cultivate resilience.We work within and across the education ecosystem - from public and private universities to K-12 schools and districts, professional associations and community organizations - we partner with organizations that are dedicated to placing more students on a path to attain their highest aspirations.

What it reported doing in 2025

Development and ScaleIn December 2024, we hired Ethos Partners, a strategic consultant, to work with us in developing a Strategic Vision for 2030 and a Strategic Plan to get there. Throughout 2025, we worked to refine our brand narrative, gaining clarity on our foundational story (why we exist and what we do), our target audiences and customer segments (who were talking to), and key messages (what we want to say, and how we say it).January 2025 we presented a workshop at the UERU 2025 National Conference titled, Strengthening Mental Health Outcomes for All: A Review of Asset Based, Blended Coaching Programs Supporting Faculty and Student Development (Leads: Gaby Jordan, Angela Evans, Naomi Lane)March 2024 we launched our inaugural Human Better EDU Coach Training Program with a cohort of 3 coaches training to both deliver HBE programming and work in individual coaching. In April 2025 we launched our second cohort of the Human Better EDU Coach Training Program with 2 coaches training. This expanded our programming from our March 2204 inaugural cohort of 3 coaches. In April 2025 our first Coach Training Program Participant graduated, followed by our second in January 2026.We are expecting to launch a third cohort early Spring 2026, depending on participants.Colleges and UniversitiesWe continued and expanded a multi-departmental Cultural Transformation contract with Wichita State University Human Resources Department, Social Work Department, and Facilities Department. This work includes: Mastermind Meetings - monthly meetings with full team Executive Coaching for Individuals in various departments We led our fifth round of Empowering Emerging Scientists @ Stanford School of Medicine. A for-credit course. 10 weekly, virtual sessions. Supported by 2 SOM Faculty Facilitators. We provided one-on-one coaching sessions for all students, led by participants in the CTP as well as seasoned coaches. This marked the completion of our 5-year contract. We will be re-submitting Spring 2026 for a renewal. We were back at Columbia University Learning & Development department Spring 2025 leading Expanding Capacity to Enhance Creativity - a half day workshop for staff.We continued our partnership with NOVA University (CEMS), teaching Leading Your Life in Spring 2025 and again in Fall 2025. Multiple days of workshops in person for postdocs at the School of Business and Economics. In the fall of 2025, Nova made our program mandatory for the CEMS students to qualify for the Self Leadership requirement newly initiated by the CEMS network of schools.We continued with Designing Your Career in International Business @ WU (Vienna University of Business and Economics). A for-credit course offered to undergraduate students in CEMS program in Summer and Winter 2025 semesters. And are scheduled to lead Summer 2026.High SchoolsFall of 2024 we began working with Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in DC, one of the largest high schools in Maryland. Sponsored by the B-CC Educational Foundation, our Cultural Transformation work began in 2024 with Executive Coaching for the principal.In 2025 we continued with the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Executive Coaching for the principal. We also held an 8-session series Executive Leadership Program for Team Leaders.In 2025 we also began small group coaching with the Team Leadership Program for Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School educators.Middle SchoolsWe continued with Lamar Middle School PTA in Austin, Texas, who brought us in virtually to deliver a 4-part workshop series for parents, Take Charge of Your School Year. Parts 3 and 4 were delivered in the winter semester of 2025.Take Charge of Your Life (DC) - A weekly, 7-session group coaching after school program for 8th grade girls taught in person. This recurring course was offered Spring 2025. The middle school girls started together in 6th grade and are now rounding out in 8th grade with expanded curriculum and friendships (which resulted in programming over 3 yrs)Indivi

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 73% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 68
  • Sustainability: 19
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 70.8%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 10; 10th 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: 75%; rating input score 75; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: -14.4%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.25; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.83; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.3% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -24.5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81% of revenue deployed · 70.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $186K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2022 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 10/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.