Leading Youth Through Empowerment Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
471867733
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2015, Form 990-N 2017
Location
Wilmington, DE, USA
Phone
3027865983
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,042,139
Expenses
$1,070,938
Assets
$749,185
Liabilities
$19,437

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LISA LESSNER (PRESIDENT)
  • ZACH BEATTIE (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ANKUR ARYA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANKUR ARYA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $89,857 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Lyte prepares economically disadvantaged youth for success from classroom to career through rigorous academic instruction, personal mentoring, and career development. Our nine-year program supports students from middle school through college, helping them overcome barriers, access higher education, and enter the workforce prepared to lead fulfilling, productive lives.

What it reported doing in 2024

Lyte believes educational success and work experience drives life success, yet opportunity isn't available for lower income students. Lyte helps title i 8th graders access competitive high schools and supports them through college toward career-aligned degrees. Lyte curriculum begins in middle school with advanced after-school and summer classes, exam preparation, and guidance on high school choice and financial aid. In high school, four-years of programming pairs each scholar with an advisor, offering tutoring, rigorous coursework, goal-setting, college planning, and paid internships. In college, programming strengthens college success through advising, financial aid support, and professional development. Across all nine years, lyte's career pipeline provides hands-on experience, industry certifications, paid internship opportunities, and 529 college savings opportunities to prepare scholars for high-demand careers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

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: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.8%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 78.5%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.92 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: 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2.8%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.7; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.4%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 30.4% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 22.2% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80.8% of revenue deployed · 78.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $841K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $90K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 27 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 28/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 42/100.