Milton Academy
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 042103603
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Milton, MA, USA
- Phone
- 6178981798
- Rating
- 79
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $104,334,671
- Expenses
- $107,015,077
- Assets
- $559,547,865
- Liabilities
- $79,698,907
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
35 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- CLAIRE HUGHES JOHNSON (TRUSTEE, PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- ALEXANDRA CALLEN (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $813,811 total reported compensation
- LISA WINICK (CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER): $398,050 total reported compensation
- HEIDI VANDERBILT-BROWN (CHIEF FINANCIAL & OPERATING OFFICER): $380,381 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Milton academy cultivates in its students a passion for learning and a respect for others. Embracing diversity and the pursuit of excellence, we create a community in which individuals develop competence, confidence and character. See schedule o for full description.milton academy cultivates in its students a passion for learning and a respect for others. Embracing diversity and the pursuit of excellence, we create a community in which individuals develop competence, confidence and character. Our active learning environment, in and out of the classroom, develops creative and critical thinkers, unafraid to express their ideas, prepared to seek meaningful lifetime success and to live by our motto, "dare to be true."
What it reported doing in 2024
Milton academy promotes an environment of lifelong learning to 1014 students in grades k-12. Students are encouraged to participate in community service and volunteer opportunities during the year in an effort to instill a passion for giving back to others for many years. Full and partial scholarships are awarded to students based on financial need. In 2025, milton academy awarded financial aid to 33.3% of our students.see schedule o for full description.milton academy promotes an environment of lifelong learning to 1014 students in grades k-12. Students are encouraged to participate in community service and volunteer opportunities during the year in an effort to instill a passion for giving back to others for many years. Full and partial scholarships are awarded to students based on financial need. In 2025, milton academy awarded financial aid to 33.3% of our students.the community engagement program [community engagement programs and partnerships (cepp)], seeks to instill and support a passion for service in milton academy's students, faculty and staff, through providing a multitude of opportunities from tutoring in local schools, to donating blood, to assisting the elderly. The program strives to provide the milton community with interesting and meaningful volunteer opportunities. On average over 190 students make weekly commitments to more than 21 different organizations in the greater boston area. Another 200 students participate in multi-annual events such as, special olympics tournaments, red cross blood drive and holiday giving events. The entire upper school community participates in the annual hunger awareness event and community engagement day (supporting 35 partners around greater boston). The program also supports individual and group initiatives for particular causes, such as the winter walk (supporting unhoused individuals), milton town green up day, and hurricane relief.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 80% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 75% for direct work, and 25% for grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 72
- Transparency & Controls: 80
- Accountability: 93
- Sustainability: 47
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 84.3%; rating input score 84
- Program expense ratio: 72.7%; rating input score 73
- Fundraising efficiency: $3 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Compensation committee: Pass
- 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: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 96.2%; rating input score 96; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -2.6%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.23; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 3.1%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 84.3% of revenue deployed · 72.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 25 of 26 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $77.8M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $814K · 35 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $8.8M reported
- Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
- Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 16 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
- 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 10/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 18/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.