Palo Alto Partners in Education

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770186364
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Palo Alto, CA, USA
Phone
6503293990
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,426,713
Expenses
$5,429,679
Assets
$364,173
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

45 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JENNIFER LEE (PRESIDENT 7/1/24-3/31/25)
  • KAITLYN LIAO (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT / PRESIDENT)
  • ANDREA LEVESQUE (DIRECTOR OF DEV. / EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LINDA LYON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 7/1/24-6/30/25)
  • ERIKA BUCK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 5/30/25- 6/30/25)

Highest reported compensation

  • LINDA LYON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 7/1/24-6/30/25): $178,567 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Palo alto partners in education (pie) raises money from parents and the community to provide all palo alto unified school district students an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. Pie's volunteers, in partnership with parents, schools, and the community, will ensure every student in the palo alto unified school district experiences an enriched and fulfilling education.

What it reported doing in 2024

Palo alto partners in education (pie) remains the only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to raising money for all palo alto unified school district (pausd) schools, and the only one whose contributions can pay for additional and much needed pausd teachers and staff. Due in large part to dedicated volunteers, pie's operating expenses continue to be extremely low, allowing more than 92% of donations to go directly to the schools. In elementary schools, pie funds: classroom support: aides, assistants, reading and math specialists and teacher coaches who support and enrich all students learning. Science enrichment: programs and specialists who help science come alive for students through hands-on units. Arts instruction: trained staff who teach spectra art and comparable creative arts. In middle schools, pie funds: academic enrichment: additional courses and classroom support in video production, creative writing, music and biotechnology. Student support: programs which address 6th and 8th grade transitions; academic guidance and support; and character development. Instructional technology: mentors who assist teachers in applying technology to curriculum that enhances student learning. In high school, pie funds: college and career counseling: staffing to support advising and resource programs which help all students plan wisely for the future. Career/technology education: additional courses in engineering, media technology and performing arts. Instructional technology: mentors who assist teachers in applying technology to curriculum that enhances student learning.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 98% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.1%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 92.9%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $23.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.1%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.07; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.3%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.8% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.2% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -4.6% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93.1% of revenue deployed · 92.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 30 of 30 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $179K · 45 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.
  • 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 33/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 2/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.