San Diego Jewish Academy
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 953287745
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- San Diego, CA, USA
- Phone
- 8587043700
- Rating
- 86
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12
- Affiliation
- Judaism
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $25,765,048
- Expenses
- $27,635,487
- Assets
- $65,014,695
- Liabilities
- $17,880,987
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
27 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- DANIELA JINICH (President)
Highest reported compensation
- ZVI WEISS (Head of School): $617,722 total reported compensation
- CHARLES CARPOWICH (CFO/COO): $379,991 total reported compensation
- MICHAEL QUIGLEY (ADMINISTRATOR): $201,122 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
SDJA empowers each student to learn for life, guided by Jewish values and rooted in strength of community. We offer a nutritious and balanced meal program, promoting healthy eating habits and providing students with the energy they need to excel in their studies. To learn more about this program, visit our Community Dining Program page. Mental Health We understand that mental health is just as important as physical health. Our dedicated team of counselors and psychologists are available to provide support and guidance to students facing emotional challenges. They offer individual sessions, and guidance on topics such as stress management, resilience, and self-care. We also have a strong partnership with local mental health professionals who can provide additional support when needed.
What it reported doing in 2024
SAN DIEGO JEWISH ACADEMY (SDJA) SHAPES FUTURE THINKERS, CREATORS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS BY BLENDING MODERN EDUCATION WITH MEANING AND PURPOSE.For over four decades, SDJA has been a premier independent Jewish day school, educating students to reach their fullest potential. With a focus on the whole child, SDJA provides a rigorous academic environment tailored to each students learning profile. Here, students find joy in learning while thriving in a supportive social and emotional environment that prepares them for college and beyond.SDJAs deeply engaging curriculum lays a strong foundation in both core academics and Jewish literacy. The journey begins in the Early Childhood Center, where children aged 18 months to five years develop cognitively, socially, and emotionally through active learning. In the Golda Meir Lower School, students cultivate critical thinking and exploration in an environment that fosters growth and lifelong learning. As students transition into the Maimonides Upper School in sixth grade, they experience a transformational education that integrates academic excellence, character development, and Jewish teachings. This well-rounded approach ensures SDJA graduates are prepared to flourish in life, whether pursuing higher education or meaningful gap year programs, many in Israel.SDJA believes that to truly engage and educate a child, you must first understand them. Through personalized attention, students build strong relationships with their teachers, fostering a deep sense of community that enhances their education.Our graduates embody the SDJA missionempowered to learn for life, guided by Jewish values, and rooted in the strength of community.San Diego Jewish Academys vision is to develop leaders in academics, Jewish life, and the communityexcelling in technology, athletics, and the arts. We inspire students to find joy and meaning in their lifelong pursuit of learning and personal growth.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 87% 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 72% for direct work, and 28% for grants.
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: 83
- Transparency & Controls: 87
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 36
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 95.2%; rating input score 95
- Program expense ratio: 88.8%; rating input score 89
- Fundraising efficiency: $2.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Missing
- 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; 66th 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: NotApplicable
- 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: -7.3%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.35; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.28; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 6.9%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site
- Where the money goes: 95.2% of revenue deployed · 88.8% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $24.5M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $618K · 27 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $469K reported
- Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
- Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
- 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 8/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 36/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.