Germantown Academy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
231352639
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Fort Washington, PA, US
Phone
215-646-3300
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$66,461,994
Expenses
$59,975,657
Assets
$198,781,957
Liabilities
$48,035,569

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

Leadership & pay

34 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHAEL H JORDAN (PRESIDENT/BOARD CHAIR)
  • JOHN M GALLOWAY (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • RICHARD SCHELLHAS (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $747,876 total reported compensation
  • BROOKE CRAWFORD RECORD (DIR. OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT): $330,592 total reported compensation
  • JEFFREY THOMPSON (DIRECTOR OF AQUATICS): $279,017 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Germantown academy inspires students to be independent in thought; confident in expression; compassionate in spirit; collaborative in action; and honorable in deed. Germantown academy is a private school educating students from pre-k through 12th grade.

What it reported doing in 2024

Germantown academy is a non-sectarian, coeducational college preparatory school educating students from pre-k to grade 12. Founded in 1759, germantown academy has over 260 years of history, tradition, and outstanding academics. Germantown academy is a place that inspires. Students develop a love of learning beginning with the first day of pre-k that continues through the final day of 12th grade and beyond. Our dedicated faculty and staff embrace students' innate curiosity and encourage them to build upon their natural strengths while challenging them to expand their knowledge through a multitude of learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom . Our mission is our promise to our students, and it becomes their foundation for life: ga inspires students to be independent in thought, confident in expression, compassionate in spirit, collaborative in action, and honorable in deed. For more than 260 years, students at germantown academy have been encouraged to follow their passions. The cumulative result is an exceptional academic, artistic, athletic, and social experience that creates successful, well-educated, ethical young people who believe they can make a difference in the world.germantown academy is a place of innovation. We are at the forefront of important initiatives such as 21st century curriculum development, language instruction, and international relationships. If a new program or idea provides an opportunity for our students, we will explore it.with talented and caring faculty, honest and curious students, and a beautiful, resource-filled campus, germantown academy is where students thrive and become their best selves. A total of 1,218 students were enrolled this fiscal year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 73% 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 79% for direct work, and 21% 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: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 67
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.1%; rating input score 69
  • Program expense ratio: 79%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.39 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th 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: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st 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; 77th 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: 9.8%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.31; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.24; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.9%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 69.1% of revenue deployed · 79% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 27 of 27 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $47.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $748K · 34 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.7M reported
  • Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 12 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: 7 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 18/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.