Urban Scholar Academy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811212513
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Inglewood, CA, USA
Phone
3105283845
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Development Programs

Reported finances

Revenue
$462,565
Expenses
$463,524
Assets
$547,020
Liabilities
$127,449

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Alexis Coleman (Executive Dir.): $50,348 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Urban Scholar Academy www.urbanscholaracademy.org is a multi award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of urban k-12th grade youth through academic enrichment. Homework Club, Tutoring, Seasonal Camps & Film Academy

What it reported doing in 2024

During the 20242025 school year, the organization served 122 unduplicated students through its Homework Club, Tutoring, Film Academy, and College Readiness Academy programs. Students in the Homework Club demonstrated significant academic progress, achieving 92% growth in math and 155% growth in reading, while Tutoring participants achieved 144% growth in reading and 89% growth in math. The Film Academy engaged students in a hands-on filmmaking experience supported by 55 professional cast and crew members during production of a summer proof-of-concept film. Overall, participants experienced a 70% increase in hands-on film production experience. Additionally, 74% of participants reported that the program influenced their decision to pursue film or television studies after high school. Through the College Readiness Program, 100% of graduating seniors were accepted into college, earning admission to more than 31 institutions and securing over $100,000 in scholarships.

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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Limited
    • Other executive compensation review process: Limited
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.2%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.18; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.9%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.4% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.9% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $464K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $50K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2016 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.
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 38/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 45/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 18/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.