World Learning Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 69 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
CREATING A MORE SUSTAINABLE, PEACEFUL, AND JUST WORLD THROUGH EDUCATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND EXCHANGE SINCE 1932. AS BOTH AN ACCREDITED ACADEMIC INSTITUTION AND AN INTERNATIONAL NGO, WORLD LEARNING, INC. OFFERS THE BEST OF THEORY AND PRACTICE TO INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS IN 162 COUNTRIES. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR WORK, GROUND IN OUR EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH TO LEARNING, HELPS PEOPLE BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES. BY OFFERING OPPORTUNITES FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT AND EXPERIENCE THE WORLD, AND DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS, CONFIDENCE, AND UNDERSTANDING, WE CREATE LEADERS WHO EFFECT POSITIVE CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND AROUND THE WORLD.
- Income
- $88.5 million
- Spending
- $89.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 96%
- Employees
- 496
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $427,925, president, sit (thru 12/25)
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 33 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 29% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 69 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 24 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (6)
- $52.8 million spent. GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND EXCHANGE - FOR MORE THAN 90 YEARS, WORLD LEARNING HAS ADVANCED AMERICAN LEADERSHIP AT HOME AND ABROAD BY EQUIPPING STUDENTS, PROFESSIONALS, AND INSTITUTIONS WITH THE SKILLS, NETWORKS, AND REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE NEEDED TO ADDRESS TODAY'S MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES. THROUGH DYNAMIC, EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION AND EXCHANGE PROGRAMS, WE STRENGTHEN 21ST-CENTURY COMPETENCIES, FOSTER INNOVATION, AND EXPAND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITYBUILDING MORE SECURE AND PROSPEROUS COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE.OUR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE SUPPORTING STEM CENTERS FOR YOUTH IN ALGERIA; IMPLEMENTING IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL YOUTH, PROFESSIONAL, AND ACADEMICEXCHANGES; PROVIDING TRAINING TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS; AND WORKING TO SUPPORT PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN LEBANON TO ENHANCE LITERACY AND NUMERACY SKILLS. BY CONNECTING PEOPLE THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE WHAT THE ORGANIZATION TEACHES, WORLD LEARNING HAS CREATED A VAST GLOBAL NETWORK OF STUDENTS, ALUMNI, FACULTY, STAFF AND LOCAL PARTNERS WORKING TOGETHER TO INSPIRE AND LEAD CHANGE AT THE INDIVIDUAL, COMMUNITY, AND INSTITUTIONAL LEVELS. LEARN MORE AT: WORLDLEARNING.ORG.
- $15.1 million spent. SIT STUDY ABROAD - A PIONEER IN EXPERIENTIAL, FIELD-BASED STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS, OFFERS ACCREDITED ACADEMIC SEMESTER, SUMMER AND CUSTOM-TERM PROGRAMS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN OVER 40 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE, AS WELL AS COMPARATIVE HONORS PROGRAMS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. OUR MISSION IS TO PREPARE STUDENT TO BE INTER-CULTURALLY EFFECTIVE LEADERS, PROFESSIONALS, AND CITIZENS. IN DOING SO, SIT STUDY ABROAD FOSTERS A WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO RESPONSIBLE GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP. THE SIT STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE INCLUDES RIGOROUS ACADEMIC PROGRAMS DELIVERED THROUGH A FIELD-BASED, EXPERIENTIAL APRROACH; UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH THROUGH INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECT CASE STUDIES; CULTURAL IMMERSION VIA FIELDWORK, INTENSIVE LANGUAGE CLASSES, AND URBAN AND RURAL HOMESTAYS WITH LOCAL FAMILIES. A SMALL GROUP OF STUDENTS IN EACH PROGRAMS IS SUPPORTED BY SIT FACULTY AND STAFF, HOMESTAY FAMILIES, LOCAL EXPERTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND A COMMITMENT TO RECIPROCITY AS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR EDUCATION PHILOSPHY. SIT INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECTS OFTEN LEAD TO ADVANCED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING FULBRIGHT AND WATSON FELLOWSHIPS. LEARNS MORE AT HTTPS://STUDYABROAD.SIT.EDU/ABOUT/.
- $6.1 million spent. INTERNATIONAL HONORS PROGRAMS (IHP) - IHP OFFERS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS A UNIQUE COMPARATIVE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY TO ANALYZE AND CONTRAST TODAY'S GLOBAL CONDITIONS, EVALUATE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES, AND COMPARE SOLUTIONS ACROSS COUNTRIES AND CULTURES. IHP PARTICIPANTS STUDY ISSUES RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, GLOBALIZATION, URBAN PLANNING, GOVERNANCE, FOOD SECURITY AND AGRICULTURE, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND HUMAN RIGHTS. LEARN MORE AT HTTPS://STUDYABROAD.SIT.EDU/PROGRAMS/IHP-COMPARATIVE-PROGRSM/.
- $2.7 million spent. THE EXPERIMENT IN INTERNATIONAL LIVING - THE EXPERIMENT, WORLD LEARNING'S FOUNDING PROGRAM, HAS BEEN A PIONEER OF YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAMS SINCE 1932. THROUGH ABROAD AND VIRTUAL EXCHANGES, THE EXPERIMENT EMPOWERS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO STEP OFF THE BEATEN PATH, EXPERIENCE THE WORLD AS A CLASSROOM, IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN OTHER CULTURES, AND BUILD THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NEEDED TO SOLVE THE CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW. LEARN MORE AT EXPERIMENT.ORG
- $2.3 million spent. SIT GRADUATE INSTITUTE - THE SIT GRADUATE INSTITUTE IS A GLOBAL UNIVERSITY, OFERRING GRADUATE STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS INTERNATIONALLY FOCUSED FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME HYBRID ACCREDITED MASTER'S DEGREES, AS WELL AS CERTIFICATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. PROGRAM OPTIONS ARE PROVIDED IN THE U.S. AND GLOBALLY, INCLUDING ARGENTINA, ECUADOR, ICELAND, INDIA, JORDAN, KENYA, MALAWI, MOROCCO, SERBIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, SWITZERLAND, TANZANIA, TURKEY, AND VIETNAM. THE SIT GRADUATE INSTITUTE'S MISSION IS TO PREPARE STUDENTS TO BE INTER-CULTURALLY EFFECTIVE LEADERS, PROFESSIONALS, AND CITIZENS. IN DOING SO, IT FOSTERS A WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO RESPONSIBLE GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP. PROGRAMS INCLUDE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE, TESOL, CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY AND ADVOCACY, HUMANITARIAN ASSITANCE AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, GLOBAL HEALTH, AND DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. SIT GRADUATE INSTITUTE ALUMNI AND PARTNERS ARE ENGAGED IN CREATING, LEADING, AND DEVELOPMING SOCIAL JUSTICE, EDUCATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. DEGREE CANDIDATES INCLUDE HIGH-RANKING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND LEADERS IN CIVIL SOCIETY FROM THE DEVELOPING WORLD. SIT GRADUATE INSTITUE SERVED AS A TRAINING CENTER FOR EARLY PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS AND TODAY ATTRACTS MANY RETURNED VOLUNTEERS AS STAFF AND STUDENTS. LEARN MORE AT HTTPS://GRADUATE.SIT.EDU/.
- $179,748 spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES, INCLUDING TESOL, AND AUXILLIARY STUDENT SERVICES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1957.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.