Elderhostel Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Elderhostel, Inc., which operates under the name Road Scholar, is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1975 for the purpose of sponsoring, arranging or conducting educational programs primarily for adults age 55 and older. Its mission is to inspire adults to learn, discover and travel. Road Scholar's learning adventures engage expert instructors, provide extraordinary access, and stimulate discourse and friendship among people who value lifelong learning. (Continued on Schedule O)
- Income
- $446.0 million
- Spending
- $401.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- 5.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 94%
- Employees
- 574
- Volunteers
- 150
- Highest pay
- $1.4 million, president & ceo
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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, over $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.2 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 52% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 16% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 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 45% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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 (9)
- $180.6 million spent. Road Scholar's unique non ship-based educational programs held outside the United States (ranging in length from one to six weeks or more) provide a stimulating academic experience introducing participants to the arts, history, literature, culture, architecture and natural environment of their locations. They are designed to further cross-cultural understanding by forging direct connections between participants and local residents, experts and lecturers. Community service and multi-generational programs are also offered. Room, board and in most cases airfare are included in the cost. In fiscal year 2025, 46,556 enrollees participated in these programs.
- $95.8 million spent. Road Scholar's unique non ship-based educational programs in the United States (ranging in length from four days to three weeks) provide a stimulating academic experience exploring the arts, literature, sciences, history, culture, and environment of the United States. Some programs provide community service and others are designed to be multi-generational, allowing grandchildren, or adult children and their children, to attend. Room and board are included in the cost. In fiscal year 2025, 42,100 enrollees participated in these programs.
- $33.4 million spent. Road Scholar's Adventures Afloat programs (ranging in length from one week to four months) are ship-based learning adventures that allow participants to experience the educational wonders of broad regions connected by the world's oceans and waterways. Experts and professors provide stimulating educational programs on board, which are enhanced by field trips to experience the culture of local communities through related land components and lectures. Multi-generational programs are offered, and room and board are included in the cost, as is airfare for most programs. In fiscal year 2025, 8,837 enrollees participated in Adventures Afloat programs.
- $312,188 spent. Road Scholar offers programs and lectures online through Zoom that match the educational content of on-site programs. The programs range from 10 to 30 hours over three to five days, while lectures, some of which are offered at no cost, run one to two hours, including opportunities to ask questions. In fiscal year 2025, 1,242 enrollees participated in multi-day online programs and 81,883 enrollees attended online paid and free lectures.
- $30.1 million spent. Nearly 17 million publications, including 15 million catalogs and brochures were produced and mailed to over 1.5 million households on Road Scholar's mailing list. Road Scholar's website, which provides program information, had 57.8 million page views from over 7.5 million unique visitors. In FY25, Road Scholar appeared on media sites and in publications and articles that receive more than 19.5 billion unique visitors monthly.
- $16.6 million spent. Over 175 workers in the United States and internationally collaborated with over 1,500 providers and vendors to develop, operate, oversee, and evaluate 4,679 departure dates of 696 unique programs, and 191 virtual programs and lectures.
- $14.3 million spent. Our 110-seat Participant Services Center handled over 285,000 inbound telephone calls and made approximately 34,000 outbound telephone calls to inquirers and enrollees that resulted in over 76,000 enrollment, cancellation, transfer and contribution transactions. They also responded to over 76,000 emails. In addition, the 56-seat Travel Services Center handled over 62,000 inbound telephone calls and made over 26,000 outbound calls to enrollees who desired assistance in making, changing or cancelling their travel flight arrangements to Road Scholar programs. This team also responded to over 6,000 emails and booked over 129,000 flight segments for enrolled participants.
- The Organization sponsors educational programs throughout the United States and nearly 100 other countries. The Organization publishes comprehensive program catalogs, provides extensive information on the Web about every program offered, and provides a registration system to match interested participants with available programs. During fiscal 2025, the Organization operated 4,679 on-site programs attended by 97,493 participants, 49 multi-day, on-line programs attended by 1,242 participants, and 142 on-line lectures attended by 81,883 participants.
- All online programs and lectures and some onsite programs are offered at tuition levels that do not generate a financial surplus after operating and overhead expenses are applied. This is done to extend the rich content of these learning experiences to large numbers of older adults, including those of modest means. These offerings attracted 21,122 program participants and 81,833 lecture attendees in fiscal year 2025 at a net cost to Road Scholar of $2.9 million. Additionally, Road Scholar endeavors to operate programs that fall short of breakeven to avoid disappointing enrolled participants. In fiscal year 2025, the organization incurred $2.4 million to operate low-enrolled programs that were attended by 10,515 participants. Road Scholar provides financial aid to caregivers and participants of modest means, and assistance to participants facing mobility, vision or hearing challenges that impede their ability to participate in a program independently. In fiscal year 2025, Road Scholar spent $300,000 to administer the financial aid program, including awarding $195,000 to 120 recipients, and paid $65,000 to accommodate participants with special needs on programs. The organization champions sustainable travel and spent nearly $265,000 in fiscal year 2025 to offset and reduce carbon emissions and reduce plastic and food waste on programs. Finally, Road Scholar works with colleges and universities to support more than 400 Lifelong Learning Institutes across the country and expended $110,000 in fiscal year 2025 toward these efforts. In all, Road Scholar underwrites expenses of nearly $6 million in service to older adults of modest means, caregivers, attendees of virtual lectures and programs, and to its older adult participants.
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1978.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.