Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

The Enrollment Management Association Inc

EIN 06-6011774 · Skillman, NJ

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood75 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, INC. (EMA) PROVIDES UNPARALLELED LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE IN MEETING THE ADMISSION ASSESSMENT AND ENROLLMENT NEEDS OF SCHOOLS, STUDENTS, AND FAMILIES. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.EMA FULFILLS ITS MISSION BY ALLOCATING RESOURCES TO SERVICES WHICH SUSTAIN AND SUPPORT THESE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. FOR MEMBER SCHOOLS, EMA PROVIDES HIGH QUALITY ADMISSION AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND RESOURCES, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, INFORMATION AND RESEARCH, AND COLLEGIAL SUPPORT; REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY, AND INTERNATIONALLY. FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, EMA OFFERS EFFECTIVE TEST PREPARATION, GUIDANCE, AND TESTING AND APPLICATION RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENT PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSION PROCESS. EMA WORKS WITH BOTH SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE MATCH, BECAUSE WHEN GREAT SCHOOLS ENROLL GREAT STUDENTS, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Income
$18.4 million
Spending
$18.3 million
Spent on programs
72%
Reserves
6.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 97%
Employees
48
Volunteers
17
Highest pay
$598,942, executive director & 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: 75 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 30% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 2% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    72% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    17 of 17 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (3)
  1. $6.1 million spent. TESTING ACTIVITIES: THE WIDE VARIABILITY NATURE OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND STANDARDS THAT EXIST WITHIN SCHOOL PROGRAMS LIMITS THE OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPARE BASIC ACADEMIC ABILITY OF APPLICANTS TO OTHER SCHOOLS OR PROGRAMS. THE SSAT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A COMMON MEASURE FOR EVALUATING THE ABILITIES OF STUDENTS SEEKING ADMISSION TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, FROM WHATEVER BACKGROUND OR EXPERIENCE, AND TO ASSESS THE POSSIBLE SUCCESS OF THESE STUDENTS. DESIGNED TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO PRIVATE AND INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS FOR STUDENTS OF ALL SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, EMA PROVIDES FEE WAIVERS EACH YEAR TO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS WHOM OUR MEMBER SCHOOLS DETERMINE TO BE ELIGIBLE. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THESE FEE WAIVERS ALLOW STUDENTS TO TAKE THE SSAT, USE THE EMA PRACTICE PORTAL, AND APPLY TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF THESE FEE WAIVERS FOR JUNE 2025 WAS $ 838,694. A COMPREHENSIVE STUDENT WEB SITE ENSURES THAT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES CAN ACCESS INFORMATION ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE SSAT, INCLUDING TEST PREPARATION, TEST STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION, SCORE INTERPRETATION, AND ONLINE TEST REGISTRATION. SCHOOLS ARE PROVIDED WITH THE INFORMATION AND TRAINING THEY NEED TO PROPERLY ADMINISTER THE SSAT AND TO ASSESS STUDENT SCORES. THE CHARACTER SKILLS SNAPSHOT WAS DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE SCHOOLS WITH A RELIABLE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT CHARACTER SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR ADMISSION.
  2. $4.7 million spent. SERVICE TO MEMBERS:EMA PROVIDES AN IMPRESSIVE ARRAY OF PROFESSIONAL ENROLLMENT AND ASSESSMENT RESOURCES TO SCHOOLS. BLOGS, PODCASTS, WEBINARS, PRINT MAGAZINES/SPECIAL REPORTS, AND A LIBRARY OF PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES KEEP MEMBERS CURRENT ON THE WIDE BREADTH OF EMA SERVICES AS WELL AS INDUSTRY NEWS, TRENDS, AND PRACTICES. EMA HELPS SCHOOLS FILL LATE OPENINGS BY FACILITATING A REFERRAL NETWORK. THE EMA STANDARD APPLICATION ONLINE IS ACCEPTED BY HUNDREDS OF MEMBER SCHOOLS AND HELPS CONNECT SCHOOLS WITH POTENTIAL APPLICANTS.
  3. $2.5 million spent. ANNUAL CONFERENCE:THE EMA ANNUAL CONFERENCE DRAWS OVER 1,000 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PROFESSIONALS EACH YEAR. THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE IS FOCUSED EXCLUSIVELY ON THE INFORMATION AND RESOURCE NEEDS OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ENROLLMENT PROFESSIONALS. THE ADMISSION TRAINING INSTITUTE AND THE ADMISSION DIRECTORS INSTITUTE ARE TWO-DAY PROGRAMS DELIVERED IN ADVANCE OF THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE, PROVIDING ESSENTIAL TRAINING EACH YEAR TO APPROXIMATELY 200 PEOPLE.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1966.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.