New York Institute for Special Education
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN A SAFE CARING ENVIRONMENT TO AWAKEN AND INSPIRE STUDENT CURIOSITY, LIFELONG LEARNING AND FULFILLMENT.
- Income
- $70.2 million
- Spending
- $32.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 87.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 58%
- Employees
- 267
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $414,436, former pupil personnel svcs coord
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 87.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 54% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 51% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% 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 259 of 9 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 (2)
- $19.9 million spent. THE SCHERMERHORN PROGRAM OFFERS DIVERSE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE LEGALLY BLIND, FROM THE AGES OF 5 TO 21. STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED ACADEMIC PROGRAMS THAT EMPHASIZE INDEPENDENCE. MANY OF THE STUDENTS HAVE MILD SECONDARY DISABILITIES AND NEED A SPECIALIZED EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL. THE SCHOOL OFFERS EITHER A DAY PROGRAM OR A FIVE-DAY RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM. FOLLOWING A THOROUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION, A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM IN COOPERATION WITH THE STUDENT'S FAMILY, DEVELOPS A COMPREHENSIVE INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLAN (I.E.P.) TO MEET THE STUDENT'S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS. CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION FORMS THE CORE OF THE STUDENT'S PROGRAM. ALL STUDENTS RECEIVE INSTRUCTION WHICH FOLLOWS THE NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARDS LEADING TO ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS. STUDENTS MAY ALSO TAKE COLLEGE COURSES FOR CREDIT. A STUDENT'S PROGRAM MAY ALSO INCLUDE CAREER EDUCATION, TRAINING IN ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, SOCIAL SKILLS, NUTRITION, COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. A VAST ARRAY OF SPECIAL SERVICES SUPPORTS EACH STUDENT. WHEN APPROPRIATE, SPEECH THERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY, ART AND MUSIC ARE SCHEDULED. ALL STUDENTS RECEIVE A FULL PROGRAM OF ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION. COUNSELING AND GUIDANCE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. STUDENTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (I.E. STUDENT COUNCIL, TRACK, WRESTLING, CHEERLEADING, SWIMMING, BOWLING AND "GOALBALL"). AS AN EXTENSION OF OUR CAREER CURRICULUM, STUDENTS ARE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP JOB BEHAVIORS AND JOB SKILLS THROUGH PREVOCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND IN THE CAREER EXPERIENCE PROGRAM. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE WORK IN THE ON-CAMPUS COFFEE SHOP, WORK WITH THE INSTITUTE'S BUILDING AND GROUNDS STAFF, AND CHILDCARE WORK AND RECEPTION TRAINING. THE CAREER EXPERIENCE PROGRAM INCLUDES TRAINING AND JOB EXPERIENCE IN A VARIETY OF JOBS ON THE CAMPUS. ONCE THEIR EDUCATION IS COMPLETED THE STUDENTS MOVE ON TO A VARIETY OF SETTINGS. THIS INCLUDES COLLEGE, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, AND COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT. THE VAN CLEVE PROGRAM ACCEPTS CHILDREN FROM FIVE YEARS TO THIRTEEN YEARS OF AGE. CHILDREN MAY REMAIN IN THE PROGRAM UNTIL THE AGE OF FOURTEEN IF THEY NEED THE TIME TO COMPLETE THE EIGHTH GRADE. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO REMEDIATE THE BEHAVIORAL AND LEARNING DEFICITS OF STUDENTS BY PROVIDING ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL SKILLS NECESSARY TO ENTER A LESS RESTRICTIVE PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A HIGHLY STRUCTURED EDUCATIONAL DAY AND FIVE-DAY RESIDENTIAL SETTING, INCLUDING COUNSELING SERVICES FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. THE PROGRAM'S PHILOSOPHY LIES IN THE BELIEF THAT STUDENTS WANT TO PROGRESS, LEARN AND BE SUCCESSFUL. TO ASSURE THEIR SUCCESS A SUPPORTIVE, STRUCTURED SETTING IS PROVIDED IN WHICH THE STUDENTS DISCOVER THEMSELVES TO BE VALUED AND CAPABLE INDIVIDUALS. THE CLASS SIZES ARE SMALL WITH A RATIO OF ONE TEACHER AND ONE TEACHER ASSISTANT TO SIX CHILDREN MAXIMUM. A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY EVALUATION TEAM PROVIDES A COMPLETE ASSESSMENT OF THE CHILD'S FUNCTIONING LEVELS. A COMPLETE BATTERY OF EDUCATIONAL TESTS ARE ADMINISTERED TO ASSESS SKILLS AND LEVELS. A NEUROPSYCHIATRIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL HISTORY, MEDICAL AND PHYSICAL MOVEMENT EVALUATION IS COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE STUDENT'S ENTRY INTO THE PROGRAM. THESE EVALUATIONS HELP FORMULATE THE STUDENT'S INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN (I.E.P.), WITH GOALS DEVELOPED IN THE AREAS OF ACADEMICS, BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. SOCIAL WORKERS, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PEDIATRIC PSYCHIATRISTS ARE AVAILABLE TO WORK WITH THE STAFF AND FAMILIES REGARDING STUDENTS' BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS. ALL CHILDREN ARE REEVALUATED AT SPECIFIED INTERVALS TO ASSESS THEIR PROGRESS AND TO ENSURE CONTINUED APPROPRIATE PLANNING. IN ADDITION TO THE EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM, THE STUDENTS ALSO RECEIVE RELATED SERVICES, ART, MUSIC, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND COMPUTER INSTRUCTION. UPON COMPLETION OF THE VAN CLEVE PROGRAM STUDENTS ARE PLACED IN THEIR NEXT EDUCATIONAL SETTING AFTER MEETINGS HELD BY THEIR LOCAL COMMITTEE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION. STUDENTS HAVE MOVED INTO THE REGULAR PUBLIC SCHOOL SETTING, LESS RESTRICTIVE EDUCATION SETTINGS AND OTHER RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITIES.
- $7.3 million spent. THE READINESS PROGRAM IS A SPECIAL EDUCATION PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR THREE TO FIVE-YEAR OLD CHILDREN WHO ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY DELAYED. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONAL AND EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES SO THAT THESE CHILDREN CAN BE PLACED IN A MAINSTREAMED OR A LESS RESTRICTIVE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT WHEN THEY REACH THE AGE OF FIVE. THE CHILDREN IN THE PROGRAM HAVE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS IN AREAS WHICH MAY INCLUDE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, LEARNING OR EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THE CHILDREN ATTEND SCHOOL FIVE DAYS A WEEK FOR FIVE HOURS A DAY. CHILDREN ARE REFERRED TO THE PROGRAM BY THEIR PUBLIC-SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITTEE ON PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION. THE SCHOOL EVALUATES ALL REFERRALS AND RECOMMENDS APPROPRIATE SERVICES. SPEECH, PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIES ARE IN GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALLY PROVIDED AS MANDATED BY A CHILD'S INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLAN. THE TEACHING STRATEGIES CURRICULUM IS IMPLEMENTED WITH ALL CLASSES. THE CURRICULUM PROVIDES FOR CONSISTENT, DAILY ROUTINES WHICH INCLUDE ADULT-SUPPORTED PLAY, GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES, LANGUAGE BASED ACTIVITIES, SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. CHILDREN IN THE PROGRAM ARE REVIEWED AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH BY A TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS. THESE REVIEWS PROVIDE INFORMATION ON STUDENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH THE CHILD. THE BREAKTHROUGH TO LITERACY PROGRAM WORKS ON EMERGENT LITERACY SKILLS. FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH SOCIAL WORKERS ARE OFFERED TO ALL PARENTS. IN ADDITION TO THE EDUCATIONAL STAFF, A FULL ARRAY OF PROFESSIONALS, SUCH AS SOCIAL WORKERS, SPEECH, OCCUPATIONAL AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ARE AN INTRICATE PART OF THE PROGRAM. A NURSE IS AVAILABLE DAILY TO ADDRESS MINOR MEDICAL NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN AND CONCERNS OF THE STAFF AND PARENTS. SOCIAL WORKERS AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS WORK WITH THE STAFF AND FAMILIES REGARDING BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS. THE CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN SEASONAL ACTIVITIES TO HELP IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND BASIC KNOWLEDGE (I.E. WINTER OLYMPICS, BIKE-A-THON, SPRING AND FALL ACTIVITIES).
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 May 1942.
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.
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