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City Year Inc

EIN 22-2882549 · Boston, MA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair58 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SEE SCHEDULE O

Income
$173.1 million
Spending
$175.6 million
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
2 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 57%
Employees
1,061
Volunteers
9,764
Highest pay
$438,255, chief executive officer

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

Fair: 58 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 37% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 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.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    15 of 16 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. $78.3 million spent. IN-SCHOOL SERVICEIN FISCAL YEAR 2025, MORE THAN 98% OF CITY YEAR'S 2,174 FULL-TIME PARTICIPANTS SERVED ON TEAMS IN SCHOOLS. MOST OF THEIR 2,991,880 SERVICE HOURS WERE SPENT AS TUTORS, MENTORS, AND ROLE MODELS HELPING CHILDREN IN HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOLS STAY IN SCHOOL AND ON TRACK TO GRADUATE. AS NEAR-PEERS, CORPS MEMBERS ARE UNIQUELY ABLE TO HELP IMPROVE STUDENT ATTENDANCE, BEHAVIOR, AND COURSEWORK - WHICH RESEARCH CONFIRMS ARE INDICATORS OF A STUDENT'S LIKELIHOOD OF GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL. IN EACH OF CITY YEAR'S 258 PARTNER SCHOOLS, THE TEAM PROVIDES ACADEMIC SUPPORT, ATTENDANCE MONITORING AND INCENTIVES, POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT, AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING EVENTS (SUCH AS ASSEMBLIES AND CELEBRATIONS) THAT IMPROVE THE OVERALL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. THE SERVICE MODEL HELPS THE CORPS MEMBERS HAVE AN IMPACT BEYOND THE 23,468 STUDENTS REACHED DIRECTLY THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE AND SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION. CORPS MEMBERS CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT OF A SCHOOL BY IMMEDIATELY CHANGING THE RATIO OF STUDENTS TO RESPONSIBLE, CARING ADULTS. IN ADDITION TO THE IN-SCHOOL SERVICES, MORE THAN 6,637 STUDENTS WERE PROVIDED WITH AFTER-SCHOOL AND SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMS. SCHOOLS THAT PARTNER WITH CITY YEAR ARE UP TO TWO TO THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO IMPROVE IN ENGLISH AND MATH ASSESSMENTS, AND THE MORE TIME STUDENTS SPEND WITH AMERICORPS MEMBERS, WHO SERVE AS STUDENT SUCCESS COACHES, THE MORE THEY IMPROVE ON SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC SKILLS THAT HELP STUDENTS THRIVE IN SCHOOL AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
  2. $62.4 million spent. YOUTH CIVIC LEADERSHIP40,000 OF CITY YEAR'S ALUMNI CONTINUE TO SERVE AND LEAD ACROSS AN ARRAY OF PROFESSIONS, INCLUDING EDUCATION, WITH MORE THAN HALF OF ALUMS WORKING AS TEACHERS, ADMINSTRATORS, GUIDANCE COUNSELORS AND AT EDUCATION NONPROFITS, AND ARE ENGAGED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THEY SHARE THEIR PASSION FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BY LEADING STUDENTS IN ACTIVITIES THAT HELP THE PARTICIPANTS GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF CHALLENGES FACING THEIR COMMUNITIES AND HOW THEY CAN HELP ADDRESS THEM. CITY YEAR WAS FOUNDED ON THE BELIEF THAT A YEAR OF NATIONAL SERVICE COULD SERVE AS A CIVIC RITE OF PASSAGE - A UNIQUELY TRANSFORMATIONAL LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT, WHILE HELPING TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES IN NEED, COULD BEND THE TRAJECTORY OF AN IDEALISTIC YOUNG PERSON'S LIFE TOWARDS A LIFETIME OF ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP AND CIVIC LEADERSHIP.
  3. $4.4 million spent. PHYSICAL SERVICEALL CITY YEAR LOCATIONS HOST LARGE-SCALE SERVICE EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, LED BY CORPS AND STAFF. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, 9,764 CITIZENS VOLUNTEERED 25,129 HOURS IN PROJECTS INCLUDING PAINTING MURALS, REFURBISHING SCHOOLS, CREATING PLAY PLACES, PLANTING COMMUNITY GARDENS, AND REVITALIZING COMMUNITY CENTERS. A PHYSICAL SERVICE PROJECT COMPLETED BY A CITY YEAR LED TEAM CAN POWERFULLY TRANSFORM A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT OR NEIGHBORHOOD, BOTH BY VISIBLY IMPROVING THE SPACE WITH THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS, AND ALSO BY INSPIRING PARTICIPANTS TO VOLUNTEER AGAIN.

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 October 13, 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 1988.

    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 October 21, 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.