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University City District

EIN 23-2913784 · Philadelphia, PA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak40 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT IS A PARTNERSHIP OF WORLD-RENOWNED ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS, SMALL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS THAT CREATES OPPORTUNITY, IMPROVES ECONOMIC VITALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE UNIVERSITY CITY AREA OF WEST PHILADELPHIA. OUR PRIMARY MISSION IS COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION. WE WORK WITHIN A PLACE-BASED, DATA-DRIVEN FRAMEWORK TO INVEST IN WORLD-CLASS PUBLIC SPACES, ADDRESS CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY, BRING LIFE TO COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, CONNECT LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS TO CAREERS, AND PROMOTE JOB GROWTH AND INNOVATION.

Income
$12.0 million
Spending
$15.0 million
Spent on programs
88%
Reserves
1.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 61%
Employees
60
Volunteers
25
Highest pay
$421,081, president

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: 40 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 31% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 25% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 25% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    88% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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 42% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    23 of 23 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 (4)
  1. $4.5 million spent. CLEAN AND SAFE - UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT IS DEDICATED TO THE PHYSICAL BEAUTY AND SAFETY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. OUR PUBLIC SPACE MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEES WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TO CLEAN AND ENHANCE MORE THAN 160 COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS THROUGH STREET CLEANINGS, GRAFFITI REMOVAL, TRASH COLLECTION, AND MORE. OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS PATROL THE STREETS AND SERVE AS HIGHLY-VISIBLE DETERRENTS TO CRIME WHILE OFFERING ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN NEED, FROM RESIDENTS TO LOCAL EMPLOYEES TO THE UNHOUSED POPULATION. APPROXIMATELY 187,000 PEOPLE, 650 ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM.
  2. $3.8 million spent. THE SKILLS INITIATIVE - THE SKILLS INITIATIVE IS UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT'S NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. FOR OVER TEN YEARS, THE SKILLS INITIATIVE, FORMERLY KNOWN AS WPSI, HAS SOLIDIFIED ITS ROLE AS ONE OF THE HIGHEST-PERFORMING WORKFORCE INTERMEDIARIES IN THE COUNTRY BY BUILDING CUSTOMIZED TALENT SOLUTIONS THAT BRIDGE THE DIVIDE BETWEEN UNEMPLOYED PHILADELPHIANS SEEKING OPPORTUNITY AND EMPLOYERS SEEKING TALENT. THE SKILLS INITIATIVE RUNS YEAR-ROUND, COHORT-BASED, JOBS-DRIVEN TRAINING MODELS THAT HARNESS THE HIRING POWER OF OUR AREA'S MAJOR EMPLOYERS WHILE CULTIVATING OUR NEIGHBORS' TALENT. APPROXIMATELY 295 PEOPLE AND 80 ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN AFFILIATED WITH THE PROGRAM IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
  3. $2.2 million spent. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE CREATING ALL-SEASON TEMPORARY SPACES THAT ATTRACT VISITORS, GENERATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, AND FOSTER COMMUNITY. UCD HAS SPEARHEADED SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS IN PHILADELPHIA INCLUDING THE PORCH AT 30TH STREET STATION, TROLLEY PORTAL GARDENS, AND THE LUCY BUS SYSTEM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SEPTA. UCD ALSO PROVIDES SERVICES THAT HELP BUSINESSES LOOKING TO OPEN, EXPAND, OR RELOCATE IN UNIVERSITY CITY. APPROXIMATELY 187,000 PEOPLE, 650 ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM.
  4. $2.8 million spent. GREEN CITY WORKS - UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT RUNS A LANDSCAPING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, GREEN CITY WORKS (GCW), THAT PROVIDES HIGH-QUALITY LANDSCAPING SERVICES TO CLIENTS THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA WHILE CONNECTING LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GOOD, STABLE JOBS. UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO ADVANCING OUR SERVICES, OUR LABOR FORCE, AND OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH GREEN SPACE IMPROVEMENTS. GCW ASSISTS IN MAINTAINING SPACES IN UNIVERSITY CITY THAT ARE MANAGED BY UCD AND RUNS LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE AND DESIGN-BUILD PROGRAMS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA. APPROXIMATELY 187,000 PEOPLE AND 650 ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM.MARKETING AND EVENTS - UCD PARTNERS WITH LOCAL PERFORMERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO HELP BRING NEIGHBORS, VISITORS, AND BUSINESSES TOGETHER THROUGH A WIDE SELECTION OF EVENTS. WE BRING LIVE MUSIC, ARTS, CRAFTS, AND HOLIDAY EVENTS TO TROLLEY PORTAL GARDENS, ENTERTAIN THOUSANDS WITH OUR CURATED FILM SERIES MOVIES IN CLARK PARK, PRESENT OUR WILDLY POPULAR BALTIMORE AVENUE DOLLAR STROLL, AND DRAW DINERS INTO RESTAURANTS DURING OUR SUMMER UNIVERSITY CITY DINING DAYS PROMOTION. WE ROUTINELY PLAN SMALLER EVENTS TO BRING TOGETHER MEMBERS OF THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. APPROXIMATELY 187,000 PEOPLE AND 650 ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM.

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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since November 1997.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.