Ophelia J Berry Fund Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PROVIDING COUNSELING SERVICE IN MULTIPLE STATES TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF COLOR THAT WISH TO ATTEND COLLEGE.
- Income
- $588,957
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 67%
- Reserves
- 2.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 50%
- Employees
- 23
- Volunteers
- 8
- Highest pay
- $192,857, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 101% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 138% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1567% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 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
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 July 31, 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 (1)
- $793,206 spent. PATHWAYS IS EXTREMELY PROUD THAT, CONTINUING A TREND THAT BEGAN WITH OUR FOUNDING AS AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT IN 2003, 100% OF OUR CLASS OF 2024 EARNED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AND COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE. THESE SCHOLARS BEGAN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL TENURE DURING THE HEIGHT OF A PANDEMIC THAT DEVASTATED THE VERY COMMUNITIES TARGETED BY PATHWAYS, WHERE STUDENTS OF COLOR LIVING IN POVERTY ARE CONCENTRATED. DESPITE THE ONGOING EFFECTS OF COVID, OUR SCHOLARS PERSEVERED THROUGH UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVE MILESTONES THAT HAVE ONLY BECOME MORE ESSENTIAL IN THE MODERN ECONOMY. THE BLENDED-LEARNING NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM (NSP) SUCCESSFULLY SERVED STUDENTS IN GARY, IN, NEWARK, NJ, AND PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS. GUIDED BY THE RESEARCH-BASED, DISCUSSION-BASED PATHWAYS CURRICULUM, SCHOLARS DEVELOPED THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND HABITS FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND LIFE DURING VIRTUAL SESSIONS. PATHWAYS IMMERSED NSP SCHOLARS IN HISTORY, THE ARTS, SCIENCES, AND HIGHER EDUCATION PLANNING DURING COLLEGE AND CULTURAL TRIPS IN CHICAGO, IL, JACKSON, MS, AND PHILADELPHIA, PA. PATHWAYS PROUDLY EXPANDED ITS REACH IN GARY, IN, BY LAUNCHING ITS SCHOOL- BASED SCHOLARS PROGRAM AT ASPIRE CHARTER ACADEMY, WORKING WITH THIS MIDDLE SCHOOL TO GIVE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS MORE TIME TO PRACTICE SKILLS AND IMPACT THE WIDER COMMUNITY. PATHWAYS OPERATED A FOUR-WEEK SUMMER DISCOVERY 2024 PROGRAM AT ASPIRE, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL AND PATHWAYS STAFF MEMBERS TO COORDINATE AND STRENGTHEN PLANNING AND SUPPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL-YEAR PROGRAM. SCHOLARS ENJOYED THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPED FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH FOCUSED ON ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AND EXPOSURE TO HISTORIC SITES IN CHICAGO. IN ADDITION TO THE SCHOLAR VOICES ANNUAL LITERARY MAGAZINE, WHICH FEATURES ARTWORK AND WRITING BY NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM STUDENTS AND ALUMNI FROM PRIOR YEARS, PATHWAYS DEVELOPED A SPECIAL EDITION OF SCHOLAR VOICES TO CELEBRATE ASPIRE'S SUMMER SCHOLARS AND TEACHERS. PATHWAYS IS EXTREMELY PROUD THAT, CONTINUING A TREND THAT BEGAN WITH OUR FOUNDING AS AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT IN 2003, 100% OF OUR CLASS OF 2024 EARNED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AND COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE. THESE SCHOLARS BEGAN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL TENURE DURING THE HEIGHT OF A PANDEMIC THAT DEVASTATED THE VERY COMMUNITIES TARGETED BY PATHWAYS, WHERE STUDENTS OF COLOR LIVING IN POVERTY ARE CONCENTRATED. DESPITE THE ONGOING EFFECTS OF COVID, OUR SCHOLARS PERSEVERED THROUGH UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVE MILESTONES THAT HAVE ONLY BECOME MORE ESSENTIAL IN THE MODERN ECONOMY. THE BLENDED-LEARNING NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM (NSP) SUCCESSFULLY SERVED STUDENTS IN GARY, IN, NEWARK, NJ, AND PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS. GUIDED BY THE RESEARCH-BASED, DISCUSSION-BASED PATHWAYS CURRICULUM, SCHOLARS DEVELOPED THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND HABITS FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND LIFE DURING VIRTUAL SESSIONS. PATHWAYS IMMERSED NSP SCHOLARS IN HISTORY, THE ARTS, SCIENCES, AND HIGHER EDUCATION PLANNING DURING COLLEGE AND CULTURAL TRIPS IN CHICAGO, IL, JACKSON, MS, AND PHILADELPHIA, PA. PATHWAYS PROUDLY EXPANDED ITS REACH IN GARY, IN, BY LAUNCHING ITS SCHOOL- BASED SCHOLARS PROGRAM AT ASPIRE CHARTER ACADEMY, WORKING WITH THIS MIDDLE SCHOOL TO GIVE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS MORE TIME TO PRACTICE SKILLS AND IMPACT THE WIDER COMMUNITY. PATHWAYS OPERATED A FOUR-WEEK SUMMER DISCOVERY 2024 PROGRAM AT ASPIRE, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL AND PATHWAYS STAFF MEMBERS TO COORDINATE AND STRENGTHEN PLANNING AND SUPPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL-YEAR PROGRAM. SCHOLARS ENJOYED THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPED FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH FOCUSED ON ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AND EXPOSURE TO HISTORIC SITES IN CHICAGO. IN ADDITION TO THE SCHOLAR VOICES ANNUAL LITERARY MAGAZINE, WHICH FEATURES ARTWORK AND WRITING BY NATIONAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM STUDENTS AND ALUMNI FROM PRIOR YEARS, PATHWAYS DEVELOPED A SPECIAL EDITION OF SCHOLAR VOICES TO CELEBRATE ASPIRE'S SUMMER SCHOLARS AND TEACHERS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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 October 13, 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 July 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 August 2003.
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 October 21, 2026.
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