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Achieving the Dream Inc

EIN 27-1635830 · Silver Spring, MD

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO LEAD AND SUPPORT A NATIONAL NETWORK OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH SHARING KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICES AND POLICIES LEADING TO IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR ALL STUDENTS.

Income
$22.7 million
Spending
$20.8 million
Spent on programs
66%
Reserves
17 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 57%
Employees
77
Volunteers
13
Highest pay
$695,836, president & 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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 17.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 12% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 34% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    66% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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

    13 of 13 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 (2)
  1. $8.7 million spent. I. NETWORK ENGAGEMENTS -SERVICESACHIEVING THE DREAM (ATD) IS A PARTNER AND CHAMPION OF MORE THAN 300 COMMUNITY COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. DRAWING ON OUR EXPERT COACHES, GROUNDBREAKING PROGRAMS, AND NATIONAL PEER NETWORK, WE PROVIDE INSTITUTIONS WITH INTEGRATED, TAILORED SUPPORT FOR EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR WORK FROM FOUNDATIONAL CAPACITIES SUCH AS LEADERSHIP AND DATA TO INTENTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING STUDENTS HOLISTICALLY, BUILDING K12 PARTNERSHIPS, AND MORE. WE CALL THIS WHOLE COLLEGE TRANSFORMATION. WE KNOW THAT WITH THE RIGHT PARTNER AND THE RIGHT APPROACH, COLLEGES CAN DRIVE ACCESS, COMPLETION RATES, AND EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES SO THAT ALL STUDENTS CAN ACCESS LIFE-CHANGING LEARNING THAT PROPELS THEM INTO COMMUNITY-CHANGING CAREERS.THROUGH APPLICATION OF ATD'S COMMUNITY VIBRANCY FRAMEWORK, ATD SUPPORTS COLLEGES IN EXPANDING ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION, CREATING GREATER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR MORE LEARNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND HELPS COMMUNITIES FLOURISH ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF MEASURES. WORK WITH COLLEGES EMPHASIZES A SET OF NEXT GENERATION METRICS PERTAINING TO ACCESS, EARLY MOMENTUM, MILESTONE MOMENTUM, MOBILITY, AND COMMUNITY VIBRANCY.A COLLEGE WILL TYPICALLY JOIN THE ATD NATIONAL NETWORK THROUGH A STRUCTURED 3-YEAR EXPERIENCE, FOUNDATIONS OF TRANSFORMATION, IN WHICH IT IS SUPPORTED BY COACHES TO EXAMINE INSTITUTIONAL DATA, ASSESS CORE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITIES AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO REDESIGN POLICIES, PRACTICES AND STRUCTURES SO THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESSIBLE AND RELEVANT ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCES. THROUGHOUT THIS THREE-YEAR FOUNDATIONS OF TRANSFORMATION EXPERIENCE AND BEYOND, ATD SUPPORTS COLLEGES IN BUILDING THEIR CAPACITY TO CONDUCT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. IN FY25, ATD BROUGHT IN 15 NEW COLLEGES INTO THE NETWORK. COLLEGES WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR FIRST THREE YEARS MOVE TO ACCELERATE THEIR TRANSFORMATION BY SELECTING MORE TAILORED SUPPORTS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS. COLLEGES CAN DELVE INTO HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORTS, K12 PARTNERSHIPS, OR TEACHING AND LEARNING SERVICES, WHICH COME WITH MORE IN-DEPTH ASSESSMENTS, COACHING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. ATD ALSO CONTINUED ITS WORK, WITH SUPPORT FROM ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP, COACHING 28 TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES. THESE INSTITUTIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN STRENGTHENING THEIR DATA CAPACITY AND USING EVIDENCE TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES. WITH CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM AN ANONYMOUS FUNDER, ATD HAS SUSTAINED AND DEEPENED ITS FOCUS ON HIGH-IMPACT PRACTICES BY CURATING HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORTS AND TEACHING & LEARNING SEMINARS TAILORED TO THE TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CONTEXT. EVIDENCE-BASED INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION REQUIRES COLLEGES TO UNDERSTAND THEIR DATA. THROUGH A BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION POSTSECONDARY DATA PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE, WE ARE SUPPORTING DOZENS OF ATD NETWORK COLLEGES' TRANSITION TO THE POST-SECONDARY DATA PARTNERSHIP, ALLOWING SCHOOLS TO CAPTURE MORE PRECISE DATA POINTS AND ACCESS DATA FROM ONE PORTAL. LEARNING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR SERVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FURTHERING THE TRANSFORMATIONAL WORK AT THE COLLEGES. THESE EVENTS INCLUDE OUR MARQUEE NETWORK-WIDE CONVENING, DREAM, WHERE MORE THAN 2300 COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERS, PRACTITIONERS, AND FUNDERS GATHERED IN PERSON IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA TO WORK TOGETHER AND LEARN BEST PRACTICES AND THE ANNUAL DATA & ANALYTICS SUMMIT, ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 400 PRACTITIONERS, FOCUSED ON IMPROVING STUDENT SUCCESS OUTCOMES BY BUILDING CAPACITY AND DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF INQUIRY ACROSS THE INSTITUTION. DREAM AND OTHER HIGHLY FOCUSED PEER-LEARNING EVENTS ALLOW ATD TO DEEPEN ITS CONNECTION TO NETWORK COLLEGES, SHOWCASE EFFECTIVE PRACTICES, AND DRAW IN NEW COLLEGES INTERESTED IN ENGAGING IN INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION.
  2. $5.1 million spent. II. NETWORK PROGRAMS OUR WORK IN THIS AREA FOCUSES ON THE IDEATION, DESIGN AND INCUBATION OF PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORTS FOR THE COLLEGES AND PARTNERS WE SERVE AS WELL AS STRENGTHENING ATD'S CAPACITY TO DO THIS WORK. ATD'S PRIORITIZING ADULT COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENROLLMENT INITIATIVE SUPPORTS 20 COMMUNITY COLLEGES ACROSS THE NATION SCALE PROMISING EFFORTS TO REENROLL ADULT LEARNERS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE LUMINA FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JFF, ATD ALSO SUPPORTED 9 COLLEGES AND 3 STATES TO GUIDE ADULT LEARNERS ON TO AND THROUGH PROGRAMS TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL MOBILITY. THE INITIATIVE, IMPROVING ECONOMIC OUTCOMES FOR ADULT LEARNERS, DEMONSTRATED THE SUCCESSFUL DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES IN ADULT-LEARNER ONBOARDING, CAREER ADVISING, ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC SUPPORTS, SCHEDULING, PROGRAM DESIGN, AND ASSESSMENT OF PRIOR LEARNING.ATD'S K12 PARTNERSHIP WORK INCLUDES CONTINUED SUPPORT OF 24 GATEWAY TO COLLEGE PROGRAMS, WHICH REENGAGE OFF TRACK AND OUT OF SCHOOL YOUTH IN COLLEGE-BASED REENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS AND WORK WITH REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO INCREASE COLLABORATION AMONG COLLEGE EDUCATORS, WORKFORCE AND K-12 PARTNERS, AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROFESSIONALS SUPPORTED BY THE MICHAEL & SUSAN DELL FOUNDATION.ACHIEVING THE DREAM (ATD) IS SERVING AS ONE OF SIX STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN THE COLLEGE IN HIGH SCHOOL ALLIANCE'S (CHSA) NEXT PHASE STATE POLICY COHORT. SUPPORTED BY GRANTS FROM ECMC FOUNDATION, STRADA EDUCATION NETWORK, AND THE JOYCE FOUNDATION, THIS INITIATIVE IS HELPING SEVEN STATES DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT POLICY PLANS THAT WILL MAKE THEM NATIONAL LEADERS IN DUAL ENROLLMENT POLICY, AS PART OF THE NEXT PHASE OF DUAL ENROLLMENT POLICY COHORT. THE SCALING SHORTENED ACADEMIC TERMS INITIATIVE REPRESENTS A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT BY ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP TO EXPAND REDESIGNING ACADEMIC TERMS THAT BETTER SERVES LOW-INCOME AND ADULT LEARNERS. ATD WILL GUIDE A COMPREHENSIVE 4-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION EFFORT THAT INCLUDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, FACULTY AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT, PEER LEARNING, AND DATA-INFORMED COACHING. ATD SUPPORTED A TENNESSEE-BASED COHORT TO INTEGRATE AI TOOLS INTO OER-ENHANCED INSTRUCTION, IMPROVING ENGAGEMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY. THROUGH A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, TARGETED SUPPORT, AND COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH, THE PROPOSED INITIATIVE AIMS TO REFINE AND EXPAND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES IN TENNESSEE AND ESTABLISH A SCALABLE MODEL FOR STATEWIDE TRANSFORMATION THROUGH OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, OPEN EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES, AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

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 March 2010.

    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.