Bostons Higher Ground
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO CONNECT CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES IN BOSTON'S UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO EXISTING SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES THAT CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, AVOID DUPLICATION, AND EMPOWER AND TRANSFORM LIVES FROM CRADLE TO CAREER BY ENGAGING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL.
- Income
- $1.6 million
- Spending
- $1.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 74%
- Reserves
- -1.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 82%
- Employees
- 55
- Volunteers
- 18
- Highest pay
- $168,668, executive director
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: 39 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 36% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1574% 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 68% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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 (3)
- $844,300 spent. EDUCATION, SUPPORT FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS: IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, BOSTON'S HIGHER GROUND (HIGHER GROUND) CONTINUED WITH ITS AGREEMENT WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TO COORDINATE THE 14-MEMBER SURROUND CARE COALITION AND SUPPORTED CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVED BY TWO LOCAL SCHOOLS, DAVID A. ELLIS K-5, AND HIGGINSON LEWIS INCLUSION, AND THE NEARBY CRISPUS ATTUCKS CHILDREN'S CENER (CACC). COALITION MEMBERS INCLUDED THE BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS, BOSTON PARTNERS IN EDUCATION, CATHLEEN STONE ISLAND OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOL (FORMERLY THOMPSON ISLAND OUTWARD BOUND EDUCATION CENTER), CENTER FOR TEEN EMPOWERMENT, DOCWAYNE, FAMILIES FIRST PARENTING PROGRAMS, FILM MAKERS COLLABORATIVE, JFYNETWORKS, KEYSTEPS, MASS. ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN, ONEBEAD, PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION & RESILIENCE (PEAR), UNION CAPITAL BOSTON. IN ADDITION, HIGHER GROUND PLACED SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM LOCAL UNIVERSITIES TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SURROUND CARE COALITION WORK SUPPORTED BY THE SECOND 3-YEAR $1 MILLION GRANT FROM BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. HIGHER GROUND, WITH SUPPORT OF LOCAL SCHOOL LEADERS AND SURROUND CARE COALITION PARTNERS, SECURED FUNDS FROM BPS AND BOSTON AFTER SCHOOL AND BEYOND (BASB) AND IMPLEMENTED ITS FIFTH SUMMER LEARNING ACADEMY (SLA) AGAIN IN-PERSON AND HOSTED AT THE HIGGINSON LEWIS SCHOOL SCHOOL AND CONTINUED ITS IN-PERSON AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS HOSTED AT THE DAVID A. ELLIS SCHOOL. TOGETHER THE SUMMER LEARNING ACADEMY AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM SERVE AS EXTENDED DAY AND EXTENDED YEAR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE IN MOST NEED OF SUCH SUPPORT. WE CONTINUED TO PRIORITIZE STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS OR WERE RECENTLY HOUSED.IN FY 2025, HIGHER GROUND CONTINUED ITS MENTORING PROGRAM THAT PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO IN TURN SUPPORTED YOUNGER STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN THEIR ACADEMIC ENDEAVORS.
- $352,850 spent. FAMILY-LED STABILITY INITIATIVE: IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, HIGHER GROUND CONTINUED TO PLAY A LEAD ROLE IN THE FAMILY-LED STABILITY INITIATIVE (FLSI) TO ADDRESS STUDENT HOMELESSNESS IN BOSTON SCHOOLS. HIGHER GROUND COORDINATED THE PROGRAM WITH AN AGREEMENT WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS (BPS) ON BEHALF OF FOUR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND IN COLLABORATIONS WITH THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY (BHA) AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING (MOH) SUPPORTING FAMILIES SERVED BY 16 SCHOOLS IN BOSTON'S ROXBURY, DORCHESTER AND MATTAPAN NEIGHBORHOODS. THE NONPROFIT PARTNERS IN ADDITION TO HIGHER GROUND ARE DUDLEY STREET NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE (DSNI), PROJECT HOPE, AND NEW LEASE FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES. THE 16 PARTNER SCHOOLS INCLUDE THE BOSTON DAY AND EVENING ACADEMY, DAVID A. ELLIS, DUDLEY STREET NEIGHBORHOOD CHARTER SCHOOL, DEARBORN STEM ACADEMY, ELLISON PARKS EARLY EDUCATION CENTER, HAYNES EARLY EDUCATION CENTER, HENRY L. HIGGINSON INCLUSION, HIGGINSON LEWIS INCLUSION, MADISON PARK TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, O'BRYANT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATH, ORCHARD GARDENS, RAFAEL HERNANDEZ, WILLIAM MONROE TROTTER, BOSTON INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMER ACADEMY, LILLA FREDRICK PILOT SCHOOL, AND FENWAY HIGH SCHOOL. DURING FISCAL 2025, WE CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS WITH NETWORKS OF ORGANIZATIONS IN BOSTON AND GATEWAY COMMUNITIES IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS THAT HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN LAUNCHING THEIR OWN INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS STUDENT HOMELESSNESS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
- $25,614 spent. OTHER PROGRAMS: WHILE MAINTAINING FOCUS ON ITS PRIMARY EFFORTS TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN ITS COMMUNITY, HIGHER GROUND ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES COMPLEMENTARY ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THESE INCLUDED COLLABORATING WITH NAAACP BOSTON, THE COMMONWEALTH SEMINAR, AND ADL NEW ENGLAND IN HOSTING QUARTERLY COMMUNITY CROSSOVER DIALOGUES THAT ENGAGED COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS IN A LEARNING JOURNEY ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES OF GREATER BOSTON'S DIVERSE POPULATIONS, RESPONDING TO REQUESTS FROM COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO SUPPORT THEM IN ADDRESSING CONCERNS IN THEIR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, AND PARTICIPATING IN CITYWIDE AND REGIONAL CONVENINGS ON EDUCATION, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, AND GENERAL PUBLIC POLICY DISCUSSIONS IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 2010.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.