Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America - Leda
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
LEADERSHIP ENTERPRISE FOR A DIVERSE AMERICA (LEDA) EMPOWERS A COMMUNITY OF EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG LEADERS FROM UNDER-RESOURCED BACKGROUNDS BY SUPPORTING THEIR HIGHER EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS IN ORDER TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE COUNTRY.
- Income
- $3.9 million
- Spending
- $2.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- 4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 70
- Volunteers
- 35
- Highest pay
- $205,032, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 25% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2522 of 22 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 August 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 (2)
- $1.7 million spent. LEDA SCHOLARS PROGRAMSUMMER INSTITUTE:IN FY2025, THE LEDA SUMMER INSTITUTE CONTINUED TO BUILD ON THE EXPANSION ESTABLISHED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR BY HOSTED SCHOLARS ON TWO CAMPUSES. FOR FY2025, SCHOLARS SPENT THREE WEEKS IN RESIDENCE AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY AND TWO WEEKS IN RESIDENCE AT YALE UNIVERSITY. LEDA WORKED IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH BOTH PRINCETON AND YALE STAFF TO ENSURE THAT OUR SCHOLARS WOULD BE ABLE TO TRANSITION CAMPUSES WITH THE LEAST DISRUPTION POSSIBLE, AND FEEDBACK FROM PRIOR COHORTS INDICATED THAT BOTH THE TRANSITION AND THEOPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE TWO CAMPUSES WERE AN OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. LEDA STAFF ALSO ADAPTED THE FIVE-WEEK SUMMER INSTITUTE CURRICULUM TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHANGE IN VENUE FOR THE FINAL TWO WEEKS OF THE PROGRAM.ONE OF THE PRIMARY ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR THE ASPECTS OF LEADERSHIP SUMMER INSTITUTE IS A SURVEY CONDUCTED AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM. THE SURVEY ADMINISTERED DURING THE GRANT PERIOD SHOWS IMPROVEMENT ACROSS NEARLY ALL CATEGORIES; IN THE CONTEXT OF A REDUCTION IN PROGRAM TIME DUE TO THE CAMPUS TRANSITION, THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT CURRICULUM UPDATES HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE. THE SURVEY INDICATED THAT 100% OF SCHOLARS ARE CONFIDENTTHAT LEDA'S PROGRAMMING WILL HELP THEM HAVE A GREATER POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR COMMUNITIES. 99% ALSO CONFIRMED THAT LEDA CLASSES IMPROVED THEIR WRITING SKILLS, AND 90% FURTHER AGREED THAT LEDA HELPED THEM BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS AT SELECTIVE COLLEGES. 100% STATED THAT LEDA'S COLLEGE GUIDANCE SERVICES HAD EXPANDED THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE INSTITUTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM. ADDITIONALLY, 99% OF SCHOLARS WOULD RECOMMEND LEDA TO OTHER STUDENTS, AND 100% OF SCHOLARS FELT FULLY HEARD AND SUPPORTED BY LEDA STAFF THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.RECRUITMENT & ADMISSIONS:OUR RECRUITMENT & ADMISSIONS TEAM LAUNCHED THE 2024-2025 LEDA APPLICATION INSEPTEMBER 2024 AND BUILT ON THE ROBUST VIRTUAL OUTREACH NETWORK IT HAD PUT INTO PLACE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. ULTIMATELY, THIS LED TO 1,361 COMPLETE APPLICATIONS BY THE END OF THE RECRUITMENT PHASE IN MID-DECEMBER.COHORT 21 SCHOLARS COME FROM 36 U.S. STATES AND TERRITORIES. 80% OF THEM WILL BE FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS. 60% IDENTIFY AS FEMALE AND 40% AS MALE. COHORT 21'S HOUSEHOLDS HAVE AN AVERAGE INCOME OF $$39,575.43, AND SPEAK A TOTAL OF 29 DISTINCT LANGUAGES. 10% OF COHORT 21 APPLICANTS COME FROM RURAL COMMUNITIES.COLLEGE GUIDANCE:IN THE FALL OF 2024, THE COLLEGE GUIDANCE TEAM BEGAN SUPPORTING SCHOLARS DURING THE MOST ACTIVE PHASE OF THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS, BUILDING ON THE SKILLS AND CONTENT KNOWLEDGE THAT LEDA COHORT 20 DEVELOPED DURING THE 2024 ASPECTS OF LEADERSHIP SUMMER INSTITUTE. SCHOLARS SUBMITTED 177 EARLY DECISION OR EARLY ACTION APPLICATIONS. SOME OF THE MOST HIGHLY REPRESENTED COLLEGES INCLUDE YALE (15 EARLY APPLICANTS), USC (13 EARLY APPLICANTS) AND STANFORD (10 APPLICANTS). ULTIMATELY, 61% OF COHORT 20 WAS ADMITTED TO AT LEAST ONE IVY-+ UNIVERSITY. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 5% OVER OUR RATES FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. 87% WERE ADMITTED TO AT LEAST ONE TOP 60 UNIVERSITY. ADDITIONALLY, OUR YALE PARTNERSHIP HAS HAD AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT: AMONG COHORT 20 SCHOLARS, WE HAD 61 LEDA SCHOLARS APPLY TO YALE (NEARLY TWICE AS MANY AS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR), AND WE HAD 37 SCHOLARS ACCEPTED. THIS REPRESENTS A 61% ADMIT RATE. 27 LEDA SCHOLARS FROM COHORT 20 ULTIMATELY MATRICULATED AT YALE.AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE COLLEGE GUIDANCE TEAM TO EVALUATE THEIR ACADEMIC AND FINANCIAL AID OPTIONS, 100% OF COHORT 20 MATRICULATED AT A COLLEGE THAT THEY DETERMINED WOULD BEST FIT THEIR NEEDS.COLLEGE SUCCESS:DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD, LEDA'S COLLEGE SUCCESS STAFF CONDUCTED REGULAR CHECK-INS WITH UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARS, COMPLETING 434 MEETINGS DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR. 87% OF NEW FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS OPTED INTO THE LEDA PEER MENTOR PROGRAM FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. THESE STUDENTS WERE PAIRED WITH OLDER LEDA STUDENTS, WITH AN EMPHASIS PLACED ON PROVIDING ONE MENTEE PER MENTOR AND PAIRING STUDENTS ON THE SAME CAMPUS. PEER MENTORS CONDUCTED 230 PEER-MENTOR CHECK-INS DURING THE YEAR. AS IN THE PAST, COLLEGE SUCCESS STAFF ALSO PROVIDED SPECIALIZED SUPPORT FOR GRADUATING SENIORS, HELPING THEM PLAN FOR EITHER GRADUATE SCHOOL OR ENTERING THE WORKFORCE, WITH REFERRALS TO LEDA'S CAREER AND ALUMNI SERVICES TEAM AND LOCAL CAMPUS RESOURCES AS APPROPRIATE.THE COLLEGE SUCCESS TEAM ALSO CONDUCTED CAMPUS VISITS, WHICH INCLUDED INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR SCHOLARS AT 14 COLLEGES, INTERACTING WITH NEARLY 200 STUDENTS IN TOTAL. THE TEAM WAS ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN COORDINATING SCHOLARS WHO ATTENDED LEDA-SPONSORED EVENTS, SUCH AS OUR ANNUAL CELEBRATION IN MAY 2025.
- $348,649 spent. LEDA CAREER AND ALUMNI SERVICESCAREER INSTITUTE:THE LEDA CAREER FELLOWS PROGRAM PREPARES HIGH-ACHIEVING, UNDER-RESOURCED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS - LEDA CAREER FELLOWS - FOR FUTURE LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL PURSUITS, INCLUDING A DEEPER AND MORE TARGETED FOCUS ON CAREER COACHING, CAREER EXPLORATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND CAREER READINESS.THE 2025 LEDA CAREER INSTITUTE RETURNED TO NYU SCHOOL OF LAW AND RAN FROM AUGUST 4 THROUGH AUGUST 8. LEDA WELCOMED 100 NEW CAREER FELLOWS, 66 OF WHOM WERE SECOND YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND 34 OF WHOM WERE THIRD YEAR STUDENTS. 98% OF OUR 2025 FELLOWS IDENTIFY AS BLACK, INDIGENOUS, OR PEOPLE OF COLOR.THE CAREER INSTITUTE ALSO WELCOMED 13 EMPLOYER PARTNERS THAT, TOGETHER WITH LEDA STAFF, PROVIDED PROGRAMMING IN CAREER EXPLORATION AND PROFESSIONAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT.LEDA LEGAL:THE ADVANTAGE TESTING FOUNDATION IS A FOUNDING PARTNER OF LEDA AND ALSO RUNS TRIALS, THE NATION'S MOST SELECTIVE FULL-SCHOLARSHIP PRE-LAW PROGRAM. IT HAS DEVELOPED EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE LAUNCHING GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO HELP UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS GAIN ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THE FOUNDATION SERVES AS AN ONGOING PARTNER FOR LEDA LEGAL AND PROVIDES EXPERT PREPARATION FOR THE LSAT, A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF LAW SCHOOL APPLICATIONS.IN ADDITION, LEDA LEGAL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE INTENSIVE PREPARATION FOR LAW SCHOOL, INCLUDING RIGOROUS LSAT PREPARATION PROVIDED BY ADVANTAGE TESTING AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM LEDA IN DEVELOPING THEIR APPLICATIONS. LAW SCHOOL PARTNERS, INCLUDING NYU SCHOOL OF LAW, HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, AND YALE LAW SCHOOL, LEAD WORKSHOPS AND ACADEMIC- AND CAREER-FOCUSED PANELS FOR THE COHORT THROUGHOUT THE EIGHT-MONTH PROGRAM.FOR 2025, LEDA LEGAL ENROLLED MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER - 32, 88% OF WHOM COMPLETED THE PROGRAM.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 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 August 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 March 2004.
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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