College Now Greater Cleveland Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
COLLEGE NOW'S MISSION IS TO INCREASE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT THROUGH COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCESS ADVISING, FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING AND SCHOLARSHIP AND RETENTION SERVICES.
- Income
- $38.6 million
- Spending
- $36.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 2.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 43%
- Employees
- 353
- Volunteers
- 1,550
- Highest pay
- $682,102, ceo (thru 12/2024)
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
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 22% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 40% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2547 of 47 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
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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 (3)
- $12.0 million spent. FINANCIAL AID: COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS TO NEARLY 3,400 TRADITIONAL AGE AND ADULT STUDENTS FROM THE NORTHEAST OHIO AREA THROUGH ITS OWN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS THAT IT MANAGES. AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALED OVER $9.6 MILLION IN THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR. COLLEGE NOW HELPS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS TO AND THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR OF POSTSECONDARY ENROLLMENT VIA SCHOLARSHIP AND RETENTION SERVICES AND STRENGTHENS POSTSECONDARY PERSISTENCE AND COMPLETION FOR ITS TRADITIONAL AGE STUDENTS THROUGH ITS MENTORING PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM IS LEVERAGED BY ABOUT 1,500 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. ON AVERAGE, COLLEGE NOW TRADITIONAL STUDENTS ENROLL IN COLLEGE AT HIGHER RATES THAN STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND NEAR THE AVERAGE RATE FOR STUDENTS FROM ALL INCOME BACKGROUNDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. COLLEGE NOW'S TRADITIONAL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES THAN THEIR PEERS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS AND ABOVE THE RATES OF ALL US STUDENTS. SINCE 1967, COLLEGE NOW HAS SERVED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND AWARDED SOME $121 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO NORTHEAST OHIO STUDENTS AND ADULT LEARNERS.
- $7.2 million spent. ADVISORY SERVICES: COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND PROVIDED COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCESS ADVISING, STUDENT FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING, SCHOLARSHIP, AND RETENTION SERVICES TO OVER 42,000 NORTHEAST OHIO STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS IN ONE-ON-ONE AND GROUP SESSIONS. DURING THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR, COLLEGE NOW SERVED STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS VIRTUALLY AND IN APPROXIMATELY 200 VENUES, INCLUDING MORE THAN 100 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN CUYAHOGA, GEAUGA, LAKE, LORAIN, MEDINA, RICHLAND, AND SUMMIT COUNTIES. COLLEGE NOW PROVIDES VIRTUAL, IN-SCHOOL, NEED-BASED SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, AFTER SCHOOL, AND DURING THE SUMMER. CORE SERVICES INCLUDE: ACADEMIC ADVISING - GUIDANCE ON HIGH SCHOOL COURSE PLANNING; GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS; COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC COLLEGE MAJORS AND COURSES OF STUDY; AND TIPS ON TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS NECESSARY FOR POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS; CAREER EXPLORATION - GUIDING STUDENTS AS THEY EXPLORE THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND VARIOUS CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND THE TRAINING/EDUCATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A PARTICULAR FIELD, SHARING INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC CAREERS THAT ARE IN-DEMAND IN NORTHEAST OHIO, AS WELL AS EXTENDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIELD VISITS AND VISITS FROM PROFESSIONALS; COLLEGE EXPLORATION, APPLICATIONS AND ENROLLMENT - ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH RESEARCHING POSTSECONDARY OPTIONS, COMPLETING COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, PROVIDING APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS, VISITING COLLEGE CAMPUSES, AND ENSURING THAT STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO COLLEGE ENROLL AND REGISTER FOR CLASSES; AND STUDENT FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING - GUIDING STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE OFTEN-ARDUOUS PROCESS OF SEEKING AND APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS, INCLUDING THE FAFSA (FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID), ASSISTING WITH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE APPEALS AND REQUESTS FOR VERIFICATION, IDENTIFYING OTHER FINANCIAL AID SOURCES, PROVIDING PERSONALIZED STRATEGIES TO SECURE MAXIMUM FINANCIAL AID TO HELP STUDENTS PERSIST TO GRADUATION WITH MINIMAL STUDENT LOAN DEBT, INTERPRETING THE STUDENT AID REPORT AND FINANCIAL AID AWARD LETTERS, AND DETERMINING FINAL COLLEGE COSTS.
- $942,198 spent. ADULT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND THE COLLEGE NOW RESOURCE CENTERS: IN COOPERATION WITH ABOUT 40 NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AT OUR RESOURCE CENTERS IN CLEVELAND AND AKRON, AND VIRTUALLY, COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND OFFERED OUTREACH, ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS, AND SMALL GROUP WORKSHOPS TO SERVE OVER 16,000 PEOPLE FROM ACROSS NORTHEAST OHIO WITH A CONCENTRATION IN CUYAHOGA AND SUMMIT COUNTIES. THE RESOURCE CENTERS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. VIRTUAL SERVICES ARE ALSO FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. CORE SERVICES TO ADULTS INCLUDE COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCESS ADVISING, STUDENT FINANCIAL AID AND STUDENT LOAN COUNSELING, MENTORING, AND SCHOLARSHIP SERVICES.
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 February 1967.
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.
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.