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Shine Your Light

EIN 36-4814935 · Cambria, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair53 out of 100GovernanceGood76 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SYL is an educational nonprofit supporting leadership development and personal growth. We offer coaching, training, and keynote speaking. Our philosophy is "FOR EACH ONE, REACH ONE": Using funds from donations and purchased services, we gift free (Cont. on Schedule O) SYL is an educational nonprofit supporting leadership development and personal growth. We offer coaching, training, and keynote speaking. Our philosophy is "FOR EACH ONE, REACH ONE": Using funds from donations and purchased services, we gift freeor discounted services to those who can't afford them. We passionately believe that everyone, rich or poor, deserves to be the best person and leader they can be.

Income
$58,415
Spending
$64,990
Spent on programs
100%
Reserves
0.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 72%
Employees
1
Volunteers
0
Highest pay
$20,265, president/ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 53 out of 100. Higher than 17% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 9% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 11% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 8% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    3 of 4 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no 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

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 (4)
  1. $16,178 spent. SUPPORTING SCHOOLS: Shine Your Light offers coaching, training, and personalized facilitated forums for educational leaders, teachers, parents, and students to learn easy, accessible, immediately effective intuitive wellness techniques to be in an optimal intellectual and emotional state of readiness to teach and learn.
  2. $16,178 spent. TRUST YOUR GUT MASTER CLASSES: Shine Your Light's intensive online master classes offer multi-week, intensive training on how to trust your intuition to make quick, clear decisions, ease overwhelm, anxiety, and stress, and stay in your best, truest self. For each class, SYL offers several thousand dollars in scholarships to those who would like to learn the skills who otherwise couldn't afford to participate in the courses.
  3. $16,399 spent. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COACHING & TRAINING: Shine Your Light offers personal development coaching and training to a diverse group of paying and nonpaying clients, including veterans, low income, and other underserved populations. Our personal growth coaching, training, and keynote presentations help people to live better lives in the four essential areas of work, relationships, health and home. In accordance with our "For each one, reach one" mission, we provided dozens of pro-bono hours and discounted personal development coaching & training services to those who otherwise couldn't afford it.SYL offers Lead Coach and Lead Mentor certification to those completing the Level 3 (advanced) Trust Your Gut master class. The certification program is a multi-month program where apprentices receive small group and individualized mentoring on how to become a Shine Your Light intuitive life coach and master class mentor. Certified Lead Coaches are eligible to coach SYL's clients as part-time contractors. Certified Lead Mentors are eligible to work as part-time contractors to guide master class students in applying the tools they are learning in class.In Addition to our ongoing 1-on-1 personal growth coaching and classes, SYL offered a full weekend retreat in March 2023 focusing on women's wellness.
  4. $16,235 spent. LEADERSHIP COACHING & TRAINING: Shine Your Light offers one-on-one leadership coaching to the founders, leaders, and top managers of organizations of all kinds, including nonprofits and small and solo start-ups. We also offer 100% customized team training, workshops, board facilitation, and keynotes tailored to each individual organization's budget, priorities, and needs. Frequently requested topics include managing burnout, developing doable strategic goals, sticky personnel issues, and work-life balance.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 2016.

    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.