Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Luminos Fund

EIN 36-4817073 · Boston, MA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceIndependently evaluatedHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

LUMINOS FUND PROVIDES TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO THOUSANDS OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN, HELPING THEM TO CATCH UP TO GRADE LEVEL, REINTEGRATE INTO GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS, AND PREPARE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING.

Income
$14.3 million
Spending
$11.4 million
Spent on programs
85%
Reserves
9.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 99%
Employees
13
Volunteers
6
Highest pay
$379,066, ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 88% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 9.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 20% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 24% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    85% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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

    6 of 7 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 December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Independently evaluated. An independent evaluator has assessed its work and recommends it.

  • The Life You Can Save: Listed among its recommended charities. See the evaluation Checked September 29, 2026.

Results it reports

  • Luminos has served 377,407 children across Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Lebanon, and The Gambia to date.Work delivered

Read from the return by an AI model and shown only where the wording was found in the return. These are the charity's own figures.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $9.7 million spent. LUMINOS PROVIDES TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO THOUSANDS OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN, HELPING THEM TO CATCH UP TO GRADE LEVEL, REINTEGRATE INTO GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS, AND PREPARE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING. LUMINOS WAS FOUNDED TO ENSURE ALL CHILDREN HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO JOYFUL, FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING, ESPECIALLY THOSE SHUT OUT OF EDUCATION BY CRISIS, POVERTY, OR DISCRIMINATION. THEIR VISION IS OF A WORLD WHERE NO CHILD IS EVER DENIED THE CHANCE TO LEARN. TO DATE, LUMINOS HAS SERVED 377,407 CHILDREN ACROSS ETHIOPIA, GHANA, LIBERIA, LEBANON, AND THE GAMBIA. AS LUMINOS SCALES PIONEERING NEW APPROACHES TO BRING QUALITY EDUCATION TO CHILDREN IN THE GREATEST NEED, THEY WORK TOGETHER WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO DRIVE SYSTEMS-LEVEL CHANGE.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since February 2016.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.