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Detroit Police Athletic League Incorporated

EIN 38-3314318 · Detroit, MI

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair55 out of 100GovernanceGood75 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • Only 28% of its spending went to programs.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

DETROIT PAL, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, HAS THE MISSION TO HELP YOUTH FIND THEIR GREATNESS THROUGH ATHLETIC PROGRAMS AND YOUTH ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF DETROIT PAL IS TO HELP PROVIDE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE SUPPORT AND TOOLS NECESSARY FOR THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL AS ADULTS. DETROIT PAL HARNESSES THE POWERFUL DRAW OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION TO ENGAGE CHILDREN IN POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES WHILE TEACHING OUR GREAT MODEL FOCUSING ON GOALSETTING, RESILIENCE, EMBRACING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TEAMWORK. DETROIT PAL HAS BEEN SERVING YOUTH FOR OVER 50 YEARS AS A TRUSTED SOURCE THAT ADDS VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY.

Income
$5.0 million
Spending
$4.5 million
Spent on programs
28%
Reserves
3.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 57%
Employees
63
Volunteers
1,024
Highest pay
$186,785, chief executive officer

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

Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.9 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 11% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 66% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    0 of 15

    28% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 20 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

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    20 of 20 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give 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

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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

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. $116,435 spent. BOYS & GIRLS SCHOOL BASKETBALL IS A PROGRAM PAL HAS RUN FOR OVER 20 YEARS. WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE DETROIT AND GREATER DETROIT AREA TO ORGANIZE, ADMINISTER, AND OPERATE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY BASKETBALL LEAGUES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES AT A VARIETY OF CHARTER, PUBLIC, AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.DURING OUR 2024 SEASON, WE HAD 154 TEAMS REPRESENTING 1655 YOUTH AND 225 VOLUNTEERS. TEAMS WERE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM AN AVERAGE OF 10 HOURS PER WEEK FOR A 12-WEEK PROGRAM THAT TEACHES LIFE LESSONS THROUGH SPORTS INCLUDING GOALSETTING, RESILIENCE, EMBRACING HEALTH, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. OUR LEAGUE IS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE BRING TOGETHER A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS FROM VARIOUS REGIONS OF THE CITY TO WORK TOGETHER IN ONE LEAGUE FOCUSED ON COMPETING, BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS, AND DEVELOPMENT BOTH ON THE COURT AND OFF THE COURT.
  2. $88,500 spent. DETROIT PAL HAS BEEN RUNNING DIAMOND SPORTS LEAGUES FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. DIAMOND SPORTS INVOLVES BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, AND THE T-BALL PROGRAM. OUR FALL 2024 FALL BALL LEAGUE, WAS CREATED TO DEVELOP OUTDOOR PLAY DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HAD 8 TEAMS REPRESENTING 114 YOUTH AND 16 VOLUNTEERS. THE COMBINED NUMBER FOR ALL DIAMOND SPORTS WAS 104 TEAMS REPRESENTING 1405 YOUTH AND 208 VOLUNTEERS. THE DIAMOND SPORTS LEAGUE CONTINUES TO GROW SINCE THE PANDEMIC. THE TEAMS WERE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM AN AVERAGE OF 8 HOURS PER WEEK FOR A 10-WEEK PROGRAM THAT TAUGHT LIFE LESSONS THROUGH SPORTS INCLUDING GOALSETTING, RESILIENCE, EMBRACING HEALTH, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. OUR LEAGUE IS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO RUN SPORTS IN A SAFE, POSITIVE WAY. MANY NEW YOUTH GET INVOLVED WHILE MANY RETURNING PLAYER CONTINUE THEIR PASSION FOR THE GAME AND THEIR SKILL DEVELOPMENT. WE WERE ABLE TO HOST MANY GAMES AT THE CORNER BALLPARK, THE LOCATION OF THE OLD TIGER STADIUM OFF OF MICHIGAN NEAR TRUMBULL.
  3. $170,746 spent. FOOTBALL IS A PROGRAM PAL HAS RUN FOR MANY YEARS IN CONJUNCTION WITH MYFL. OUR FOOTBALL AND CHEER PROGRAMS HAVE EXISTED FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS AND CONTINUES TO BE A FEEDER SYSTEM FOR SPORTS INTO OUR SCHOOL PROGRAMS. WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH FOOTBALL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE DETROIT AND GREATER DETROIT AREA TO ORGANIZE, ADMINISTER, AND OPERATE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY FOOTBALL PROGRAMS FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES. PRACTICES AND GAMES ARE PROGRAMMED AT A VARIETY OF PUBLIC FIELDS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. WE HAD 12 FOOTBALL ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE 2024 SEASON. EACH ORGANIZATION PROVIDING A VARIETY OF 5 FOOTBALL TEAMS AT SEVERAL AGE LEVELS. THAT TOTALED OVER 80 FOOTBALL AND CHEER TEAMS WITH 1943 YOUTH AND OVER 500 VOLUNTEERS. TEAMS WERE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM AN AVERAGE OF 8 HOURS PER WEEK FOR A 12-WEEK PROGRAM THAT TAUGHT LIFE LESSONS THROUGH SPORTS INCLUDING GOALSETTING, RESILIENCE, EMBRACING HEALTH, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
  4. $882,449 spent. WE CONTINUE TO GROW OUR LITTLES PROGRAMS WHICH IN 2024 INCLUDED MIGHTY CHEER, LITTLE PUTTERS, TINY TENNIS, LITTLE SLUGGERS, LITTLE BLITZERS, LITTLE HOOPERS, AND LITTLE LIONS FLAG FOOTBALL. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE YOUTH WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS SO THEY CAN SAMPLE AND INDENTIFY THE FUTURE SPORTS THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN. THESE INTRODUCTORY PROGRAMS ALLOWED MORE THAN 650 YOUNG PARTICIPANTS TO PLAY, LEARN ABOUT THE SPORT AND LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAM WORK AND SPORTMANSHIP. OTHER SPORTS SUCH AS VOLLEYBALL, SOCCER, HOCKEY, AND TRACK REMAINED STRONG THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

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 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 November 6, 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 2024.

    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 April 1997.

    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 November 4, 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.