Sharp Literacy Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SHARP PARTNERS WITH EDUCATORS TO FOSTER A LOVE OF LEARNING AND BRIGHTEN CHILDREN'S FUTURES THROUGH INNOVATIVE STEAM-BASED EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMS.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $1.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 65%
- Reserves
- 16.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Employees
- 35
- Volunteers
- 32
- Highest pay
- $237,457, president/ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 16.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 26% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1565% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 29 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2532 of 32 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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 June 30, 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 (1)
- $896,362 spent. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAMSK3 PHYSICSOUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS DISCOVER CONCEPTS OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE THROUGH PLAY, ART, MUSIC, MOVEMENT, READ ALOUDS, AND SEL ACTIVITIES. BY EXPERIMENTING WITH ITEMS THAT SINK OR FLOAT, COLORING A RAINBOW, DANCING ABOUT GRAVITY, OR LISTENING TO A STORY ABOUT FORCE AND MOTION, STUDENTS BECOME CURIOUS AND GRASP IDEAS ABOUT THE FASCINATING WORLD AROUND THEM. K4 ANIMALSADVENTURES AWAIT K4 STUDENTS AS THEY LEARN ABOUT ANIMALS. THROUGH AN ARTS INTEGRATED APPROACH THAT COMBINES STEAM, LITERACY, AND SEL, STUDENTS LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVING AND NONLIVING THINGS, METHODS IN WHICH ANIMALS COMMUNICATE, VARIOUS HABITATS AND ADAPTATIONS, AND SHELTERS. CURIOSITY IS SPARKED THROUGH ENGAGING ACTIVITIES INCLUDING LISTENING TO THE SONGS OF WHALES, DESIGNING A HOME FOR THEIR FAVORITE FURRY OR FEATHERED FRIEND, AND TAKING A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO THE DESERT WITH A CAMEL, THE RAINFOREST WITH A TOUCAN, AND THE CORAL REEF WITH A SEA TURTLE. K5 PLANTSSTUDENTS FOLLOW THE JOURNEY OF A SEED TO A PLANT AND DISCOVER HOW PLANTS GROW AND CHANGE THROUGH THE SEASONS. SHARP'S ARTS INTEGRATED APPROACH COMBINES STEAM, LITERACY, AND SEL AND ENABLES STUDENTS TO EXPLORE THE SCIENCE OF PLANTS WHILE MAKING PERSONAL CONNECTIONS. THROUGH READ ALOUDS, OBSERVATION OF NATURE, HANDS-ON ART, AND VISUALIZATION, STUDENTS GROW AND THRIVE LIKE THE VERY PLANTS THEY ARE STUDYING. ART PROJECTS INCLUDE MAGIC TREE SCULPTURES, 3D FLOWERS, AND A COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM LOLLIPOP TREE MURAL. 1ST POLLINATORSWHAT IS ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT? POLLINATORS! THROUGH AN ARTS INTEGRATED APPROACH THAT COMBINES STEAM, LITERACY, AND SEL, STUDENTS EXPLORE VARIOUS POLLINATORS AND TAKE AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT HONEYBEES, THEIR FASCINATING CHARACTERISTICS, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR ROLE TO ALL LIVING THIS. STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT HONEYBEE JOBS IN THE COLONY, METHODS OF COMMUNICATION, AND ANATOMY WHILE DISCOVERING WHAT MAKES THEM THE PLANET'S GREATEST POLLINATORS. COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES AND ART PROJECTS INCLUDING THE WAGGLE DANCE, SCIENTIFIC BEE SCULPTURES, AND A COMMUNITY QUILT PROMOTE CURIOSITY AND AWARENESS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. 2ND CYCLES IN NATURESTUDENTS TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO CYCLES IN NATURE THROUGH STEAM, LITERACY, AND SEL. ENGAGING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AND ARTS-INTEGRATION BY CREATING A "CYCLE SHADOW BOX", YOUNG LEARNERS DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE CONCEPTS, BUILD CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, AND DEVELOP SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES WHILE BOOSTING CURIOSITY AND A LOVE OF LEARNING. 3RD - DISCOVER WAUKESHASTUDENTS ENGAGE IN AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE ABOUT THE RICH HISTORY OF THEIR CITY AND ITS EXCITING PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS OF TODAY. YOUNG LEARNERS LOOK TOWARD WAUKESHA'S FUTURE AND THEIR ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SHARP'S ARTS INTEGRATED APPROACH COMBINES SOCIAL STUDIES, LITERACY, AND SEL, AND PROMOTES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT THROUGH COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES INCLUDING WAUKESHA SCULPTURES, A CLASS RIVERWALK MURAL, AND A PERSONALIZED GUITAR DESIGN INSPIRED BY MUSICIAN AND INNOVATOR LES PAUL. THROUGH SHARP WORKSHOPS, STUDENTS WILL LITERALLY DISCOVER WAUKESHA AND DEVELOP A DEEPER CONNECTION TO THE PLACE THEY CALL HOME. 3RD CODE AND DESIGNEMBARK ON AN EXCITING JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF VIDEO GAME DESIGN WITH OUR HANDS-ON AND INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS. YOUNG GAME ENTHUSIASTS WILL DIVE INTO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF VIDEO GAME DESIGN, LEARNING HOW TO CREATE THEIR OWN UNIQUE GAMES USING BLOCK CODING. STUDENTS FIRST LEARN ABOUT ALGORITHMS, LOOPS, EVENTS, LOGIC, AND DEBUGGING. STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO USE BASIC TOOLS TO DESIGN CHARACTERS, ENVIRONMENTS, AND OTHER IN-GAME ELEMENTS LIKE GOAL, INTERACTION, RULES, AND CHALLENGE. STUDENTS BUILD ON THIS FOUNDATION TO MAKE A GAME USING SKILLS IN STORYTELLING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, AND DIGITAL CREATIVITY. BY THE END OF THIS COURSE, STUDENTS WILL NOT ONLY HAVE A SOLID GRASP OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF VIDEO GAME DESIGN BUT WILL ALSO HAVE CREATED THEIR OWN FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND ENGAGING VIDEO GAMES THAT THEY CAN BE PROUD OF. 4TH CODE AND BUILDBUILDING UPON THE CODING BASICS LEARNED IN CODE AND DESIGN ( 3RD GRADE PROGRAM), PARTICIPANTS CODE AND BUILD (4TH GRADE PROGRAM) FOLLOW THE DESIGN THINKING PROCESS AND ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO HELP EXPLORE ISSUES IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND WORK TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM THROUGH THEIR ORIGINAL PROTOTYPE. IN COLLABORATIVE GROUPS, PARTICIPANTS EMPATHIZE AND IDEATE BEFORE DESIGNING THEIR PROTOTYPE FIRST BY CREATING A DIGITAL RENDERING IN CODE.ORG AND THEN BUILDING A PHYSICAL MODEL. DEVELOPED TO TAP ESSENTIAL SKILLS SUCH AS PROBLEM-SOLVING, COLLABORATION, CRITICAL THINKING, AND CREATIVITY, THIS PROGRAM ENDS WITH A DESIGN CHALLENGE WHERE GROUPS PITCH THEIR INNOVATIVE IDEAS TO GUEST PROFESSIONALS FOR A CHANCE TO ADVANCE TO THE INTERSCHOOL DESIGN CHALLENGE! 5TH CODE AND CIRCUITIN THE CODE AND CIRCUIT PROGRAM, STUDENTS EXPLORE PHYSICAL COMPUTING BY COMBINING ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND CODING SKILLS TO DESIGN AND BUILD A CIRCUIT-BASED FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPE. THEY CREATE BLOCK-BASED PROGRAMS TO CONTROL THEIR CIRCUITS, WHICH INCLUDE COMPONENTS LIKE BREADBOARDS, JUMPER WIRES, RESISTORS, LEDS, AND BUZZERS. USING THE BBC MICRO:BIT AND THE MAKECODE ONLINE PLATFORM, STUDENTS LEARN KEY PROGRAMMING CONCEPTS SUCH AS EVENTS, INPUTS, OUTPUTS, LOOPS, AND SEQUENCING. WORKING IN TEAMS, THEY DESIGN A TRANSPORTATION-THEMED FINAL PROJECT THAT INTEGRATES A SEQUENCE OF LEDS AND A BUZZER. THE CURRICULUM COVERS COMPUTER SCIENCE, THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS, LITERACY, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND ELEMENTS OF DESIGN AND THE ARTS.RECOMMENDED: 1 TIME A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS OR 2 TIME A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS (ONE HOUR WORKSHOPS)SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS.T.A.R. - SEL THROUGH ART AND READINGYOUNG LEARNERS WILL BUILD THEIR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) COMPETENCIES THROUGH A NEW FUN AND ENGAGING BOOK EACH LESSON, PAIRED WITH MOVEMENT, ART PROJECTS, AND PLAY-BASED LEARNING. FOCUSING ON SOCIAL AWARENESS, SELF-MANAGEMENT, SELF-AWARENESS, RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING, AND RELATIONSHIP SKI
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1999.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.