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Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership Corporation

EIN 45-1634118 · New York, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

HARLEM LACROSSE IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO WORKS TO EMPOWER YOUTH FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES BY INTEGRATING ACADEMIC SUPPORT, MENTORSHIP, AND LACROSSE INSTRUCTION. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING THAT COMBINES IN-SCHOOL ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONS, AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT, AND SUMMER PROGRAMMING WITH ATHLETIC TRAINING AND MENTORING.HARLEM LACROSSE SERVES MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, FOCUSING ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND COLLEGE READINESS. PROGRAMMING IS DELIVERED THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE REGIONS IT SERVES. SERVICES INCLUDE ACADEMIC TUTORING, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, COLLEGE AND CAREER PREPARATION, AND ORGANIZED LACROSSE PRACTICES AND COMPETITIONS.THE ORGANIZATION SERVES BOYS AND GIRLS FROM GRADES 6-12 AT PROGRAM SITES IN LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK CITY, BALTIMORE, PHILADELPHIA AND BOSTON.

Income
$7.7 million
Spending
$8.5 million
Spent on programs
69%
Reserves
1.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 84%
Employees
86
Volunteers
150
Highest pay
$257,978, ceo

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

Financial health

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 21% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 8% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 22% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    69% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 cents.

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

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 82% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    17 of 17 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 August 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 (1)
  1. $5.9 million spent. THE CLASS OF 2025 SAW A COHORT OF 61 STUDENTS GRADUATE AS HARLEM LACROSSE STUDENT-ATHLETES. THESE STUDENTS BENEFITED FROM UP TO SEVEN YEARS OF ATHLETIC, ACADEMIC, AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL ENRICHMENT SUPPORTED BY A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STUDENT, THEIR FAMILY, AND HARLEM LACROSSE. OUTCOMES FOR THIS COHORT ARE COMPELLING, WITH 100% PURSUING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND EARNING A COLLECTIVE $1.6MM ANNUALLY TO AID IN THEIR PERSISTENCE. THESE GRADUATES JOIN A GROWING AN IMPRESSIVE HARLEM LACROSSE ALUMNI NETWORK THAT IS STARTING TO FIVE BACK TO THE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HL STUDENTS.ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS:HALREM LACROSSE PARTICPANTS ARE STUDENT-ATHLETES, PURSUING SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE FIELD. THIS SCHOOL YEAR, PARTICIPANTS CONTINUED TO DEMONSTRATE ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND GROWTH. IN A POST-COVID WORLD, SCHOOLS ARE FINDING CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM RATES TO BE A SIGNIFICANT BARROER TO LEARNING WITH A 28% CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM RATE NATIONALLY. HARLEM LACROSSE IS SUPPORTING STUDENT-ATHLETES IN ADDRESSING CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM. PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE CHRONICALLY ABSENT THE YEAR PRIOR ATTENDED AN AVERAGE OF SIX MORE DAYS OF SCHOOL IN 2024. STUDENT-ATHLETES' FAMILIES SHARED THAT BEING PART OF HL IMPROVED ACADEMIC MOTIVATION (90%) AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE (85%) IN THE CLASSROOM. HL PARTICIPANTS AVERAGED AN 80.8% GPA AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, STUDENTS WHO AVERAGED BELOW A 70% GPA LAST SCHOOL YEAR, SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT OF 15% IN THEIR GPA THIS SCHOOL YEAR. STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLED THE PRIOR ACADEMIC YEAR ACHIEVED THE LARGEST INCREASES IN THEIR GPA THIS YEAR.ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS:LACROSSE IS AT THE CORE OF EVERYTHING WE DO. OUR COMMITMENT TO BUILDING LACROSSE COMPETENCY HAS ENABLED US TO FIELD COMPETITIVE BOYS AND GIRL'S NATIONAL TEAMS THAT PROUDLY FEATURE ELITE PLAYERS FROM ALL FIVE HARLEM LACROSSE REGIONS}}}A TESTAMENT TO THE ATHLETIC GROWTH PLAYERS EXPERIENCE WITHIN OUR PROGRAM. ACROSS THE BOARD THIS YEAR, STUDENT-ATHLETES SAW TANGIBLE GROWTH IN THEIR PHYSICAL FITNESS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, WE MEASURED THE IMPACT OF OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAMMING. THE PACER TEST IS A MAXIMAL EXERCISE TEST ADMINISTERED AS A BACK-AND-FORTH SHUTTLE RUN. WITH PROGRESSIVE INCREASES IN PACE, CHILDREN COMPLETE AS MANY LAPS AS POSSIBLE. LAP SCORES ARE INTERPRETED USING HEALTHY FITNESS ZONE MINIMUM STANDARDS. A SCORE 100% INDICATES A CHILD IS IN THE HEALTHY FITNESS ZONE. YOUTH IN THE HFZ ARE LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP METABOLIC SYNDROME, DECREASING THEIR RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND DIABETES. THE NUMBERS TELL A COMPELLING STORY: OUR PARTICIPANTS' HFZ SCORES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY BY AN AVERAGE OF 29.8 PERCENTAGE POINTS OVER THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR. THE MOST SIZABLE IMPROVEMENTS CAME FROM THOSE STARTING WITH LOWER FITNESS LEVELS (HFZ<100), DEMONSTRATING OUR PROGRAM'S PROFOUND IMPACT ON VULNERABLE CHILDREN WITH REMARKABLE STATISTICAL CONFIDENCE.SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL GROWTH:A FOUNDATION OF THE HARLEM LACROSSE MODEL IS A FOCUS ON SUPPORTING YOUTH TO DEVELOP CRITICAL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND MINDSETS THAT HELP THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. THIS YEAR, 94% OF HL STUDENTS GREW IN AT LEAST ONE OF OUR FIVE CORE AREAS OF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL GROWTH. 94% OF FAMILIES REPORTED THAT THEIR CHILDREN IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR PEERS AND 87% OF FAMILIES REPORTED THAT THEIR CHILD HAD IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADULTS AS A RESULT OF HARLEM LACROSSE. FURTHERMORE, 94% OF FAMILIES AND 92% OF SCHOOL PARTNERS REPORTED THAT HARLEM LACROSSE AND LEADERSHIP THEIR CHILD DEVELOPED A GROWTH MINDSET AS A RESULT OF HARLEM LACROSSE. HARLEM LACROSSE PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN FORGING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE LIVES OF PARTICIPANTS AND BUILDING SOFT SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM, ON THE FIELD, AND IN THE COMMUNITY.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 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 August 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 July 2011.

    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.