Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement Inc

EIN 45-5209297 · Duluth, GA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong96 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

GLISI'S MISSION IS TO UPLIFT SCHOOL LEADERS, TRANSFORM MINDSETS AND ACTIONS, CREATE VIBRANT CULTURES OF INNOVATION, AND BUILD EXCELLENT AND EQUITABLE SCHOOLS. In FY25, we served 1,808 leaders across 122 districts and organizations in Georgia and beyond.

Income
$4.2 million
Spending
$3.8 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
12.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 60%
Employees
13
Volunteers
16
Highest pay
$235,059, ceo/executive director

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

Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 12.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 16% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 9% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 20% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 16 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 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 (3)
  1. $1.6 million spent. BASE CAMP AND LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: GLISI's Base Camp and Leadership Summit (BCLS) is designed to grow teams of school and district leaders. The goal is to equip teams with the skills to address performance problems and improve school culture and student outcomes. In FY25, GLISI served 316 leaders from 17 districts and organizations, delivering approximately 12,640 training hours to attendees. BCLS aims to increase participant knowledge in leading systemic change. Pre- and post-assessments showed a significant gain in participants' understanding, including improved skills in using multiple data sources to address a problem of practice, monitoring implementation of solutions, and addressing team dysfunctions. A second goal is to increase psychological safety within teams. Post-training, 99% of participants reported a strong ability to create spaces where team members can voice opinions and challenge others. A final objective is to increase motivation for behavior and practice changes. Qualitative data indicates that participants felt better equipped to drive change within their teams and schools. Our long-term goal is for BCLS attendance to correlate with healthier school cultures and improved student outcomes, particularly in districts using BCLS as part of multi-year improvement strategies. In 2024-2025, districts that participated in BCLS in at least three of the past five years had a higher 4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (92.9) compared to the state average (87.2), outperforming the state across all student subgroups.
  2. $1.4 million spent. In-district Support: GLISI provides in-district and virtual support services to school districts across Georgia. In FY25, GLISI supported aspiring leaders, classified personnel leadership development, school improvement plans, and district strategic plans. These services are customized to each district's needs. In FY25, GLISI supported 1,260 leaders in 31 school systems and 5 non-district organizations (e.g. Georgia Department of Education). Across these contracts, we logged 5,268 hours of support. In our annual survey, 99% of participants said the engagement was relevant to their professional needs, and over half said it influenced their intent to stay in the profession. District leaders reported that GLISI's services built leader capacity and achieved system improvement goals, with 98% of district leaders agreeing that the partnership met its intended outcomes.
  3. $24,513 spent. Marquis Strategic Plan Initiatives: GLISI also supported networks and engagements aligned with our 2024 strategic plan, which focused on developing leaders with the will and skill to build more excellent and equitable schools. Key initiatives included facilitating the Georgia Deeper Learning Network, a social media campaign honoring educators through the "Hidden Heroes Campaign," Women in Network, a statewide leadership network for women serving in the superintendency, and offering leadership resources through our SPARK platform and a small number of SPARK convenings. These efforts are supported by individual, corporate, and foundation contributions.

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

  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 June 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 2013.

    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.