Digital Promise Global
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
DIGITAL PROMISE IS A GLOBAL NONPROFIT WORKING TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH LEARNER. WE WORK WITH EDUCATORS, RESEARCHERS, TECHNOLOGY LEADERS, AND COMMUNITIES TO DESIGN, INVESTIGATE, AND SCALE UP INNOVATIONS THAT EMPOWER LEARNERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO'VE BEEN HISTORICALLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY EXCLUDED. OUR MISSION IS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF LEARNING AND ADVANCE EQUITABLE EDUCATION SYSTEMS BY BRINGING TOGETHER SOLUTIONS ACROSS RESEARCH, PRACTICE, AND TECHNOLOGY.
- Income
- $66.8 million
- Spending
- $69.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 3.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 77%
- Employees
- 239
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $459,274, president & 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
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.6 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 70% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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 36% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a 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 December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Reports results. Its tax return states measurable results. These are its own figures and nobody has checked them.
Results it reports
- The program expanded to an additional 34 middle and high schools in 13 districts with more than 22,000 students.Work delivered
- Total program reach is more than 660,000 students in 115 districts.Work delivered
- 20 project teams received awards to sustain and scale student-led projects.Work delivered
- A chronic absenteeism program was launched engaging 16 districts.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 (4)
- $31.9 million spent. DIGITAL EQUITY: THE DIGITAL EQUITY TEAM WORKS TO ADVANCE POWERFUL LEARNING IN SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS ACROSS THE U.S. BY ADVOCATING AGAINST AND SOLVING FOR INEQUITIES IN BROADBAND ACCESS AND THE INEQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS, AND BY CREATING INITIATIVES, ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS, AND INFLUENCING POLICY AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS THAT ADDRESS THE DIGITAL LEARNING GAP AT SCALE. ITS FLAGSHIP PROGRAM IS VERIZON INNOVATIVE LEARNING SCHOOLS (VILS). IN 2024, VILS LAUNCHED ITS 11TH COHORT OF SCHOOLS, EXPANDING THE PROGRAM TO AN ADDITIONAL 34 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN 13 DISTRICTS NATIONWIDE WITH COLLECTIVELY MORE THAN 22,000 STUDENTS BRINGING THE TOTAL REACH OF THE VILS PROGRAM TO MORE THAN 660,000 STUDENTS IN 115 DISTRICTS.
- $16.6 million spent. GLOBAL NETWORKS: THROUGH DIGITAL PROMISE'S NETWORKS, WE SURFACE AND SPREAD INSIGHTS AND INNOVATIONS AMONG EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS. THE LEAGUE OF INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS CONNECTS FORWARD-THINKING LEADERS ACROSS MORE THAN 150 DISTRICTS IN 34 STATES AND HAS CUMULATIVELY SERVED MORE THAN 4.4 MILLION STUDENTS SINCE ITS FOUNDING. IN 2024, DIGITAL PROMISE CO-HOSTED TWO CONVENINGS FOR LEAGUE MEMBERS ONE IN NEW YORK, NY ALONGSIDE MINEOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ONE IN LINDSAY, CALIFORNIA ALONGSIDE LINDSAY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. IN 2024, DIGITAL PROMISE CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS GLOBAL WORK. THE GLOBAL CITIES EDUCATION NETWORK IS A NETWORK OF INTERNATIONAL CITY EDUCATION SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO COLLABORATIVELY IDENTIFY, EXAMINE, AND ADAPT INTERNATIONALLY BENCHMARKED SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE. IN 2024, GCEN MEMBERS CONVENED IN HELSINKI, FINLAND, FOR ITS ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM TO DISCUSS AND SHARE PROMISING SOLUTIONS TO EDUCATION CHALLENGES WITH GLOBAL APPLICATIONS.
- $7.3 million spent. POWERFUL LEARNING: POWERFUL LEARNING IS ROOTED IN PRINCIPLES THAT EMPOWER BOTH EDUCATORS AND LEARNERS, EMPHASIZING COLLABORATION, AGENCY AND THE USE OF INNOVATIVE TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO CREATE IMPACTFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. IN 2024, THE HP TEACHING FELLOWS CONTINUED TO ADVANCE POWERFUL LEARNING THROUGH REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, LEADING DISCUSSIONS THAT ENRICHED THE LEARNING COMMUNITY WITH INSIGHTS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES. THROUGH THE CIENA SOLUTIONS CHALLENGE, DIGITAL PROMISE AND CIENA AWARDED 20 PROJECT TEAMS $2,500 TO SUSTAIN AND SCALE STUDENT-LED PROJECTS. STUDENTS ALSO SHARED THEIR WORK WITH A GLOBAL AUDIENCE AT THE 2024 YOUTHMADE FESTIVAL, DIGITAL PROMISE'S GLOBAL CELEBRATION OF YOUTH CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION. THE LEARNER VARIABILITY PROJECT (LVP) LEVERAGES EMERGING RESEARCH TO UNCOVER STRATEGIES THAT MEET THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF LEARNERS. IN 2024, THE LVP UPDATED ITS LEARNER VARIABILITY NAVIGATOR TO WITH STRATEGIES AIMED TO BE INCLUSIVE OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES. THE PATHWAYS AND CREDENTIALS TEAM ADVANCED ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY, ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT PATHWAYS SHOULD OPEN DOORS FOR ALL LEARNERS, BY RELEASING INFLUENTIAL RESEARCH ON LEARNERS AND WORKERS NAVIGATING TECHNOLOGY CAREERS, RURAL EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS ADVANCING SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY, LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT RECORDS (LERS), AND PUBLISHING ITS FIRST EBOOK ON MICRO-CREDENTIALS FOR LIFELONG LEARNING. THE TEAM ALSO LAUNCHED BADGE ENGINE, DIGITAL PROMISE'S FIRST OPEN-SOURCE PRODUCT.
- $5.4 million spent. CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE INNOVATION: DIGITAL PROMISE'S CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE INNOVATION (CII) PARTNERS WITH DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITIES TO CO-CREATE LASTING EDUCATION SOLUTIONS THAT ENABLE EVERY STUDENT TO LEARN AND THRIVE. IN 2024, CII SECURED MAJOR FUNDING FROM THE GATES FOUNDATION FOR THE "SCHOOL CONDITIONS BRIGHT SPOTS: COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE" PROJECT TO EXPLORE HOW DISTRICTS USE SCHOOL CONDITIONS MEASURES TO IMPROVE STUDENT SUCCESS. CII ALSO SECURED A NIST RAMPS (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE) AWARD AND WALTON FAMILY FOUNDATION FUNDING TO EXPAND THE CYBERSECURITY PATHWAYS INITIATIVE WORK IN ALABAMA, SUPPORTING THE LAUNCH OF THE EAST ALABAMA REGIONAL CYBER ALLIANCE (EARCA) AND DEVELOPING A STATE-LEVEL BLUEPRINT FOR CAREER PATHWAYS. ADDITIONALLY, CII LAUNCHED CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM: INSIGHTS AND INNOVATIONS, A PROGRAM ENGAGING 16 DISTRICTS IN COMMUNITY-INFORMED ACTION. CII ALSO CONTINUED ITS LONG-STANDING ROLE AS A CRITICAL RESEARCH AND EVALUATION PARTNER FOR A SUITE OF VERIZON'S EDUCATION INITIATIVES INCLUDING VERIZON INNOVATIVE LEARNING SCHOOLS (VILS), LEARNING LABS, AND STEM ACHIEVERS, AS WELL AS THE ILLINOIS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION'S NEW EDUCATOR COACHING AND MENTORING PROGRAM, USING RESEARCH TO SPUR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND AMPLIFY IMPACT.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.
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