Ignite Afterschool
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Ignite Afterschool (the Organization) is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 with a mission to unite Minnesota's afterschool community and strengthen afterschool programs through partnership, education, and advocacy. The purpose of the organization is to forge partnerships that create shared efforts across the afterschool field that close access gaps to afterschool and ensure professional development, resources and trainings across the state to improve program quality.
- Income
- $960,435
- Spending
- $1.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- 1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 70%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 12
- Highest pay
- $106,423, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 53 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 83% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 95% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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, 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)
- $964,570 spent. In 2025, Ignite Afterschool advanced its mission to unite Minnesota's afterschool community and strengthen afterschool programs through partnership, education, and advocacy. Through its partnership work, Ignite played a leadership role in statewide STEM and youth development initiatives. Ignite's Executive Director served as Co-Chair of the Minnesota STEM Ecosystem Advisory Council, which received $1.5 million in legislative support to advance the development of statewide and regional STEM hubs connecting schools, out-of-school-time programs, higher education, and industry partners. Ignite also partnered with the University of California, Irvine to support research on parents' perceptions of STEM and their impact on youth access to STEM learning opportunities. Through participation in the national With Youth for Youth cohort, Ignite expanded youth leadership opportunities by engaging youth fellows in organizational projects and supporting the youth-led Cannabis Awareness and Education Council (CAEC). CAEC engaged approximately 11 youth leaders, conducted listening sessions with more than 30 young people, developed educational resources on cannabis use and brain development, and completed three peer-to-peer cannabis education lessons. Ignite also participated in regional and statewide partnerships focused on expanding afterschool opportunities and improving youth access to out-of-school-time programs. In its Quality, Professional Development, and Continuous Improvement program area, Ignite continued implementation of the M3 Continuous Program Improvement Process, supporting afterschool programs in strengthening program quality through ongoing planning, assessment, and improvement. In 2025, Ignite completed an evaluation of the M3 process, resulting in recommendations that informed a redesign of facilitator training. Ignite engaged more than 115 participants in M3 kickoff sessions, facilitated 26 M3 Huddles, and convened four Communities of Practice for licensed facilitators. Through its Professional Development Exchange, Ignite delivered trainings aligned with evidence-based effective practices and launched a STEM Career-Connected Learning Community of Practice in partnership with STEM Next. Through its i-SAC accreditation program, Ignite accredited 28 school-age care sites and launched a new accreditation cycle with nine participating sites. Ignite also provided nonprofit leadership development opportunities for 15 high school students through its Summer Young Nonprofit Leaders Club. Through its advocacy and issue education efforts, Ignite convened statewide stakeholders to address policy and funding issues affecting afterschool and expanded learning programs. The organization facilitated discussions regarding reimbursement rates impacting program access, supported 21st Century Community Learning Center grantees during uncertainty surrounding federal funding, and raised public awareness about the value of afterschool programs through Lights On Afterschool activities, social media outreach, site-based celebrations, and educational videos highlighting the impact of afterschool funding and programming across Minnesota communities.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 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 2025.
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 December 2015.
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.
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.