United Planning Organization
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
UNITED PLANNING ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS UNITING PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES.
- Income
- $42.5 million
- Spending
- $48.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- -0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 95%
- Employees
- 512
- Volunteers
- 213
- Highest pay
- $235,901, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 29 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 73% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 15% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 13% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 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 September 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)
- $15.2 million spent. COMMUNITY SERVICES - BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND VOLUNTEERS IN 2023, UPO PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED SELFSUFFICIENCY INTERVENTIONS THAT SERVED A TOTAL OF 52,852 LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS (MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN) IN ALL FOUR QUADRANTS AND EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC. AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK POST COVID19, UPO REMAINS RESOLVED TO HELPING DC RESIDENTS MAINTAIN OR ACHIEVE ECOMONIC SECURITY. UPO CONSISTENTLY REACHES OUT WITHIN COMMUNITIES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY AND ECONOMIC INSECURITY. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT: ---FIVE (5) UPO COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTERS---EIGHTEEN DIRECTLY OPERATED HEAD START SITES---TWO PARTNER FUNDED SITES, AND ---THROUGH CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH EIGHT COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) WORKING AS CSBG SERVICE PROVIDERS. DIRECT SERVICES PROVIDED BY UPO INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE; EARLY EDUCATION; YOUTH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT; YOUTH ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT; ADULT EDUCATION; VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION; HOUSING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE; BUDGET AND INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING; FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING; EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICES; NUTRITION EDUCATION; COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT; HEALTH RELATED SERVICES AND LINKAGES TO PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SERVICE PROGRAMS. IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2025, ALL OF UPO'S COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS OPERATED WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING THAT 1) INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH LOW-INCOME ARE STABLE AND ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SECURITY, 2) COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH LOW-INCOMES LIVE ARE HEALTHY AND OFFER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND 3) PEOPLE WITH LOW-INCOMES ARE ENGAGED AND ACTIVE IN BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. ALTOGETHER, UPO'S COMMUNITY SERVICES NETWORK SERVED A TOTAL OF 53,321 LOW-INCOME MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN IN ALL FOUR QUADRANTS AND EIGHT WARDS OF WASHINGTON, DC. AS A RESULT OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED, 795 INDIVIDUALS WITH LOW INCOMES SECURED EMPLOYMENT THAT PLACED THEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO ATTAIN SELF-SUFFICIENCY; 244 INDIVIDUALS WITH LOW INCOMES WHO COMPLETED EXTENSIVE VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND RECEIVED NATIONAL CERTIFICATIONS THAT PLACED THEM IN A BETTER POSITION TO SECURE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT; 837 CUSTOMERS RECEIVED TAX PREPARATION SERVICES AND SECURED REFUNDS WITH UPO'S FREE TAX PREPARATION COMPLIMENTED WITH MUCH-NEEDED INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING; 315 YOUTH WHO RECEIVED ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT SERVICES; OVER 1,000 YOUTH MENTORED BY FOSTER GRANDPARENTS; AND 1,064 WHO RECEIVED CASE MANAGEMENT WITH OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES DESIGNED TO ENABLE THEM TO COMPETE FOR, SECURE AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT.UPO COORDINATED COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVES, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT STRATEGIES, HOME RETENTION EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES. COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG) FUNDS WERE ALSO USED TO SUPPORT EARLY HEAD START SERVICE DELIVERY, TRANSPORTATION FOR HOMELESS CUSTOMERS AND COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT. BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS), LOCAL BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND VOLUNTEERS, UPO PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED INTERVENTIONS THAT LEAD TO INCREASED ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR DC RESIDENTS WHO HAVE LOW INCOMES. UPO'S OUTREACH WAS TARGETED AT RESIDENTS OF MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY AND ECONOMIC INSECURITY. SERVICES PROVIDED FOLLOWING OUTREACH WERE PRIMARILY DELIVERED AT THREE (3) UPO COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTERS, TWELVE DIRECTLY OPERATED EARLY HEAD START SITES, TWO PARTNER-FUNDED SITES, AND THROUGH CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SIX (6) CBOS WORKING AS CSBG SERVICE PROVIDERS. DIRECT SERVICES PROVIDED BY UPO ACROSS THE CITY INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, EARLY EDUCATION, YOUTH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT, ADULT EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, HOUSING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE, BUDGET AND INCOME MANAGEMENT COUNSELING, FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING, EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICES, NUTRITION EDUCATION, AND COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT.
- $22.5 million spent. HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START - UNITED PLANNING ORGANIZATION'S (UPO) HEAD START PROGRAM WAS INITIATED IN 1964 AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PILOT PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES. IN 2012, THE UPO OFFICE OF EARLY LEARNING (UPO-OEL) WAS AWARDED A BIRTH-TO-FIVE GRANT THAT PROVIDES SEAMLESS SERVICES FOR 1,200 CHILDREN AGES 6 WEEKS TO 3 YEARS OLD INCLUDING EXPECTING FAMILIES. UPO-OEL DIRECTLY OPERATES 17 EARLY LEARNING CENTERS AND PARTNERS WITH FIVE (5) NONPROFIT CHILDCARE AGENCIES THAT HAVE CONTRACTS. UPO IS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF EARLY HEAD START (EHS) SERVICES IN WASHINGTON, DC. UPO-OEL IS ALSO A HUB FOR THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT (0SSE) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT NETWORK (QIN) EARLY HEAD START CHILDCARE PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE. THE QIN-HUB INITIATIVE PROVIDES TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 12 EARLY LEARNING AND 14 FAMILY EARLY LEARNING PARTNERS IN DC TO SUPPORT THEM IN IMPLEMENTING HIGH QUALITY SERVICES FOR 466 FUNDED CHILDREN. THE QIN-HUB IS A QUALITITY IMPROVEMENT NETWORK INITIATIVE. HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START ARE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
- $3.1 million spent. HOMELESS - UPO ACTIVELY STANDS ON THE FRONTLINES OF HOMELESSNESS CARE AND PREVENTION. THE AGENCY CURRENTLY OPERATES A FLEET OF SHELTER TRANSPORT VEHICLES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE DIRECT, MANAGED SUPPORT TO UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS. THIS FLEET IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CITY'S CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR THE HOMELESS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 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 September 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 July 1964.
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.