Harlem Academy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
HARLEM ACADEMY DRIVES EQUITY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMISING CHILDREN, GUIDING THEM TO THRIVE AT THE HIGHEST ACADEMIC LEVELS AND ONE DAY MAKE A MARK ON THE WORLD.
- Income
- $9.1 million
- Spending
- $6.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 11.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Employees
- 52
- Volunteers
- 300
- Highest pay
- $236,752, ex-officio/head of school
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: 93 out of 100. Higher than 83% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 25% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 24 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
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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 (1)
- $5.7 million spent. COMMITMENT TO LOW-INCOME CHILDREN. HARLEM ACADEMY PROVIDES A FULL-NEED SCHOLARSHIP TO 100% OF ENROLLED STUDENTS. THE SCHOOL IS COMMITTED TO A MERITOCRACY WHERE HARD WORK DRIVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE POTENTIAL, AND NO STUDENT IS TURNED AWAY FOR AN INABILITY TO PAY. EXPANDED ENROLLMENT. SINCE RELOCATING TO ITS PERMANENT CAMPUS, HARLEM ACADEMY HAS INCREASED ENROLLMENT FROM 102 IN DECEMBER 2021 TO 182 STUDENTS IN SEPTEMBER 2024, EXPANDING ACCESS TO A RIGOROUS EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHOSE POTENTIAL MIGHT OTHERWISE GO UNREALIZED. SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACEMENT. NINETY-TWO PERCENT OF EIGHTH GRADERS FROM THE CLASS OF 2025 EARNED FULL-NEED SCHOLARSHIPS TO INDEPENDENT DAY AND BOARDING SCHOOLS. STUDENTS MATRICULATED AT SCHOOLS INCLUDING DEERFIELD ACADEMY, GREENWICH COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL, KENT SCHOOL, MISS PORTER'S SCHOOL, AND NORTHFIELD MOUNT HERMON, AMONG OTHERS. COLLEGE MATRICULATION. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF HARLEM ACADEMY ALUMNI FROM THE CLASS OF 2021 ENROLLED IN FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES. STUDENTS MATRICULATED AT INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS, HOWARD UNIVERSITY, SMITH COLLEGE, SPELMAN COLLEGE, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, TULANE UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, AND WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. PROVIDING A MODEL EDUCATION. HARLEM ACADEMY EXTENDS ITS IMPACT BY SHARING BEST PRACTICES. FACULTY AND LEADERSHIP HAVE PUBLISHED 11 ARTICLES IN EDUCATION JOURNALS AND RELATED OUTLETS, REACHING EDUCATORS, SCHOOL LEADERS, AND POLICYMAKERS NATIONWIDE. THIRD-PARTY RECOGNITION. HARLEM ACADEMY EARNED CHARITY NAVIGATOR'S FOUR-STAR RATING, CANDID'S PLATINUM SEAL OF TRANSPARENCY, AND THE SHIELD OF PROTECTION FROM THE BEAU BIDEN FOUNDATION.
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
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 June 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 January 2006.
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.