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Learning Agency Lab

EIN 84-2365060 · Tempe, AZ

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair57 out of 100GovernanceFair69 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The learning agency lab seeks to improve the effectiveness of k-16 education, especially for historically marginalized populations, by creating free or at-cost resources that are aligned to the science of learning.

Income
$810,580
Spending
$864,599
Spent on programs
92%
Reserves
7.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 85%
Employees
7
Volunteers
3
Highest pay
$11,500, board chair/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: 57 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 7.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 36% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 30% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    92% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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

Fair: 69 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    3 of 4 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 December 31, 2024, 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)
  1. $795,343 spent. In the 2024 fiscal year, The Learning Agency Lab further expanded its efforts to advance educational technology through data-driven research, collaborative competitions, and open-access resources. Over the course of the year, the Lab completed four major competitions in the Open Data Assessment Fund (ODAF) series, each designed to develop state-of-the-art algorithmic solutions that improve teaching, assessment, and data privacy in education. These competitions not only engaged a global community of data scientists and researchers but also generated open-source tools that can be applied in real-world classroom and research settings.The Linking Writing Processes to Writing Quality competition explored how students plan, revise, and manage their time during writing. By analyzing detailed keystroke logs from thousands of student essays, participants developed models capable of predicting overall writing quality from process-level features. This work provided new insights into the underlying cognitive and behavioral aspects of writing, offering potential for more personalized and actionable feedback for students and educators.The Human vs. AI Detection in Essay Writing competition addressed the growing challenge of distinguishing AI-generated text from human-written work. Using a dataset of student and AI-generated essays, competitors developed models that could reliably identify AI-generated content. These models support academic integrity and provide educators with tools to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of digital writing while promoting authentic student work.ASAP 2.0 revisited automated essay scoring with updated datasets and contemporary machine-learning approaches. Competitors created models that accurately scored student essays while minimizing bias, reducing teacher workload, and enabling faster and more equitable feedback for students across diverse educational settings. This work supports scalable assessment practices that can improve student outcomes while maintaining fairness and reliability.Finally, the Personally Identifiable Information Identification competition focused on improving the safety and accessibility of educational data. Participants developed models to accurately detect and label sensitive information in student-written text, ensuring privacy protections while enabling the sharing and use of high-quality datasets for research and educational purposes. This work contributes to safer, more usable educational data resources for the broader research community.Across all four competitions, The Learning Agency Lab engaged thousands of participants worldwide, producing open-source, high-performing models that advance teaching, assessment, and data privacy in education. In addition to developing these tools, the Lab has continued to build partnerships with educational vendors to encourage the adoption of the algorithms created through the competitions. The Lab also continues to update the Learning Exchange platform, making the datasets, models, and related resources widely accessible to support ongoing research, innovation, and equitable educational practices.

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

  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 December 2024.

    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 August 2020.

    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.