Great Questions Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE GREAT QUESTIONS FOUNDATION SEEKS TO PROMOTE LIBERAL EDUCATION AND CORE-TEXT AND DISCUSSION-BASED LEARNING AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE THROUGH SUPPORTING FACULTY DEVELOPEMENT, COURSE REDESIGN, AND HELPING TO ESTABLISH AND SUPPORT CORE-TEXT PROGRAMS AND COURSES.
- Income
- $104,335
- Spending
- $414,944
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 3.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 91%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $18,000, president/executive direct
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 298% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 91% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 92% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 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.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 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 (3)
- $25,396 spent. TO DATE, TGQF HAS HELPED OVER 230 FACULTY MEMBERS AT MORE THAN 70 COMMUNITY COLLEGES REDESIGN COURSES TO FOCUS ON THE DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF TRANSFORMATIVE TEXTS AND IDEAS IN THEIR GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE WORK, IMPACTING OVER 65,000 STUDENTS. TGQF COMPLETED AN IMPACT STUDY OF FACULTY WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OUR PROGRAMS. ON AVERAGE, EACH FACULTY MEMBER TEACHES 240 STUDENTS PER YEAR AND REPORTS APPLYING SKILLS GAINED THROUGH TGQF, SUCH AS WHOLE-TEXT READING APPROACHES AND DISCUSSION LEADERSHIP TECHNIQUES, IN APPROXIMATELY 70% OF THEIR COURSES. FACULTY FROM OUR INAUGURAL 2022 COHORT REPORT SUSTAINED USE OF THESE PRACTICES TODAY. TGQF'S INVESTMENT IN A SINGLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBER REACHES THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF A CAREER.TGQF CONTINUES TO OFFER ITS ONLINE CURRICULUM REDESIGN WORKSHOPS, FOCUSED ON HELPING FACULTY MEMBERS INCORPORATE THE DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF TRANSFORMATIVE TEXTS INTO GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES THEY TEACH AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES. ABOUT 50 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE COMPLETED TGQF ONLINE WORKSHOPS DURING THIS PERIOD, IMPACTING ABOUT 8,000 STUDENTS. IN EACH WORKSHOP, 10 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBERS COLLABORATE WITH TWO EXPERIENCED FACULTY LEADERS TO DEVELOP DISCUSSION-BASED PEDAGOGY, STUDENT-CENTERED STUDY QUESTIONS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND A REDESIGNED SYLLABUS FOR A GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE THEY TEACH AT THEIR HOME INSTITUTION. UPON COMPLETION OF THE WORKSHOP, FACULTY PARTICIPANTS INCORPORATE THE DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF ONE OR MORE OF THE TEXTS INTO THE CURRICULUM OF A GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE THEY TEACH. THE REDESIGNED COURSES HAVE BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN ENHANCING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, STIMULATING INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, ENCOURAGING DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES, AND CREATING AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR FREE EXPRESSION. FIND OUT MORE HERE: HTTPS://WWW.TGQF.ORG/WORKSHOPS/
- $51,321 spent. DISCUSSION-BASED CLASSROOMS MIRROR HOW CITIZENS WORK TOGETHER IN A HEALTHY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE CLASSROOM MAKES IT AN IDEAL SETTING FOR STUDENTS TO PRACTICE THESE SKILLS. TGQF'S AMERICAN POLITICAL AND SOCIAL THOUGHT (APST) COURSE REDESIGN INSTITUTE BRINGS DISCUSSION-BASED STUDY OF FOUNDATIONAL AMERICAN TEXTS, FROM PLATO AND LOCKE TO DOUGLASS, DU BOIS, AND DR. KING, TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SOCIAL SCIENCE CLASSROOMS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES. EXPERIENCED COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY LEAD EACH COHORT OF UP TO FIFTEEN INSTRUCTORS IN DEVELOPING APPROACHES THAT HELP STUDENTS IN DIVERSE CLASSROOMS ENGAGE OPENLY WITH QUESTIONS OF LIBERTY, EQUALITY, AND DEMOCRATIC SELF-GOVERNANCE. THE PROGRAM HAS REACHED 47 FACULTY AND OVER 5,000 STUDENTS. BEFORE PARTICIPATING, 71% OF FACULTY REPORTED LITTLE TO NO EXPERIENCE TEACHING THESE TEXTS THROUGH DISCUSSION; AFTERWARD, 100% PLANNED TO INTEGRATE MORE. AMONG STUDENTS, 83% REPORTED MORE DISCUSSION OPPORTUNITIES THAN IN OTHER COURSES, 78% FELT FREE TO EXPLORE UNPOPULAR VIEWPOINTS, AND 87% CAME TO SEE THE CONTINUED RELEVANCE OF THE CONSTITUTION AND FOUNDING DOCUMENTS. THESE RESULTS REFLECT EXACTLY THE KIND OF CIVIC LEARNING THAT NATIONAL REPORTS IDENTIFY AS MOST NEEDED AND MOST UNDERFUNDED AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES: NOT CIVICS AS ROTE MEMORIZATION OF GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS' CAPACITY TO ENGAGE WITH FOUNDATIONAL TEXTS, DELIBERATE ACROSS DIFFERENCE, AND APPLY FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES TO CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR WORK HERE: HTTPS://WWW.TGQF.ORG/APST/
- $274,750 spent. TGQF FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS BRING DISCUSSION-BASED, HUMANITIES-GROUNDED PEDAGOGY TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE GENERAL EDUCATION. OUR 51 FELLOWS, SPANNING INSTITUTIONS FROM MIAMI DADE TO WEST LOS ANGELES TO RURAL OKLAHOMA, ARE CHANGING THE CULTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AT THEIR COLLEGES, AND THEIR WORK IS HAVING STRUCTURAL IMPACTS ON THE INSTITUTION WHERE THEY TEACH. TGQF FELLOWS AT COLUMBUS STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDED A DEDICATED LIBERAL ARTS LEARNING INSTITUTE THAT HAS ALREADY ENGAGED NEARLY 500 STUDENTS. AT WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE, FELLOWS LED 13 FACULTY ACROSS DISCIPLINES FROM MATHEMATICS TO DENTAL HYGIENE NOW WEAVE HUMANISTIC INQUIRY INTO COURSES THAT RARELY ENGAGE WITH THE HUMANITIES. AT MIAMI DADE, OUR FELLOW'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODEL HAS BEEN FORMALLY INTEGRATED INTO INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES. STUDENTS NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE: 90% RATED FELLOWS-TAUGHT COURSES "EXCEPTIONAL OR "VERY GOOD, AND THE SHARE WHO STRONGLY AGREED THEIR COURSE EXPLORED QUESTIONS IMPORTANT TO THEIR OWN LIVES GREW BY OVER 12 PERCENTAGE POINTS ACROSS SEMESTERS. OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF STUDENTS REPORTED MAKING DEEPER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN READINGS AND THEIR OWN LIVES AND LISTENING MORE ATTENTIVELY TO OTHERS. FELLOWS ARE INCREASINGLY LEADING THIS WORK THEMSELVES CO-FACILITATING TGQF WORKSHOPS, HELPING LEAD NATIONAL INITIATIVES LIKE OUR COURSE REDESIGN INSTITUTES, AND STEPPING INTO FACULTY LEADERSHIP ROLES AT THEIR COLLEGES. FIND OUT MORE HERE: HTTPS://WWW.TGQF.ORG/FELLOWSHIP/
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 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 November 6, 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 August 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 2019.
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 November 4, 2026.
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