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United World Schools USA Inc

EIN 84-4415835 · Montclair, NJ

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair68 out of 100GovernanceStrong97 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO EMPOWER EVERY CHILD IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL BY ENSURING FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING.

Income
$792,135
Spending
$823,803
Spent on programs
72%
Reserves
1.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
3
Volunteers
0
Highest pay
$157,500, ex-officio - ed

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: 68 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 9% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 73% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    72% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 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: 97 out of 100. Higher than 93% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    10 of 10 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a 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

    12 of 15

    Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.

  • 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, 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)
  1. $591,878 spent. FOUNDED IN 2008, UWS OPERATES AS A GLOBAL NON-PROFIT DEDICATED TO BREAKING DOWN EDUCATIONAL BARRIERS FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN ISOLATED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE. THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, WE BUILD EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE, DEVELOP TEACHING CAPACITY, AND REINFORCE LEARNING FRAMEWORKS FROM THE GROUND UP.ACROSS THE RURAL LANDSCAPES OF NEPAL, CAMBODIA, MYANMAR, AND MADAGASCAR, UWS CREATES A LASTING EDUCATIONAL IMPACT. WE'RE NOT JUST BUILDING SCHOOLS-WE'RE CULTIVATING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THAT EMPOWER ENTIRE COMMUNITIES WITH SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL BENEFIT FUTURE GENERATIONS. EACH SUCCESS REPRESENTS THE PROFOUND CAPACITY OF EDUCATION TO INSPIRE HOPE AND CREATE PATHWAYS TO OPPORTUNITY.THE ESTABLISHMENT OF UWS USA IN 2019 MARKED OUR COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING THE GLOBAL EDUCATION EMERGENCY ON A BROADER SCALE. TODAY'S REALITY IS STARK: 244 MILLION CHILDREN REMAIN OUTSIDE FORMAL SCHOOLING SYSTEMS, WHILE OVER HALF OF ALL CHILDREN WORLDWIDE LACK BASIC READING COMPREHENSION BY THEIR TENTH BIRTHDAY. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC INTENSIFIED THESE CHALLENGES, CREATING UNPRECEDENTED DISRUPTIONS TO LEARNING THAT CONTINUE TO AFFECT EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES GLOBALLY. THIS MOUNTING CRISIS DEMANDS AN URGENT AND COORDINATED RESPONSE.COMPOUNDING THESE CHALLENGES ARE THE SYSTEMIC WEAKNESSES PLAGUING EDUCATION IN LOW-INCOME REGIONS. YEARS OF INSUFFICIENT INVESTMENT HAVE LED TO SEVERE TEACHER SHORTAGES, PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS, WHERE QUALIFIED EDUCATORS OFTEN GRAVITATE TOWARD BETTER-RESOURCED URBAN POSITIONS. WHERE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES EXIST, OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS AND OUTDATED TEACHING METHODS USUALLY DETER STUDENTS, AS THEY STRUGGLE TO SEE THE RELEVANCE OF EDUCATION IN THEIR LIVES. THIS QUALITY DIVIDE MIRRORS AND PERPETUATES THE BROADER DISPARITIES BETWEEN URBAN CENTERS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES.THE STAKES OF THIS EDUCATIONAL EMERGENCY CANNOT BE MINIMIZED. FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS TRAPPED IN CYCLES OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DISADVANTAGE, EDUCATION REPRESENTS THEIR MOST POWERFUL PATHWAY TO TRANSFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITY. MAKING QUALITY EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MUST RANK AMONG OUR HIGHEST GLOBAL COMMITMENTS.UWS ADDRESSES THESE COMPLEX CHALLENGES THROUGH OUR COMPREHENSIVE FIVE-PILLAR FRAMEWORK, DESIGNED TO ALIGN WITH THE UNITED NATIONS' SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. OUR INTEGRATED APPROACH FOCUSES ON EXPANDING ACCESS, ENHANCING QUALITY, PROMOTING INCLUSION, STRENGTHENING EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS, AND FOSTERING COMMUNITIES THAT CAN SUSTAIN PROGRESS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.SINCE 2008, UWS HAS CONSTRUCTED OVER 325 SCHOOLS, TRAINED MORE THAN 1,500 TEACHERS, AND ENROLLED OVER 75,000 STUDENTS. SOME ADDITIONAL 2024 HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: 1UWS HAS ACHIEVED GENDER PARITY IN STUDENT ENROLMENT ACROSS OUR SCHOOLS 2IN NEPAL, 100% OF SCHOOLS' WASH FACILITIES ARE MEETING GENDER-FRIENDLY STANDARDS.3THE AVERAGE STUDENT ATTENDANCE ACROSS UWS SCHOOLS WAS 92% COMPARED WITH A 75% NATIONAL AVERAGE IN OUR COUNTRIES OF OPERATION.4CURRENTLY, 163 UWS GIRLS' CLUBS AND MOTHERS' GROUPS ENGAGE WOMEN AND GIRLS IN DISCUSSIONS OF CRITICAL ISSUES AND THEIR RIGHTS.5THE AVERAGE UWS TEACHER ATTENDANCE WAS 91% COMPARED TO 74% FOR GOVERNMENT TEACHERS IN OUR COUNTRIES OF OPERATION.UWS WILL CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE FUTURE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE!

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

  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 November 6, 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 2025.

    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 April 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 November 4, 2026.

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