Greatschools Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
GREATSCHOOLS IS THE LEADING NONPROFIT PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY INFORMATION THAT SUPPORTS PARENTS PURSUING A GREAT EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILD, SCHOOLS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE, AND COMMUNITIES WORKING TO DIMINISH INEQUITIES IN EDUCATION.
- Income
- $5.5 million
- Spending
- $7.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 74%
- Reserves
- 4.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 41%
- Employees
- 45
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $414,121, 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: 51 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.1 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 21% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 44% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 39% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1574% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 22 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 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 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 (4)
- $3.2 million spent. OPEX: WITH AN OBJECTIVE TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY INFORMATION THAT SUPPORTS PARENTS PURSUING A GREAT EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILD, SCHOOLS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE, AND COMMUNITIES WORKING TO DIMINISH INEQUITIES IN EDUCATION, GREATSCHOOLS.ORG IS THE NATION'S LEADING PLATFORM FOR SCHOOL INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. IN 2024, OVER 39 MILLION USERS VISITED GREATSCHOOLS.ORG, EQUATING TO NEARLY HALF OF ALL U.S. PARENTS WITH SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN. THIS SAME YEAR, WE ALSO DELIVERED WEEKLY EMAILS, CONTAINING PARENTING TIPS AND GUIDANCE, TO OVER 800,000 NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS.
- $1.5 million spent. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: EACH YEAR, GREATSCHOOLS COLLECTS AND ANALYZES DATA FROM ALL 50 STATE DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DELIVER THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ON 150,000+ PUBLIC, CHARTER, AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE. THROUGH ONGOING USER RESEARCH, WE CONTINUALLY EVOLVE OUR PLATFORM TO: HIGHLIGHT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM, AMPLIFY PARENT PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES, AND HELP EDUCATORS BETTER UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
- $670,487 spent. SALES: GREATSCHOOLS IS THE NATION'S MOST TRUSTED SOURCE OF HIGH-QUALITY K-12 SCHOOL AND DISTRICT DATA. THROUGH LICENSING, OUR DATA POWERS LEADING EDUCATION AND REAL ESTATE SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HELPING PARENTS AND HOMEBUYERS FIND AND EVALUATE SCHOOLS WITH CONFIDENCE, WHILE OUR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES CONNECT SCHOOLS & BUSINESSES WITH MILLIONS OF FAMILIES ACTIVELY SEARCHING FOR SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES.
- $466,831 spent. MARKETING: ACTIVITIES TO GROW OUR AUDIENCE AND EXPAND OUR REACH THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS, BRANDING, AND USER ACQUISITION.
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
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 December 2024.
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 1999.
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.