Mission: Harlem Academy is an independent school (grades K-8) that drives equity of opportunity for promising students, guiding them to thrive at the highest academic levels ... (More)
Harlem Academy is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 2006, and donations are tax-deductible.
Is this your nonprofit? Access your Star Rating Portal to submit data and edit your profile.
Contact Information
655 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York NY 10030
Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for Harlem Academy is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
You are viewing this organization's new Charity Navigator profile page. To view the legacy version, click here.
Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Exceptional
This charity's score is 91.56, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 88.07 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019, the latest year published by the IRS.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Star Rated Report
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Program Expense Ratio
77.3%
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expenses
7.8%
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expenses
14.7%
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
1.4%
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.10
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio
4.91 years
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth
4.27%
We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
| |
| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
| |
| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Transparency
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Total Revenue and Expenses
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Vincent Dotoli, Head of School
$183,725 (4.63% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Business Master File Data
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
Foundation Status:
School 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) (BMF foundation code: 11)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Harlem Academy reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Balance Sheet
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Harlem Academy received two PPP loans, which helped to ensure that the school could maintain its staff during the pandemic.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
In 2020-21, Harlem Academy provided a virtual program for all students. We chose this model to provide consistency for families and allow teachers to optimize their lessons for connection, engagement, and differentiation online, rather than splitting their focus between in-person and virtual teaching. While most students accessed this instruction from home, we also offered daily, full-time supervision at Harlem Academy for families whose circumstances required it.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
As conditions continued to change, we closely followed guidance from the New York City Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and the New York State Education Department in developing and updating plans. Through consistent and ongoing surveying of families, we continuously ensure that our support is responsive and aimed at meeting all families’ needs. Harlem Academy offered weekly COVID testing, maintained distancing, and required masks. The school also upgraded its HVAC system, used medical-grade air purifiers in classrooms and shared spaces, and limited building access. The school also distributed laptops and school supplies and expanded scholarship support to ensure students could continue to thrive regardless of their financial circumstances.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
1. During the pandemic, we formally scheduled one-on-one check-ins to ensure teachers and advisors had a chance to connect with each student around holistic wellness, living the School Creed, and maximizing their use of our program to thrive at the highest academic level they can. The strategy was successful and is now built into the in-person middle school schedule. 2. We used technology platforms to drive differentiated independent math and reading practice. We have continued use of some of these programs to offer additional challenge and/or practice as needed. 3. We will continue to use Zoom for some family meetings and professional development, rather than automatically assuming an in-person meeting is the best format. 4. We integrated mindfulness within our wellness program to help develop resilience to a range of stressors. We will continue to build on this work even after the pandemic passes.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 11/1/2020 | 2019 | 91.56 | |
| 7/1/2019 | 2018 | 91.78 | |
| 7/1/2018 | 2017 | 91.71 | |
| 11/1/2017 | 2016 | 90.36 | |
| 9/1/2016 | 2015 | 89.01 |  |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 92.80 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 7/1/2015 | 2014 | 95.59 | |
| 11/1/2014 | 2013 | 94.98 | |
| 9/1/2013 | 2012 | 91.45 | |
| 11/6/2012 | 2011 | 91.51 | |
| 9/1/2012 | 2011 | 89.80 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 8/1/2012 | 2011 | 88.00 | |
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
Harlem Academy cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Do you work at Harlem Academy? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Largest Programs
Harlem Academy reported its largest program on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
$2,925,843
Spent in most recent FY
100%
Percent of program expenses
Overview.Harlem Academy drives equity of opportunity for promising students, guiding them to thrive at the highest academic levels and one day make a mark on the world. To start, we seek students whos ... (More)
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by Harlem Academy is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
Harlem Academy drives equity of opportunity for promising students, guiding them to thrive at the highest academic levels and one day make a mark on the world.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Our vision is to be the most transformational school in New York City for elementary and middle school students whose significant academic potential might otherwise go unrealized and to serve as an innovation center for developing and disseminating best practices.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Maintain academic excellence and strong values through the transition to a new campus
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Goal Two: Grow enrollment from 120 to 206 students
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Build financial strength and stability
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
The head of school engaged in an individualized executive leadership coaching program through EY. The assistant head of school and head of school participated in leadership training with Bellwether Education Partners.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Harlem Academy is dedicated to sharing successful strategies to extend its beyond the school’s walls and has published eight articles in national education journals since 2016. The school also partners with external organizations, including the Classic Stage Company, Columbia University Neuroscience, Harlem School of the Arts, and more. The head of school meets monthly with a set of like-minded schools to cross-pollinate ideas. The school also maintains an active social media presence to raise awareness about its mission and impact.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
For the 2021-22 school year, Harlem Academy is holding its in-person, extended-day program (7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Adaptations include (1) limiting enrollment to allow for social distancing, (2) wearing masks, (3) administering weekly Covid testing for 100% of students and on-site staff, (3) upgrading the HVAC system, (4) using additional, medical-grade air purifiers in every room, (5) limiting building access, and (6) reimagining most events virtually. During the 2020-21 school year, the school implemented a virtual program for all students. That allowed teachers to optimize their lessons to provide creative and powerful opportunities for connection, engagement, and differentiation online. Most students accessed this instruction from home. The school also offered every day, on-site supervision for families whose circumstances required it from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Like most schools, a lot looked different last year. Trips were canceled, clubs and electives mostly did not happen, and some of our community celebrations were not possible in a virtual environment. What continued was the focus on rigorous and engaging lessons; individual connection and wellness with dedicated fitness and mindfulness blocks; and a joyful environment that celebrates growth, whether in class, in commendations at community meetings, or during virtual celebrations of learning. To ensure equity of resources at home, the school distributed laptops and school supplies to ensure every child was ready to learn. In cases where families could not come to the school, Harlem Academy delivered the necessary supplies. In addition, the school maintained a sliding scale for tuition and ensured families knew that expanded financial aid was available if their income was been impacted by the pandemic or otherwise.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Organization Leadership
Vincent Dotoli
Head of School
David B. Peterson
Board Chair
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
93
out of 100
Harlem Academy has earned a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating. The organization provided data about how it listens to constituents (Constituent Feedback) and its Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) practices (see report below).
The Culture & Community Beacon is comprised of the following metrics:
Constituent Feedback: 100/100 (30% of beacon score)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: 90/100 (70% of beacon score)
Culture & Community Report
93
of 100 points
This beta feature is currently viewable only on desktop or tablet screens. Check back later for updates.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
90/100 points
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 90 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 7 diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
View this organization's DEI Strategies
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
100/100 points
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
View this organization's Constituent Feedback Practices
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
