Bright Star Schools
92% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Bright Star Schools is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Los Angeles, California, registered in 2004, with $81,503,664 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 92% of spending to programs.
600 S La Fayette Park Pl, Los Angeles, CA, 90057 EIN 55-0806673 Since 2004
Revenue (FY2023)
$81.5M
▼ 30.0% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$80.0M
Net assets
$71.8M
Employees
674
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A+
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating92% to programs · $0 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Bright Star Schools: 92% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating11 mo reserves · +2% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Bright Star Schools: 11 mo reserves · +2% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Bright Star Schools: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Bright Star Schools: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To open the minds and doors of students by providing a college-preparatory education
Contact & location
- Address
- 600 S La Fayette Park Pl, Los Angeles, CA, 90057
- City
- Los Angeles
- State
- California
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Elementary & Secondary Schools
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $19.0M (FY2013) to $81.5M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $137.5MNet assets $71.8M
Operating margin
1.9%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$209.3M
Total liabilities
$137.5M
Net assets
$71.8M
Salaries & benefits
$53.2M
67% of expenses
Board members
11
11 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $81,503,664▼30.0% | $79,953,273▲10.7% | $71,806,876▲2.2% | $209,288,916▲18.6% | 990 |
| 2022 | $116,447,935▲64.9% | $72,202,716▲16.5% | $70,256,485▲169% | $176,480,820▲58.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $70,636,057▲24.1% | $61,975,077▲21.3% | $26,071,441▲36.8% | $111,091,804▲96.6% | 990 |
| 2020 | $56,908,156▼2.7% | $51,108,502▼1.3% | $19,063,334▲43.7% | $56,517,435▲10.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $58,493,438▲22.6% | $51,786,075▲18.1% | $13,263,680▲8.7% | $51,030,520▲1.8% | 990 |
| 2018 | $47,695,607▲8.4% | $43,858,918▲9.4% | $12,207,557▲24.5% | $50,108,989▲223% | 990 |
| 2017 | $44,000,457▲33.6% | $40,072,897▲24.1% | $9,808,369▲66.8% | $15,493,897▼53.6% | 990 |
| 2016 | $32,939,220▲15.7% | $32,301,704▼4.4% | $5,880,809▲12.2% | $33,388,004▲14.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $28,481,694▲22.7% | $33,785,365▲43.2% | $5,243,293▼50.3% | $29,205,887▲25.4% | 990 |
| 2014 | $23,207,082▲22.1% | $23,593,277▲26.4% | $10,546,964▼3.5% | $23,286,856▲3.0% | 990 |
| 2013 | $19,013,830 | $18,661,807▲93.7% | $10,933,159▼40.2% | $22,617,134▼13.6% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $9,633,978▲8.9% | $18,297,462▲20.2% | $26,186,016▲15.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $8,848,904 | $15,227,723 | $22,678,967 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Hrag Hamalian — $303,268 (0.38% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hrag Hamalian | Executive Director (july-oct) | 40 | $303,268 |
| Veronica Leeann Yu | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $178,625 |
| Elijah Sugay | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $176,986 |
| Kaitln Foe | Chief of Staff | 40 | $168,500 |
| Eliza Kim | Head of School | 40 | $157,456 |
| Zebib Habte | Head of Accounting Services | 40 | $155,182 |
| Jennifer Simmons | Vp Curriculum and Instruct | 40 | $154,722 |
| Marni Parsons | Senior Vp Student & Family | 40 | $150,570 |
| Rebecca Vogel Sanchez | Board Certified Behaviour Analysist | 40 | $143,280 |
| Ana L Martinez | Corporate - President / Ceo | 40 | $128,641 |
| Andrew Murr | Chair | 2 | — |
| Andrew Wang | Member | 2 | — |
| David Change | Member | 2 | — |
| Jason Rudolph | Member | 2 | — |
| Jennifer Cole | Secretary | 2 | — |
| Lois Levy | Member | 2 | — |
| Louisa Wee | Member | 2 | — |
| Marisol Leon | Member | 2 | — |
| Marissiko Wheaton-green | Member | 2 | — |
| Roberta Benjamin | Member | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| George Alfaro | Construction/ Repair & Maintenance | $670,408 |
| Larson Communications | Pr Consultants | $121,000 |
| Raven Woods Leveled Talent LLC | Executive Recruiting Services | $113,710 |
| Lucky Ride | Transportation | $103,869 |
Grants received · $7.5M total
22 grants to Bright Star Schools totaling $7.5M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Fund Inc | Impact and innovation | 2024 | $17,000 |
| Baby2baby | In-kind donations of program supplies for needy families | 2023 | $88,347 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2023 | $30,000 |
| Network For Good Inc | Unrestricted | 2023 | $23,403 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $10,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2022 | $7,000,250 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2022 | $30,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2022 | $30,000 |
| Network For Good Inc | Unrestricted | 2022 | $19,642 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2021 | $25,000 |
| Network For Good Inc | Unrestricted | 2021 | $20,552 |
| Network For Good Inc | Unrestricted | 2020 | $28,819 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2020 | $15,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2019 | $15,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2019 | $15,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Bright Star Schools a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Bright Star Schools is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 55-0806673, based in Los Angeles, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Bright Star Schools's EIN?
- Bright Star Schools's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 55-0806673.
- How much revenue does Bright Star Schools report?
- Bright Star Schools reported $81,503,664 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Bright Star Schools's spending goes to programs?
- Bright Star Schools spends about 92% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Bright Star Schools have?
- CharityIndex grades Bright Star Schools A+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Bright Star Schools's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Bright Star Schools's latest Form 990 is $303,268, paid to Hrag Hamalian (Executive Director (july-oct)).
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Data for Bright Star Schools (EIN 55-0806673) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.