Project Lead the Way Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana, registered in 2017, with $64,522,286 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 83% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$64.5M
▼ 7.4% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2024)
$70.5M
Net assets
$59.1M
Employees
283
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 Project Lead the Way Inc: 83% to programs · $10 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Project Lead the Way Inc: 10 mo reserves · -9% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Project Lead the Way Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Project Lead the Way Inc: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Project lead the way (pltw) empowers students to thrive in an evolving world.
Revenue grew from $60.2M (FY2019) to $64.5M (FY2024) across 6 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-9.3%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$94.2M
Total liabilities
$35.1M
Net assets
$59.1M
Salaries & benefits
$37.1M
53% of expenses
Board members
9
8 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $64,522,286▼7.4% | $70,518,191▲8.1% | $59,123,889▼8.5% | $94,176,658▼9.6% | 990 |
| 2023 | $69,671,602▲14.2% | $65,229,094▲8.5% | $64,649,180▲7.7% | $104,177,273▲1.4% | 990 |
| 2022 | $61,023,810▼6.8% | $60,118,859▲4.3% | $60,000,628▲1.4% | $102,702,002▼1.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $65,462,690▼18.2% | $57,653,861▲37.7% | $59,162,834▲9.2% | $104,347,608▲13.3% | 990 |
| 2020 | $80,004,133▲32.8% | $41,882,395▼32.5% | $54,160,869▲244% | $92,067,879▲65.5% | 990 |
| 2019 | $60,241,841 | $62,040,957 | $15,763,792 | $55,634,479 | 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.
Highest-paid: David Dimmett Edd — $672,287 (0.95% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Dimmett Edd | President & Ceo | 50 | $672,287 |
| Samuel Adams | Chief Financial Officer | 50 | $371,005 |
| Lisa Seay | Chief Talent Officer | 50 | $320,991 |
| Joel Kupperstein | Chief Product Officer | 50 | $317,393 |
| Catherine Minihan | Chief Impact Officer | 50 | $316,731 |
| Matthew Voors | Chief Legal & Compl. Officer | 50 | $308,458 |
| Kathleen Mote | Evp & Chief Strategy Officer (end 4/24) | 50 | $304,612 |
| Brian Greiwe | Chief Technology Officer | 50 | $289,576 |
| Samuel Cox | Chief Ops & Logistics Officer | 50 | $282,539 |
| Leah Brown | Evp & Chief Customer Officer (end 6/24) | 50 | $158,107 |
| John Williams | Chief Customer Officer | 50 | $117,164 |
| Adele Braxton-fields | Director | 5 | — |
| Charles Johnson-bey Phd | Director | 5 | — |
| Chris Bradshaw | Secretary | 5 | — |
| Eunice Heath | Chair | 5 | — |
| Gabriela Gonzalez Phd | Director | 5 | — |
| James Rahn | Vice Chair | 5 | — |
| Kurt Liebich | Past Board Chair | 5 | — |
| Zuheir Shahwan | Director | 5 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Centerplate | Event Services | $1,302,591 |
| Ernst & Young | Support Service | $1,229,532 |
| Thought Industries Inc | Support Service | $1,080,614 |
| Epam Systems Inc | Support Service | $863,312 |
| Ku Center For Research Inc | Support Service | $847,480 |
13 grants to Project Lead the Way Inc totaling $7.0M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $782,220 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Education | 2024 | $100,000 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $35,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $1,714,750 |
| Austin Community Foundation | Education | 2023 | $400,582 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2022 | $1,375,248 |
| The Blackbaud Giving Fund | General support | 2022 | $30,000 |
| The San Diego Foundation | Give curricular programs for k-12 pathways in stem | 2022 | $10,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2021 | $530,158 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2020 | $530,058 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2020 | $530,058 |
| Austin Community Foundation | Project lead the way | 2020 | $440,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2019 | $530,118 |
272 grants totaling $6.2M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Project Lead the Way Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeton Public School District | Program implementation | $285,000 |
| Brownsville Independent School District | Program implementation | $150,000 |
| Davenport Community School District | Program implementation | $150,000 |
| Chicago Public School District #299 | Program implementation | $145,000 |
| Spring Independent School District | Program implementation | $120,000 |
| Sand Springs Schools | Program expansion | $90,000 |
| Elkhorn Area School District | Program expansion | $85,000 |
| Appleton Area School District | Program implementation | $80,000 |
| Burlington Area School District | Program expansion | $80,000 |
| Fresno Unified School District | Program implementation | $80,000 |
| Noxubee County School District | Program implementation | $75,000 |
| Memphis-shelby County Schools | Program implementation | $72,500 |
| Kemper Academy | Program implementation | $65,000 |
| Union Co School Dist | Program implementation | $60,000 |
| Willingboro Public School District | Program implementation | $60,000 |
Explore more
Data for Project Lead the Way Inc (EIN 36-4802935) 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.