Rocketship Education
85% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Growing revenue
Rocketship Education is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Redwood City, California, registered in 2006, with $178,105,036 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 85% of spending to programs.
350 Twin Dolphin Dr Ste 109, Redwood City, CA, 94065 EIN 20-4040597 Since 2006
Revenue (FY2024)
$178.1M
▼ 4.8% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2024)
$176.1M
Net assets
$85.5M
Employees
1,396
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating85% 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 Rocketship Education: 85% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating6 mo reserves · +1% 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 Rocketship Education: 6 mo reserves · +1% 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 Rocketship Education: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 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 Rocketship Education: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Rocketship education is a national non-profit network of public elementary charter schools serving low-income communities with limited access to excellent schools.
What they do
Provides staff and other support to launchpad development company.
Contact & location
- Address
- 350 Twin Dolphin Dr Ste 109, Redwood City, CA, 94065
- City
- Redwood City
- State
- California
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Elementary & Secondary Schools
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $51.7M (FY2013) to $178.1M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $169.8MNet assets $85.5M
Operating margin
1.1%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$255.3M
Total liabilities
$169.8M
Net assets
$85.5M
Salaries & benefits
$102.2M
58% of expenses
Board members
22
22 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $178,105,036▼4.8% | $176,060,565▲2.5% | $85,476,479▲2.5% | $255,253,955▼5.9% | 990 |
| 2023 | $187,005,475▲7.5% | $171,816,807▲8.3% | $83,432,008▲22.3% | $271,375,549▲8.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $173,897,710▲25.2% | $158,613,754▲15.8% | $68,243,340▲28.9% | $251,235,558▲235% | 990 |
| 2021 | $138,926,108▲15.1% | $136,945,189▲26.4% | $52,959,384▲3.9% | $74,996,773▲0.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $120,667,231▲8.4% | $108,334,421▲0.3% | $50,978,465▲31.6% | $74,871,482▲32.1% | 990 |
| 2019 | $111,342,099▲2.1% | $107,974,937▲5.1% | $38,731,151▲9.5% | $56,664,135▲10.2% | 990 |
| 2018 | $109,048,247▲10.4% | $102,701,005▲8.8% | $35,363,989▲21.9% | $51,425,468▲19.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $98,757,579▲8.0% | $94,370,438▲7.7% | $29,016,747▲17.8% | $43,045,014▲12.3% | 990 |
| 2016 | $91,449,291▲10.2% | $87,624,693▲15.0% | $24,629,606▲19.5% | $38,324,635▲12.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $82,957,671▲30.9% | $76,195,779▲20.2% | $20,605,486▲47.5% | $34,089,356▲40.4% | 990 |
| 2014 | $63,358,795▲22.6% | $63,415,729▲20.0% | $13,968,882▼1.3% | $24,286,360▼30.3% | 990 |
| 2013 | $51,673,472 | $52,834,999▲245% | $14,146,560▲29.8% | $34,855,538▲127% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $15,306,211▲44.9% | $10,900,798▲20.9% | $15,362,474▲21.0% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $10,562,837 | $9,017,735 | $12,696,428 | 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 (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Preston Smith — $317,893 (0.18% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Smith | Ceo | 40 | $317,893 |
| Lamar Wade | Chief People Officer | 40 | $313,116 |
| Maria Heredia | Chief Legal Officer | 40 | $274,824 |
| Benjamin Carson | Cfo | 40 | $273,284 |
| Kerry Flanagan | National Chief of Staff | 40 | $249,124 |
| Christopher Murphy | Chief Communications Offic | 40 | $230,575 |
| Maricela Guerrero | Executive Director, Califo | 40 | $225,536 |
| Alex Terman | Board Treasurer | 2 | — |
| April Taylor | Director | 2 | — |
| Brian Kilb | Director | 2 | — |
| Charmaine Detweiler | Director | 2 | — |
| Daniel Sanchez | Director | 2 | — |
| Deborah Mcgriff | Director | 2 | — |
| Deja Gipson | Director | 2 | — |
| Derwin Sisnett | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Daniel Velasco | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Raymond Raven | Director | 2 | — |
| Greg Stanger | Board Secretary | 2 | — |
| Hugo Castaneda | Director | 2 | — |
| Jolene Sloter | Director | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Rlcl Acquisition LLC | Student Transportation | $1,300,122 |
| The Stepping Stones Group LLC | Sped Consultants | $357,305 |
| Alejandro Sevilla | Education Consulting | $354,350 |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | Audit and Consulting | $330,747 |
| Quad C Le Holdings LLC | Education Software | $295,324 |
Grants received · $15.1M total
59 grants to Rocketship Education totaling $15.1M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Fund Inc | Charter school capacity-building | 2024 | $1,500,000 |
| 50can Inc | To support summer boost | 2024 | $560,000 |
| Charter Fund Inc | Impact and innovation | 2024 | $100,000 |
| City Fund | To support sy25-26 enrollment growth in nashville | 2024 | $50,000 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Education | 2024 | $30,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $15,686 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $12,500 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $1,014,500 |
| 50can Inc | To support summer boost | 2023 | $722,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $320,600 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $15,352 |
| Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc | Supporting students with special needs | 2023 | $12,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $12,000 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $10,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2023 | $10,000 |
Grants made · $525K in FY2017
1 grant totaling $525K in FY2017. All grants made by Rocketship Education →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Launchpad Development Company | To support facility development for charter schools. | $525,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Rocketship Education a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Rocketship Education is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 20-4040597, based in Redwood City, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Rocketship Education's EIN?
- Rocketship Education's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 20-4040597.
- How much revenue does Rocketship Education report?
- Rocketship Education reported $178,105,036 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Rocketship Education's spending goes to programs?
- Rocketship Education spends about 85% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Rocketship Education have?
- CharityIndex grades Rocketship Education A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Rocketship Education's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Rocketship Education's latest Form 990 is $317,893, paid to Preston Smith (Ceo).
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Data for Rocketship Education (EIN 20-4040597) 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.