Special Olympics Inc
85% goes to programs $11 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Special Olympics Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, District of Columbia, registered in 1969, with $186,403,463 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 85% of spending to programs.
2600 Virginia Ave Nw 11th Floor, Washington, DC, 20037 EIN 52-0889518 Since 1969
Revenue (FY2024)
$186.4M
▲ 22.4% vs prior year
Recreation median: $129K
Expenses (FY2024)
$168.5M
Net assets
$138.7M
Employees
286
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 · $11 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 Special Olympics Inc: 85% to programs · $11 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating10 mo reserves · +10% 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 Special Olympics Inc: 10 mo reserves · +10% 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 Special Olympics Inc: 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 Special Olympics Inc: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The mission of special olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other special olympics athletes and the community.
What they do
Public education and communicationsat the end of 2024, 152 countries had adopted special olympics school programming across seven global regions, with 41 countries receiving direct grant-funded support from special olympics headquarters. this funding was thanks to the backing of significant contributors such as the stavros niarchos foundation (snf) and his highness sheikh mohammed bin zayed al nahyan, president of the u.a.e., ruler of abu dhabi, supreme commander of the u.a.e. armed forces (mbz)in 2024, special olympics trained 33 new country programs to implement the unified champion schools (ucs) model through the excellence in action events, led by the regional hubs of excellence (special olympics argentina, special olympics bharat, special olympics pakistan, special olympics egypt, special olympics rwanda, and special olympics romania). at these events, the hubs shared best practices and trained the new programs on key topics essential for implementing the ucs model.within the united states, unified champion schools (ucs) marked a milestone year in 2024, entering its 17th year of partnership with the office of special education programs at the u.s. department of education. the movement achieved a major benchmark, surpassing its national target of 10,000 schools engaged across all levels of education from pre-k to college, demonstrating the growing demand for inclusive school cultures. globally, ucs experienced significant expansion, growing from 17 to 25 special olympics programs, further embedding the model of inclusive youth leadership, unified sports, and whole-school engagement into education systems worldwide. this growth underscores the transformative power of ucs to shift school climates, empower students with and without intellectual disabilities, and establish inclusion as a standard practice rather than an exception.in 2024, the special olympics global youth & education team advanced global youth leadership and unified champion schools worldwide. with support from the u.s. department of state, unified youth exchanges were implemented in mexico, peru, north carolina, washington, d.c., jamaica, connecticut, and panama, creating opportunities for youth with and without intellectual disabilities to connect across cultures, share best practices, and strengthen leadership skills.a global virtual youth & educators summit reached more than 1,000 participants worldwide and deepened collaboration between youth leaders and educators on special olympics programming. regionally, a youth leadership summit in china convened youth and athlete leadership councils from across east asia to strengthen skills and promote inclusion.a key milestone in february 2024 was the onboarding of the 2023-2025 global youth leadership council (gylc), a cohort of unified youth leaders beginning a two-year term guiding special olympics' global youth programming. in addition, the youth innovation initiative funded 77 youth-led projects across all seven regions, empowering young leaders to design and implement community- and school-based projects with measurable impact. special olympics is a global thought leader within inclusion and education. the special olympics global center for inclusion in education was founded in 2019 by a generous gift from his highness sheikh mohammed bin zayed al nahyan, president of the u.a.e., and serves as a platform of best practices for unified champion schools. in its third year, the research collaborative developed a set of key research principles, parameters, and themes that serve as the foundation for publishing and executing a consensus research agenda to advance research, practice, and policy related to inclusion in sport and education contexts. the center continued two important partnerships with renowned research institutions. in collaboration with the easel lab at the harvard graduate school of education, special olympics developed a framework for inclusive mindsets and behaviors (imb) and several important re
Contact & location
- Address
- 2600 Virginia Ave Nw 11th Floor, Washington, DC, 20037
- City
- Washington
- State
- District of Columbia
- Category
- Recreation & Sports
- Subcategory
- Sports Training
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $95.5M (FY2013) to $186.4M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $25.6MNet assets $138.7M
Operating margin
9.6%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$164.2M
Total liabilities
$25.6M
Net assets
$138.7M
Salaries & benefits
$39.7M
24% of expenses
Board members
37
34 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $186,403,463▲22.4% | $168,543,160▲5.0% | $138,674,577▲15.4% | $164,249,772▲9.3% | 990 |
| 2023 | $152,233,363▲10.1% | $160,530,033▲12.8% | $120,136,216▼5.7% | $150,264,447▼2.8% | 990 |
| 2022 | $138,307,643▼6.8% | $142,283,989▲12.9% | $127,369,169▼4.0% | $154,610,459▼0.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $148,321,104▲17.7% | $126,020,467▲14.7% | $132,709,904▲20.7% | $155,208,967▲19.6% | 990 |
| 2020 | $126,031,361▼7.0% | $109,837,653▼14.2% | $109,956,281▲18.0% | $129,814,982▲19.5% | 990 |
| 2019 | $135,575,691 | $128,087,216▼1.4% | $93,172,967▲9.2% | $108,658,001▲5.1% | 990 |
| 2018 | $135,599,414▲5.0% | $129,970,580▲17.1% | $85,351,158▲6.6% | $103,372,285▲10.8% | 990 |
| 2017 | $129,137,336▲23.5% | $110,965,732▲6.8% | $80,065,522▲30.9% | $93,282,510▲16.8% | 990 |
| 2016 | $104,596,866▼4.9% | $103,936,249▼12.3% | $61,184,040▲1.4% | $79,895,080▲11.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $110,024,577▲1.7% | $118,447,330▲7.0% | $60,354,141▼12.4% | $71,759,731▼10.6% | 990 |
| 2014 | $108,202,888▲13.3% | $110,699,546▲11.9% | $68,935,826▼7.5% | $80,289,857▼4.1% | 990 |
| 2013 | $95,509,177 | $98,898,021▲14.3% | $74,505,034▼1.8% | $83,762,835▼1.9% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $86,548,107▼1.1% | $75,853,029▲25.5% | $85,368,016▲24.4% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $87,537,711▼3.3% | $60,418,228▼5.1% | $68,603,671▼9.4% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $90,566,320 | $63,677,794 | $75,698,591 | 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: Ms Mary Davis — $534,245 (0.32% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Mary Davis | Ceo & President | 40 | $534,245 |
| Ms Zehra Sayin | Cmdo | 40 | $350,741 |
| Dr John Dow | Chief, Regional & Program | 40 | $318,543 |
| Mr Brandon Fitzgerald | Chief Legal Officer & Secretary | 40 | $304,573 |
| Mr James Barbee | Cfo | 40 | $274,416 |
| Mr David Evangelista | Rpmd, Soee | 40 | $271,755 |
| Mr Steve Borrelli | Chief Human Resources Officer | 40 | $269,358 |
| Mr Louis Lauria | Chief of Games and Competition | 40 | $258,892 |
| Ms Freda Fung | Rpmd, Soea | 40 | $241,603 |
| Mr Ayman Wahab | Rpmd, Mena | 40 | $209,054 |
| Dr Jim P Clements | Director | 0.8 | — |
| Dr Karoly Mirnics | Director | 0.8 | — |
| Dr Seun Adigun | Director | 0.8 | — |
| Dr Shi Derong | Director | 0.8 | — |
| Dr Timothy Shriver | Chairman | 5 | — |
| Mr Amadou Gall Fall | Director | 0.8 | — |
| Mr Bart Conner | Director | 0.8 | — |
| Mr Bobby Shriver | Director | 0.8 | — |
| Mr Chang-woo Soh | Director | 0.8 | — |
| Mr Dale Jones | Treasurer | 0.8 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Production Solutions | Fundraising/mailing Services | $15,161,105 |
| Interactive Strategies | Fundraising Services | $2,715,682 |
| Givebridge Inc | Fundraising Services | $1,995,041 |
| Ernst and Young Us LLP | Technology Development/implementation | $1,629,385 |
| Mds Communications Corp | Fundraising Services | $1,553,443 |
Grants received · $39.3M total
209 grants to Special Olympics Inc totaling $39.3M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lions Clubs International Ftdn | Lcif special olympics partnership (2024-2025) | 2024 | $1,916,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | Stevens initiative cultural exchange | 2024 | $500,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $379,274 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $170,026 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Medical / public services | 2024 | $65,250 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $60,887 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $50,000 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2024 | $42,100 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $40,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Sports/leisure | 2024 | $31,099 |
| Pga Tour Inc | General support | 2024 | $25,000 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Sports and recreation | 2024 | $16,650 |
| National Football League Foundation | General support | 2024 | $16,275 |
| Thrivent Financial For Lutherans | General support | 2024 | $8,013 |
| American Gift Fund | Operations | 2024 | $7,292 |
Grants made · $55.2M in FY2024
68 grants totaling $55.2M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Special Olympics Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Special Olympics Texas Inc | Program assistance | $2,606,538 |
| Special Olympics Florida Inc | Program assistance | $2,374,404 |
| Special Olympics Michigan Inc | Program assistance | $2,181,710 |
| Special Olympics Illinois | Program assistance | $2,102,162 |
| Special Olympics New York Inc | Program assistance | $2,014,206 |
| Special Olympics Pennsylvania Inc | Program assistance | $1,994,745 |
| Special Olympics North Carolina Inc | Program assistance | $1,832,486 |
| Special Olympics Minnesota Inc | Program assistance | $1,831,179 |
| Special Olympics Southern California Inc | Program assistance | $1,778,369 |
| Special Olympics Massachusetts Inc | Program assistance | $1,635,184 |
| Special Olympics Ohio Inc | Program assistance | $1,531,311 |
| Special Olympics Northern California Inc | Program assistance | $1,508,800 |
| Special Olympics Colorado | Program assistance | $1,481,724 |
| Special Olympics Wisconsin Inc | Program assistance | $1,386,666 |
| Special Olympics South Carolina | Program assistance | $1,380,303 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Special Olympics Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Special Olympics Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 52-0889518, based in Washington, District of Columbia. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Special Olympics Inc's EIN?
- Special Olympics Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 52-0889518.
- How much revenue does Special Olympics Inc report?
- Special Olympics Inc reported $186,403,463 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Special Olympics Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Special Olympics Inc spends about 85% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Special Olympics Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Special Olympics Inc A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Special Olympics Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Special Olympics Inc's latest Form 990 is $534,245, paid to Ms Mary Davis (Ceo & President).
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Data for Special Olympics Inc (EIN 52-0889518) 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.