Spence School
85% goes to programs $41 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Spence School is a 501(c)(3) organization based in New York, New York, registered in 1942, with $63,102,086 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 85% of spending to programs.
22 E 91st St, New York, NY, 10128 EIN 13-1635286 Since 1942
Revenue (FY2023)
$63.1M
▲ 8.7% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$69.9M
Net assets
$336.1M
Employees
405
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B+
BProgram efficiency40% of the rating85% to programs · $41 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 Spence School: 85% to programs · $41 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
C+Financial health25% of the rating58 mo reserves · -11% 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 Spence School: 58 mo reserves · -11% margin earns a C+ 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 Spence School: 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 Spence School: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To prepare a diverse community of girls/young women for the transformation of self and the world.
Contact & location
- Address
- 22 E 91st St, New York, NY, 10128
- City
- New York
- State
- New York
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Elementary & Secondary Schools
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $45.1M (FY2013) to $63.1M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $60.8MNet assets $336.1M
Operating margin
-10.7%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$397.0M
Total liabilities
$60.8M
Net assets
$336.1M
Salaries & benefits
$41.2M
59% of expenses
Board members
26
26 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $63,102,086▲8.7% | $69,870,324▲2.3% | $336,144,840▲2.6% | $396,968,006▲2.7% | 990 |
| 2022 | $58,057,667▼8.0% | $68,272,073▲6.5% | $327,738,161▼1.9% | $386,719,759▼1.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $63,085,145▼13.6% | $64,088,012▲9.0% | $334,165,949▼4.0% | $392,567,317▼5.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $72,977,566▲0.4% | $58,803,465▲11.3% | $348,259,129▲11.7% | $416,454,517▲23.7% | 990 |
| 2019 | $72,675,705▲45.5% | $52,850,040▲0.6% | $311,811,079▲6.5% | $336,674,392▲5.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $49,945,595▼8.1% | $52,538,876▲2.4% | $292,745,467▼0.1% | $319,595,733▲1.0% | 990 |
| 2017 | $54,352,113▼4.5% | $51,308,707▲5.3% | $293,125,702▲0.9% | $316,380,748▲1.3% | 990 |
| 2016 | $56,939,554▼8.4% | $48,704,672▲4.8% | $290,552,584▲1.2% | $312,371,569▼1.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $62,130,727▲31.8% | $46,462,110▲5.0% | $287,128,536▲3.9% | $316,738,014▲3.1% | 990 |
| 2014 | $47,146,607▲4.5% | $44,245,570▲4.6% | $276,390,289▲0.8% | $307,085,081▲1.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $45,123,504 | $42,312,175▲5.6% | $274,194,477▲3.1% | $301,732,579▲5.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $40,067,332▲7.7% | $265,836,950▲14.6% | $287,110,695▲12.9% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $37,186,387▲6.7% | $231,888,520▲0.2% | $254,254,327▲0.5% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $34,840,209▲5.1% | $231,404,031▲32.2% | $252,919,573▲30.3% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $33,158,110 | $175,037,009 | $194,172,210 | 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: Felicia Wilks — $759,003 (1.09% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felicia Wilks | Head of School | 40 | $759,003 |
| Ellanor N Brizendine | Head of School (thru 6/30/23) | 40 | $596,820 |
| Bruce Orem | Director of Fin. & Op. | 40 | $492,000 |
| Elyse Waterhouse | Dir. of Fin. & Op. (thru 6/30/23) | 40 | $334,280 |
| Karen Sullivan | Head of Middle School | 40 | $317,324 |
| Elizabeth Causey | Head of Lower School | 40 | $317,274 |
| Eric Zahler | Dir. of Teaching / Learning | 40 | $307,184 |
| Michele Murphy | Director of Curriculum | 40 | $303,736 |
| Emily Fincke | Director of Development | 40 | $300,363 |
| Dana Crowell | Co-dir. of College Counsel | 40 | $278,438 |
| Jacob Kovach | Director of Information Technology | 40 | $258,513 |
| Rachael Flores | Head of Upper School | 40 | $256,003 |
| Ahrin Mishan | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Alexis Mcgill Johnson | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Anand Desai | Vice President | 2 | — |
| Anya Herz Shiva | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Arielle Nagler Sherrill | Trustee (as of 7/1/23) | 2 | — |
| Arthur Chu | Secretary | 2 | — |
| Brooke Williams | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Bryce Markus | Trustee | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Nicholson & Galloway Inc | Construction | $660,749 |
| Building Care Solutions Inc | Cleaning Services | $346,841 |
| Green One Q Corp | Cleaning Services | $339,551 |
| Mario's Transportation Inc | Transportation | $310,732 |
| Baldor Specialty Foods Inc | Food Services | $303,587 |
Grants received · $23.9M total
123 grants to Spence School totaling $23.9M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $123,340 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Education | 2024 | $63,709 |
| Jewish Communal Fund | In furtherance of grantee's tax-exempt purpose | 2024 | $24,500 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $23,727 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $18,009 |
| The Community Foundation For Greater Atlanta Inc | Religion related | 2024 | $15,000 |
| The New York Community Trust | For general support. | 2024 | $9,750 |
| The New York Community Trust | For program support. | 2024 | $5,500 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Education | 2023 | $367,100 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $307,986 |
| Goldman Sachs Charitable Gift Fund | Scholarships & financial aid | 2023 | $174,250 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $98,550 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $84,294 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2023 | $45,426 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $43,000 |
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Compare Spence School
Frequently asked questions
- Is Spence School a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Spence School is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 13-1635286, based in New York, New York. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Spence School's EIN?
- Spence School's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 13-1635286.
- How much revenue does Spence School report?
- Spence School reported $63,102,086 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Spence School's spending goes to programs?
- Spence School spends about 85% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Spence School have?
- CharityIndex grades Spence School B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Spence School's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Spence School's latest Form 990 is $759,003, paid to Felicia Wilks (Head of School).
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Data for Spence School (EIN 13-1635286) 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.