Nonprofit · EIN 84-2108762
MERIT AMERICA
Tax-exempt · WASHINGTON, DC 20002
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $61,425,877 | $50,954,245 | $10,471,632 | $43,053,154 | $11,866,741 | $31,186,413 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $43,214,562 | $36,218,842 | $6,995,720 | $30,452,510 | $9,709,381 | $20,743,129 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $46,063,888
- Program service revenue
- $14,345,608
- Investment income
- $1,014,887
- Other revenue
- $1,494
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $530,624
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $1,465,029
- Other salaries and wages
- $22,233,853
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $30,175,529
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Legal fees
- $170,378
- Accounting fees
- $222,251
- Occupancy
- $7,554
- Travel
- $117,243
- Depreciation
- $39,724
- Program services (functional)
- $47,296,713
- Management and general (functional)
- $2,395,403
- Fundraising (functional)
- $1,262,129
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $30,452,510
- Total assets, end of year
- $43,053,154
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $11,866,741
- Net assets, end of year
- $31,186,413
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $23,854
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $23,288,567
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $7,897,846
- Gross receipts
- $61,425,877
- Employees
- 248
- Volunteers
- 6
- Year formed
- 2019
- State of legal domicile
- DC
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONNOR DIEMAND-YAUMAN | CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $532,311 | $66,855 |
| REBECCA TABER STAEHELIN | CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $512,754 | $84,194 |
| ANNE KEENAN | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $291,863 | $43,976 |
| JENNIFER MAZZON | CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $252,221 | $57,031 |
| RYAN OUELLETTE | CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $273,994 | $23,919 |
| MEGHAN CRESSMAN | VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT Highest-paid employee | 40 | $250,045 | $42,483 |
| LEILA MAKARECHI CHIEF | BUS. OFFICER/CHIEF POLICY OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $246,793 | $35,578 |
| LAL JONES-BEY | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (THRU 8/24) Officer | 40 | $239,408 | $29,508 |
| NORMAN ATKINS | DIRECTOR/ BOARD CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| BYRON AUGUSTE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| NAOMI BAGDONAS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| AHMMAD BROWN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| REBECCA LEVIN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| YIN LU | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 17 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONNOR DIEMAND-YAUMAN | CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $484,533 | $59,301 |
| REBECCA TABER STAEHELIN | CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $440,314 | $70,513 |
| LEILA MAKARECHI | CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER Key employee | 40 | $305,845 | $38,369 |
| ANNE KEENAN | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Key employee | 40 | $258,950 | $41,808 |
| JENNIFER MAZZON | CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $240,175 | $58,001 |
| CRYSTAL BARCELO | CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $220,866 | $20,867 |
| RYAN OUELLETTE | CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER Highest-paid employee | 40 | $210,479 | $22,225 |
| LEITH ABDULLA | ENGINEERING, VP Highest-paid employee | 40 | $207,540 | $19,497 |
| PERRY FETTERMAN | VP EARNED REVENUE Highest-paid employee | 40 | $179,022 | $36,010 |
| LAL JONES-BEY | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFF. (FROM 3/27/23) Officer | 40 | $183,772 | $23,442 |
| LATRICIA BARKSDALE | CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER (THRU 5/23/23) Officer | 40 | $106,293 | $10,391 |
| NORMAN ATKINS | DIRECTOR/BOARD CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| YIN LU | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| NAOMI BAGDONAS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| AHMMAD BROWN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| BYRON AUGUSTE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| REBECCA LEVIN | DIRECTOR (FROM 7/27/23) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 712 H STREET NE SUITE 1560, WASHINGTON, DC 20002-3627
- In care of
- % REBECCA TABER
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- REBECCA TABER STAEHELIN, 712 H STREET NE SUITE 1560, WASHINGTON, DC 20002
- Signed the 990
- REBECCA TABER STAEHELIN, CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO
- Phone
- (914) 310-3148
- Website
- WWW.MERITAMERICA.ORG/
- Return prepared by
- BAKER TILLY ADVISORY GROUP LP
Mission
TO PROVIDE A PATH TO SKILLED CAREERS FOR THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREES.
Program accomplishments
- IN 2024, MERIT AMERICA FOCUSED ON REFINING OUR PROVEN "TECH+ TOUCH" MODEL, BLENDING FLEXIBLE ONLINE LEARNING WITH WORLD-CLASS COACHING TO DELIVER TRANSFORMATIVE RESULTS AT SCALE. FUELED BY OUR MISSION TO BUILD A PATHWAY TO THE MIDDLE CLASS FOR THE 53 MILLION AMERICANS STUCK IN LOW-WAGE WORK, WE ALSO EXPANDED INTO NEW FIELDS BEYOND TECHNOLOGY, PROVING THAT OUR APPROACH WORKS ACROSS MULTIPLE IN-DEMAND CAREERS WHILE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR OUR NEXT CHAPTER OF GROWTH.SINCE OUR FIRST 15-PERSON PILOT IN 2018, MERIT AMERICA HAS SCALED DRAMATICALLY. IN APRIL 2024, THE ORGANIZATION SURPASSED 10,000 LEARNERS SERVED AND CLOSED THE YEAR WITH MORE THAN 14,000, REFLECTING BOTH STRONG DEMAND FOR OUR PROGRAM AND OUR ABILITY TO SCALE RESPONSIBLY.OUR LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CONFIRMS THAT OUR MODEL CONTINUES TO DELIVER STRONG RESULTS AT SCALE. ON AVERAGE, ALUMNI EXPERIENCE AN ANNUAL WAGE INCREASE OF $24,000 THREE OR MORE MONTHS POST-PROGRAM COMPLETION, NEARLY DOUBLING PRE-PROGRAM EARNINGS OF $26,000. OUR 80% COMPLETION RATE FAR OUTPACES THE SIX-YEAR NATIONAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMPLETION RATE OF 42%, FURTHER UNDERSCORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR MODEL.IN 2024, WE EXPANDED OUR PROGRAM OFFERINGS BY LAUNCHING CYBERSECURITY AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT CAREER TRACKS, JOINING IT SUPPORT, DATA ANALYTICS, AND UX DESIGN. THESE NEW TRACKS ADDRESS URGENT LABOR MARKET NEEDS, INCLUDING A SHORTAGE OF OVER 700,000 CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS AND 200,000 PROJECT MANAGERS ANNUALLY. LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025, WE ARE PREPARING TO EXPAND OUR CAREER TRACKS BEYOND TECH, OPENING EVEN MORE PATHWAYS TO ECONOMIC MOBILITY.OUR FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY MODEL REMAINS A CORNERSTONE OF OUR APPROACH. THROUGH THE GOOGLE CAREER CERTIFICATES FUND, THOUSANDS OF LEARNERS HAVE ACCESSED ASCENT FUNDING'S INNOVATIVE ZERO PERCENT LOAN, WHICH REQUIRES NO UPFRONT COSTS, CHARGES 0% INTEREST, AND ONLY REQUIRES REPAYMENT WHEN LEARNERS EARN AT LEAST $40,000 ANNUALLY. IN 2024, WE ALSO FORMALIZED OUR "OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL" INITIATIVE, ENSURING PROGRAM ACCESS FOR LEARNERS WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE LOAN AND CANNOT OTHERWISE COVER THE COST OF THE PROGRAM.WE ALSO STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND FUNDERS TO BROADEN REACH AND DEEPEN IMPACT. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH LYFT AND INSTACART, CONNECTING OUR PROGRAMS TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DRIVERS AND SHOPPERS NATIONWIDE. A $15.6M REGIONAL INVESTMENT FROM CRANKSTART FOUNDATION TO EXPAND OUR IMPACT IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, EXPECTED TO GENERATE $200M IN WAGE GAINS. SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS FROM BLUE MERIDIAN PARTNERS AND ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP, PROVIDING CRITICAL FUNDING FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR GROWTH.THE LAUNCH OF THE OPPORTUNITY COALITION, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICA'S FRONTIER FUND FOUNDATION AND MAJOR FUNDERS, TO ADDRESS CRITICAL WORKFORCE SHORTAGES IN FRONTIER TECHNOLOGIES, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING, AND SUPPLY CHAIN SECTORS.AS WE REFLECT ON 2024, WE ARE PROUD OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE RESULTS WE HAVE ACHIEVED WHILE LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR NEXT PHASE OF GROWTH. WITH A STRONG TRACK RECORD, ROBUST PARTNERSHIPS, AND PROVEN OUTCOMES, MERIT AMERICA IS POISED TO SCALE TO TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE LEARNERS IN THE YEARS AHEAD - CONTINUING TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS AND UNLOCK OPPORTUNITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.Expenses $47,296,713 · grants $530,624 · revenue $14,347,102
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | Not on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 84-2108762
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 2019
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Human services (P12)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $43,053,154
- Income (IRS master file)
- $61,425,877
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2024 | $61,425,877 | $50,954,245 | $43,053,154 | XML |
| 990 | December 2023 | $43,214,562 | $36,218,842 | $30,452,510 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $28,420,779 | $22,530,704 | $23,949,600 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 84-2108762).
Questions about MERIT AMERICA
- What is the EIN of MERIT AMERICA?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of MERIT AMERICA is 84-2108762.
- Is MERIT AMERICA tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2019.
- Are donations to MERIT AMERICA tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does MERIT AMERICA file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of MERIT AMERICA due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending December 31, 2025) is due May 15, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did MERIT AMERICA last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2024.
- Who is the principal officer of MERIT AMERICA?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 names REBECCA TABER STAEHELIN.
- Who are the officers and directors of MERIT AMERICA?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 lists 14 people; 8 received compensation from the organization, the highest $532,311 (CONNOR DIEMAND-YAUMAN, CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO).
- How much revenue does MERIT AMERICA have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 it reported revenue of $61,425,877, expenses of $50,954,245 and total assets of $43,053,154 at year end.
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