Nonprofit · EIN 87-0960615
ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC
Tax-exempt · CAMBRIDGE, MA 02142
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $1,662,193 | $2,114,758 | -$452,565 | $839,508 | $66,105 | $773,403 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $1,512,937 | $1,780,299 | -$267,362 | $1,286,086 | $83,853 | $1,202,233 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $571,500 | $1,609,131 | -$1,037,631 | $1,625,590 | $145,293 | $1,480,297 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $1,662,193
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $0
- Other revenue
- $0
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $150,895
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $250,748
- Other salaries and wages
- $1,052,817
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $1,468,441
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Legal fees
- $4,848
- Accounting fees
- $18,925
- Occupancy
- $78,698
- Travel
- $29,558
- Program services (functional)
- $1,993,735
- Management and general (functional)
- $121,023
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $1,286,086
- Total assets, end of year
- $839,508
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $66,105
- Net assets, end of year
- $773,403
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $339,414
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $433,989
- Gross receipts
- $1,662,193
- Employees
- 24
- Volunteers
- 188
- Year formed
- 2021
- State of legal domicile
- MA
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, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meena Sonea Hewett | CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 50 | $173,719 | $17,656 |
| Dimitri Antoniou | Chief of Staff Highest-paid employee | 40 | $100,106 | $10,248 |
| Arthur Hunt | Finance Officer Officer | 15 | $59,373 | $0 |
| Tarun Khanna | President Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
| Karim Lakhani | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 5 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meena Sonea Hewett | Clerk and CEO Trustee or director, Officer | 43 | $175,000 | $19,663 |
| Tom Brown | IT Officer Highest-paid employee | 40 | $110,000 | $0 |
| Arthur Hunt | Finance Officer Officer | 15 | $53,323 | $0 |
| Tarun Khanna | President Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Karim Lakhani | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 4 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meena Sonea Hewett | Executive Director & Clerk Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $175,000 | $23,972 |
| Arthur Hunt | Finance Officer Officer | 20 | $55,550 | $0 |
| Tarun Khanna | President Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
| Karim Lakhani | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 255 MAIN ST STE 8, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02142-1057
- In care of
- % MEENA SONEA HEWETT
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- Meena Sonea Hewett, 255 Main Street 8th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142
- Signed the 990
- Meena Sonea Hewett, CEO
- Phone
- (617) 291-2101
- Website
- www.aspireleaders.org
- Return prepared by
- Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker LLC
Mission
Aspire's mission is to empower low-income and first-generation college students and recent graduates to act independently, make informed choices, and affect meaningful change. Through the tuition-free, online Aspire Leaders Program, participants develop resilience, cultural awareness, and leadership skills to help them navigate challenges and embrace opportunities in education, careers, and life. By fostering confidence, self-efficacy, and collaboration, Aspire equips future leaders to create lasting impacts in their communities and beyond.
Program accomplishments
- Develop Skills for the Future: We equip learners with the core leadership and workplace skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex, technology-enabled world.Foster a Global Community: Aspire builds peer networks spanning 192+ countries, fostering belonging and connection among underrepresented young leaders. Local Impact, Global Mindset: Aspire Institute strengthens local ecosystems through regional hubs and partnerships, bringing global perspectives to learners' own contexts. Promote Lifelong Learning: We provide ongoing opportunities for growth, such as mentorship, financial awards, career pathways, and AI leadership programs.Turn Ambition into Action: We enable learners to build confidence, find their voice, and lead meaningful change in their communities and beyond. Above all, we seek to broaden what learners believe is possible for themselves and help them aspire to lives of meaning and impact.Advanced Leadership Opportunities: Seed FundThis program offers crucial initial funding to ALP graduates with visionary ideas for community transformation. By providing seed capital, we empower innovators to convert their concepts into tangible projects that address local needs. This program offers financial resources between $200-$500 and acts as a launchpad for grassroots innovation. It aims to foster a culture of proactive problem-solving and civic engagement by turning ambitious visions into real-world impact.No of winners in 2025: 206Academic Advancement GrantThis initiative provides financial support for educational pursuits beyond traditional degree programs. Grants are awarded to fund professional certifications, specialized exams, online courses, etc. By removing financial barriers to continued learning, we empower individuals to stay current in rapidly evolving industries and advance their professional trajectories.No of winners in 2025: 169Community Action AwardThe Community Action Award is a year-long program through which seed fund winners get the chance to apply for up to $5000 to scale their initiatives.No of winners in 2025: 12Aspire ReunitedThis initiative supports cross-country collaboration projects from our alumni teams. No of winners in 2025 - 1 team of 2 people.MentorshipRegional Mentorship Series The Regional Mentorship Series is a key component of the Extended Leadership Program (ELP) at Aspire Institute, exclusively designed for alumni of the Aspire Leaders Program. These engaging, virtual, hour-long sessions provide alumni with valuable toolkits and actionable knowledge to support their personal growth and professional success.Tailored to regional contexts, the series spans Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and the Americas. Alumni are encouraged to join the session that aligns with their region, fostering meaningful, localized conversations and connections.Country-specific mentoringAspire also offers mentorship opportunities through the Aspire Volunteer Program (AVP). In this format, Community Leaders (CLs) and Domain Leaders (DLs) create events that follow the same structure as the regional series but are tailored to a specific country context. These sessions deepen local engagement, helping alumni connect more closely with peers and mentors in their own national networks.Expenses $1,993,735 · grants $150,895
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 | 990 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
- 87-0960615
- 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
- 2021
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- International, foreign affairs and national security (Q33)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $839,508
- Income (IRS master file)
- $1,662,193
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $1,662,193 | $2,114,758 | $839,508 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2024 | $1,512,937 | $1,780,299 | $1,286,086 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2023 | $571,500 | $1,609,131 | $1,625,590 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $3,350,000 | $866,448 | $2,610,387 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | 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 87-0960615).
Questions about ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC
- What is the EIN of ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC is 87-0960615.
- Is ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2021.
- Are donations to ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC 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 ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names Meena Sonea Hewett.
- Who are the officers and directors of ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 5 people; 3 received compensation from the organization, the highest $173,719 (Meena Sonea Hewett, CEO).
- How much revenue does ASPIRE INSTITUTE INC have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $1,662,193, expenses of $2,114,758 and total assets of $839,508 at year end.
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All nonprofits in CAMBRIDGE · Massachusetts · International, foreign affairs and national security