2026-05-13T09:21:04-05:00 2025-12-31 010523282 Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker LLC 2211 Congress St Portland ME 04102 990 2025-01-01 870960615 Aspire Institute Inc ASPI 6172912101 255 Main Street 8th Floor Cambridge MA 02142 Meena Sonea Hewett CEO 6172912101 2026-05-11 1 Melissa Magoon CPA P01712842 2077752387 2026-04-28 2025 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Meena Sonea Hewett 255 Main Street 8th Floor Cambridge MA 02142 1662193 0 X www.aspireleaders.org X 2021 MA 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. 3 2 24 188 0 0 1512937 1662193 0 0 0 0 0 0 1512937 1662193 60600 150895 0 0 1144146 1468441 63097 0 0 512456 495422 1780299 2114758 -267362 -452565 1286086 839508 83853 66105 1202233 773403 X 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. 0 0 1993735 150895 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. 1993735 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 24 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 MA X Arthur Hunt 2034301095 255 Main Street 8th Floor Cambridge MA 02142 Meena Sonea Hewett CEO 50.00 X X 173719 0 17656 Tarun Khanna President 5.00 X X 0 0 0 Karim Lakhani Treasurer 5.00 X X 0 0 0 Arthur Hunt Finance Officer 15.00 X 59373 0 0 Dimitri Antoniou Chief of Staff 40.00 X 100106 0 10248 333198 0 27904 2 0 1 0 0 1662193 1662193 1662193 0 0 0 36817 36817 114078 114078 250748 239048 11700 1052817 1003693 49124 90924 90924 73952 66259 7693 4848 4848 18925 18925 12693 12693 60256 60256 25083 23135 1948 214208 214208 78698 70853 7845 29558 29558 5575 5575 Pledge Writedown 25000 25000 Staff Events 14341 14341 Miscellaneous Expense 6237 5565 672 2114758 1993735 121023 0 346605 401348 893265 434000 46216 4160 1286086 839508 83853 66105 83853 66105 X 308968 339414 893265 433989 1202233 773403 1286086 839508 X -452565 23735 X 0 1 X 1 0 X 255000 3350000 571500 1512937 1662193 7351630 255000 3350000 571500 1512937 1662193 7351630 2014168 5337462 7351630 65000 0.72600 X Schedule A, Part II, Short Year: 2021 was the first year of operation for the Organization. Schedule A, Part II, 2021 column contains information for the short period 6/1/2021-12/31/2021. RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 0 1660928 0 1660928 1265 1265 1662193 2089758 0 2089758 25000 25000 2114758 Part XI, Line 4b - Other Adjustments: Pledge Writedown 25,000. Change in Present Value Adjustment of Pledges -23,735. Part XII, Line 4b - Other Adjustments: Pledge Writedown 25,000. 1 Sub-Saharan Africa - Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, 0 0 Grantmaking 57666 Middle East and North Africa - Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, 0 0 Grantmaking 7023 South America - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, 0 0 Grantmaking 12940 South Asia - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, 0 0 Grantmaking 21639 Europe (Including Iceland & Greenland) - Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium 0 0 Grantmaking 2660 Russia and Neighboring States - Armenia, Azerbijan, Belarus, 0 0 Grantmaking 500 East Asia and the Pacific - Australia, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, 0 0 Grantmaking 1850 North America - Canada and Mexico, but not the United States 0 0 Grantmaking 6800 Central America and the Caribbean - Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, 0 0 Grantmaking 3000 South Asia - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, 0 0 Program Services Marketing of Program Services in Region 16808 0 0 0 0 0 0 111078 19808 130886 Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) Sub-Saharan Africa - Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, 159 57666 Wire Transfer Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) Middle East and North Africa - Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, 31 7023 Wire Transfer Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) South America - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, 36 12940 Wire Transfer Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) South Asia - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, 75 21639 Wire Transfer Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) Europe (Including Iceland & Greenland) - Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgiu 9 2660 Wire Transfer Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) Russia and Neighboring States - Armenia, Azerbijan, Belarus, 3 500 Wire Transfer Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) East Asia and the Pacific - Australia, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, 8 1850 Wire Transfer Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) North America - Canada and Mexico, but not the United States 13 6800 Wire Transfer Social Impact Seed Funding (SISF) Central America and the Caribbean - Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, 10 3000 Wire Transfer 0 0 0 0 0 0 Part I, Line 2: Aspire awards competitive grants and small financial awards to alumni worldwide. See "Aspire 2025 Awards" for details. 1 Fellowship with Mountainside 3 29417 Community Action Awards,Seed Awards,Academic Advancement Grants 11 7400 Part I, Line 2: Aspire utilizes standard QBO "Class" functionality to track restricted grant revenue and associated grant expenditures. Income statements by class are created as needed for restricted grant reporting. X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Meena Sonea Hewett CEO 173719 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17656 0 191375 0 0 0 Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 11b The Board is given a draft copy of the entity's Form 990 to review for accuracy prior to filing the return. One of the three board members signs the return. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 12c The Organization regularly monitors compliance with its conflict of interest policy. All organization employees, officers and board members are required to disclose potential conflicts. Conflicts are disclosed when they arise. "Aspire Institute is concerned with conflicts of interest that create actual or potential job-related concerns, especially in the areas of confidentiality, student relations, safety, security, and morale. If there is any actual or potential conflict of interest between you and a competitor, supplier, distributor, or contactor to the organization, you must disclose it to your manager. If an actual or potential conflict of interest is determined to exist, the organization will take such steps as it deems necessary to reduce or eliminate this conflict." Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 15a Benchmarked against comparable positions and years of experience of the ED at other nonprofits with the assistance of a consultant HR Generalist. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, line 19 In addition, Form 990 and 1023 and conflicts of interest policy are available upon written request or by calling the organization. Form 990, Part XI, line 9: Change in Present Value Adjustment of Pledges 23,735.