UPWARD PROJECT
Cite this
Plain text UPWARD PROJECT. furp.org, nonprofit organization profile, tax years 2021–2024. https://furp.org/org/upward-project-825201485. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
APA furp.org. (n.d.). UPWARD PROJECT [Nonprofit organization profile; tax years 2021–2024]. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://furp.org/org/upward-project-825201485
MLA “UPWARD PROJECT.” furp.org, tax years 2021–2024, https://furp.org/org/upward-project-825201485. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.
Retrieved 2026-10-25; covers tax years 2021–2024. Data: furp.org, CC BY 4.0.
2024 · Form 990 · revenue $386K · expenses $420K · assets $218K
- EIN
- 82-5201485
- Address
- 65 MORA ST, DORCHESTR CTR, MA 02124-4632
- Website
- theupwardproject.org
- NTEE code
- B99
- Exempt type
- 501(c)(3): charitable, religious, educational, scientific or literary (corporation)
- Ruling date
- November 2020 (when the IRS recognized its exemption)
- IRS status
- Exempt (unconditional) (IRS Business Master File) IRS data ↗
- Tax-deductible donations
- Yes: listed in IRS Publication 78 (public charity) Pub 78 ↗
- Foundation status
- Public charity supported by the public (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))
- Principal officer
- Mindy Wright (its 2020 Form 990-N)
- Form 990-N e-postcards
- 1 filed, 2020 (organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less file this instead of a full Form 990) IRS data ↗
- Cross-check
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Mission
To provide low income, first generation students who attend selective colleges the skills and resources they need to succeed in college and graduate prepared for careers in competitive and high wage fields. To seek upward mobility for students and work to disrupt the racial equity wealth gap in Boston.
Each tax year counts once: when a return was amended, only the latest return for that period is used below (superseded returns stay listed, greyed, under Finances).
People paid by the organization
2 people paid across every filing: current people first, then by total pay from this organization. Organizations counts every nonprofit each person appears on.
| Name | Latest title | Years | Latest year pay | Total pay from here | Organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mindy Wright | Executive Director | 2021-2024 | $100,889 | $298,503 | 1 |
| Zachary Shapiro (former) | DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS | 2021 | $12,000 | $12,000 | 1 |
Officers and directors, no compensation reported
8 people listed on the returns with $0 (or no amount) in every compensation column: current people first. Hours are as filed on the latest return each person appears on.
| Name | Latest title | Years | Hrs/wk (latest) | Compensation | Organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claire Newton | President | 2023-2024 | 1 | $0 reported | 1 |
| EJ Whelan | Vice President | 2023-2024 | 1 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Andrew Ward | Treasurer | 2022-2024 | 1 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Alexandria Nunez-Bibby | Secretary | 2023-2024 | 1 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Danelia Gossop | Director | 2023-2024 | 1 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Michael Damiano (former) | DIR. OF CARE | 2021-2022 | 3 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Tamika Jaques (former) | PRESIDENT | 2022 | 1 | $0 reported | 1 |
| Chris Conroy (former) | VICE PRESIDE | 2022 | 1 | $0 reported | 1 |
People by year
2024 · 6 people listed · 1 paid, $101K · 3 employees · 0 volunteers
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mindy Wright | Executive Director | 40 | $99,812 | $0 | $1,077 | $100,889 | 1 |
| Claire Newton | President | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| EJ Whelan | Vice President | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Andrew Ward | Treasurer | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Alexandria Nunez-Bibby | Secretary | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Danelia Gossop | Director | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2023 · 6 people listed · 1 paid, $80K · 2 employees
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MINDY WRIGHT | EXECUTIVE DI | 35 | $80,096 | $0 | $0 | $80,096 | 1 |
| DANELIA GOSSOP | DIRECTOR | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| CLAIRE NEWTON | PRESIDENT | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| ALEXANDRIA NUNEZ-BIBBY | SECRETARY | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| ANDREW WARD | TREASURER | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| EJ WHELAN | VICE PRESIDE | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2022 · 5 people listed · 1 paid, $76K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MINDY WRIGHT | EXECUTIVE DI | 35 | $75,510 | - | - | $75,510 | 1 |
| MICHAEL DAMIANO | DIR. OF CARE | 3 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
| TAMIKA JAQUES | PRESIDENT | 1 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
| CHRIS CONROY | VICE PRESIDE | 1 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
| ANDREW WARD | TREASURER | 1 | $0 | - | - | $0 | 1 |
2021 · 3 people listed · 2 paid, $54K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MINDY WRIGHT | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $42,008 | - | $0 | $42,008 | 1 |
| ZACHARY SHAPIRO | DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS | 8 | $12,000 | - | $0 | $12,000 | 1 |
| MICHAEL DAMIANO | DIRECTOR OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT | 3 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
Highest-paid independent contractors
No independent contractors reported.
Who gave
Contributor names are not public for this form type.
Public charities filing Form 990 or 990-EZ report large donors on Schedule B, but the IRS withholds their names and addresses from public copies. Private foundations (990-PF) are different: their contributors are public.
Finances
Newest first. Each filing: its name on one row, its figures on the row beneath. Greyed filings are superseded by a later return for the same period and are left out everywhere else on this page.
| Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Net assets | Contributions | Program revenue | Officer pay | Employees | Volunteers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 · Form 990 | ||||||||
| $386,090 | $420,187 | $218,054 | $218,054 | $386,047 | $0 | $99,812 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 · Form 990 | ||||||||
| $450,317 | $284,141 | $252,151 | $252,151 | $445,424 | $0 | $80,096 | 2 | - |
| 2022 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $173,685 | $141,029 | $68,604 | $68,604 | $172,674 | - | - | - | - |
| 2021 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $118,250 | $83,159 | $35,948 | $35,948 | $118,250 | - | - | - | - |
Funders of this organization
8 grantors reported grants to this organization, $517,000 in all, tax years 2020 to 2024. Exact: the grantor wrote this organization's EIN. Fuzzy: the grantor wrote only a name (foundations' 990-PF has no EIN field), matched to the same or a near-identical name in the same state; the name as filed is shown. From the latest return for each grantor and year, so amended returns aren't counted twice. CSV
| Grantor | Type | Match | Years given | Grants | Total | Latest year | Latest year's amount | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2021-2024 | 4 | $374,000 | 2024 | $118,500 | show |
| BOSTON FOUNDATION INC | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2020, 2022-2024 | 4 | $73,000 | 2024 | $41,000 | show |
| THE LENNY ZAKIM FUND INC | Public charity | Exact | 2022-2024 | 3 | $34,000 | 2024 | $15,000 | show |
| MFS INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FOUNDATION INC | Private foundation | Fuzzy filed as “UPWARD PROJECT” | 2024 | 1 | $10,000 | 2024 | $10,000 | show |
| NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2021 | 1 | $10,000 | 2021 | $10,000 | show |
| FOLEY HOAG & ELIOT FDN | Private foundation | Fuzzy filed as “UPWARD PROJECT” | 2024 | 1 | $5,500 | 2024 | $5,500 | show |
| DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2024 | 1 | $5,500 | 2024 | $5,500 | show |
| MORGAN STANLEY GLOBAL IMPACT FUNDING TRUST INC | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2022 | 1 | $5,000 | 2022 | $5,000 | show |
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Who funds organizations like this
Grantors that funded the 100 most similar organizations. Ranked by total given to them. Foundations (990-PF) and donor-advised fund sponsors only. Same matching as Funders above (by EIN, or by name for foundations).
The full list · all similar organizations
Where the money went
Every expense line on each return, biggest first: Form 990 Part IX (with its program, management and fundraising columns), 990-EZ Part I, or 990-PF Part I. Event marks lines the organization itself describes as events. “Events” in each summary adds those lines, conferences and meetings, and the direct costs of fundraising events. Unusual is not the same as improper. Many of these patterns have ordinary explanations. Check the filing.
2024 · Form 990 · $420,187 spent · pay $257,467 · grants $0 · events $3,209
| Line | As described | Total | Program | Management | Fundraising | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other salaries and wages | $116,452 | $69,871 | $34,936 | $11,645 | 27.7% | |
| Pay: officers, directors, trustees, key employees | $99,812 | $29,944 | $19,962 | $49,906 | 23.8% | |
| Other (as described) | Summer Program | $45,899 | $45,899 | - | - | 10.9% |
| Payroll taxes | $41,203 | $24,722 | $12,361 | $4,120 | 9.8% | |
| Other (as described) | College Expenses | $17,634 | $17,634 | - | - | 4.2% |
| Other (as described) | Opportunity Fund | $16,770 | $16,770 | - | - | 4.0% |
| Other (as described) | Internship Fund | $15,074 | $15,074 | - | - | 3.6% |
| All other expenses | $13,586 | $10,636 | - | $2,950 | 3.2% | |
| Office expenses | $11,091 | $11,091 | - | - | 2.6% | |
| Advertising and promotion | $10,286 | $10,286 | - | - | 2.4% | |
| Information technology | $8,427 | $8,427 | - | - | 2.0% | |
| Fees: accounting | $7,138 | - | $7,138 | - | 1.7% | |
| Insurance | $7,016 | $7,016 | - | - | 1.7% | |
| Occupancy | $5,558 | $5,558 | - | - | 1.3% | |
| Conferences, conventions and meetings | $3,209 | $3,209 | - | - | 0.8% | |
| Fees: other services | $525 | - | $525 | - | 0.1% | |
| Depreciation and depletion | $507 | $507 | - | - | 0.1% | |
| Total | $420,187 | 100% |
2023 · Form 990 · $284,141 spent · pay $143,184 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Program | Management | Fundraising | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay: officers, directors, trustees, key employees | $80,096 | $48,057 | $24,029 | $8,010 | 28.2% | |
| Fees: other services | $52,563 | $15,769 | $36,794 | - | 18.5% | |
| Other salaries and wages | $46,222 | $27,733 | $13,867 | $4,622 | 16.3% | |
| Other (as described) | SUMMER PROGRAM EXPENSE | $25,468 | $25,468 | - | - | 9.0% |
| Other (as described) | OPPORTUNITY FUND | $17,247 | $17,247 | - | - | 6.1% |
| Payroll taxes | $16,866 | $10,119 | $5,060 | $1,687 | 5.9% | |
| Office expenses | $12,489 | $4,566 | $7,923 | - | 4.4% | |
| Travel | $9,657 | $9,657 | - | - | 3.4% | |
| Other (as described) | EMERGENCY FUND | $6,152 | $6,152 | - | - | 2.2% |
| All other expenses | $5,875 | $1,251 | $2,918 | $1,706 | 2.1% | |
| Other (as described) | INTERNSHIP FUND | $4,551 | $4,551 | - | - | 1.6% |
| Occupancy | $3,000 | $3,000 | - | - | 1.1% | |
| Advertising and promotion | $2,020 | $2,020 | - | - | 0.7% | |
| Fees: accounting | $1,850 | - | $1,850 | - | 0.7% | |
| Depreciation and depletion | $85 | $85 | - | - | 0.0% | |
| Total | $284,141 | 100% |
2022 · Form 990EZ · $141,029 spent · pay $84,235 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $84,235 | 59.7% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $55,669 | 39.5% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $1,125 | 0.8% | |
| Total | $141,029 | 100% |
2021 · Form 990EZ · $83,159 spent · pay $54,008 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $54,008 | 64.9% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $25,389 | 30.5% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $3,670 | 4.4% | |
| Printing, publications, postage | $92 | 0.1% | |
| Total | $83,159 | 100% |
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