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Nonprofiteer
← EMPIRICAL RESOLUTION INC

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by EMPIRICAL RESOLUTION INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$6,961,854
Total expenses
$5,203,929
Contributions and grants received
$5,383,944
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$1,331,596
Investment income
$246,314
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$10,514,173
Total liabilities, end of year
$892,072
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$9,622,101
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$4,203,824
Management and general expenses
$685,849
Fundraising expenses
$314,256
Program service expenses (Part III)
$4,203,824

Program services were 80.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $5,383,944

  • 2a · Program service revenue: PROGRAM SERVICE FEES

    total $1,331,596 · related or exempt $1,331,596

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $246,314 · excluded $246,314

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $974,195 · program services $690,602 · management and general $158,754 · fundraising $124,839

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,207,328 · program services $729,903 · management and general $335,908 · fundraising $141,517

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $100,064 · program services $65,157 · management and general $22,690 · fundraising $12,217

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $94,342 · program services $61,431 · management and general $21,392 · fundraising $11,519

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $160,402 · program services $104,446 · management and general $36,371 · fundraising $19,585

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $8,398 · management and general $8,398

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $48,820 · management and general $48,820

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $274,848 · program services $263,981 · management and general $10,867

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $12,600 · program services $126 · management and general $12,467 · fundraising $7

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $417,836 · program services $416,210 · management and general $723 · fundraising $903

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $24,067 · program services $21,901 · management and general $963 · fundraising $1,203

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $184,163 · program services $183,315 · management and general $377 · fundraising $471

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,643,855 · program services $1,641,438 · management and general $1,813 · fundraising $604

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $25,193 · management and general $25,193

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $27,818 · program services $25,314 · management and general $1,113 · fundraising $1,391

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $36,120 · end of year $23,588

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $880,610 · end of year $1,116,673

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $200,000 · end of year $205,400

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $19,106 · end of year $54,226

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $37,212 · end of year $102,643

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $10,687,101

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $6,715,224

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $3,553,503 · end of year $3,971,877

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $4,112,895 · end of year $5,039,764

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $48 · end of year $2

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $225 · end of year $0

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $455,251 · end of year $321,589

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $520,292 · end of year $570,483

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $7,627,310 · end of year $9,451,769

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $236,866 · end of year $170,332

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

QUILL PROVIDES FREE ONLINE LITERACY TOOLS TO ENABLE LOW-INCOME K-12 STUDENTS TO BECOME GREAT WRITERS. STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED INSTANT FEEDBACK ON THEIR WRITING AND TEACHERS ARE PROVIDED A FREE, HIGH QUALITY CURRICULUM ALIGNED WITH NATIONAL AND STATE STANDARDS.

Activities or mission (Part I)

QUILL PROVIDES FREE ONLINE TOOLS TO HELP LOW-INCOME STUDENTS BECOME STRONG WRITERS.

  • QUILL.ORG'S MISSION IS TO BUILD CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THROUGH READING AND WRITING ACTIVITIES THAT FOCUS ON CURRENT EVENTS, 21ST-CENTURY ISSUES, STEM CURRICULUM, AND ELA TOPICS. QUILL.ORG'S NEWEST TOOL, QUILL READING FOR EVIDENCE, PRESENTS STUDENTS WITH A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE OR READING PASSAGE FOR STUDENTS TO ANALYZE THROUGH A SERIES OF WRITING PROMPTS. EACH PROMPT IS CONNECTED TO QUILL'S AI-POWERED FEEDBACK SYSTEM, WHICH COACHES STUDENTS ON HOW TO CORRECT INACCURATE INFORMATION AND STRENGTHEN VAGUE IDEAS. EACH ACTIVITY (ONE LEARNING MODULE) PROVIDES ONE NEWS ARTICLE, THREE WRITING PROMPTS, AND UP TO 15 CYCLES OF COACHING AND FEEDBACK. THIS AI-POWERED APPROACH TO LEARNING MIMICS A TUTOR IN THE CLASSROOM SITTING NEXT TO THE STUDENT AND COACHING THE STUDENT ON HOW TO BEST UNDERSTAND AND EXPRESS THE IDEAS FROM THE SOURCE TEXT, ENABLING STUDENTS TO RECEIVE THE REAL-TIME, IMMEDIATE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO BUILD COMPREHENSION OF THE IDEAS THEY ARE READING ABOUT.

    Expenses $4,203,824 · Revenue $1,331,596

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Peter Gault

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $312,098
    From this org
    $292,694
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,404
    Hours/week
    60

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $219,594
    Bonus
    $73,100
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $9,000
    Nontaxable benefits
    $10,404
    Filer's total
    $312,098

  • Paul Walker

    BOARD CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Benjamin Sussman

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Matthew Rodriguez

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Stephanie Cohen

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Heejae Lim

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Tony Sebro

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • David Siegel

    DIRECTOR (THRU MID DEC)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Daniel Drabik

    CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

    Total calculated
    $271,126
    From this org
    $254,221
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $16,905
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $231,121
    Bonus
    $23,100
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $9,509
    Nontaxable benefits
    $7,396
    Filer's total
    $271,126

  • Hannah Monk

    VP OF CURRICULUM

    Total calculated
    $181,106
    From this org
    $174,506
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $6,600
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $161,217
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $13,289
    Deferred
    $6,408
    Nontaxable benefits
    $192
    Filer's total
    $181,106

  • Christina Collins-Berry

    VP OF PARTNERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

    Total calculated
    $209,865
    From this org
    $192,167
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $17,698
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $175,511
    Bonus
    $16,656
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $7,289
    Nontaxable benefits
    $10,409
    Filer's total
    $209,865

  • Thomas Robertson

    SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER II

    Total calculated
    $193,607
    From this org
    $178,840
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $14,767
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $175,740
    Bonus
    $3,100
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $7,240
    Nontaxable benefits
    $7,527
    Filer's total
    $193,607

  • Peter Sharkey

    PRINCIPAL PRODUCT MANAGER

    Total calculated
    $221,723
    From this org
    $219,924
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $1,799
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $203,602
    Bonus
    $3,100
    Other
    $13,222
    Deferred
    $1,565
    Nontaxable benefits
    $234
    Filer's total
    $221,723

  • Brendan Shean

    STAFF SOFTWARE ENGINEER

    Total calculated
    $190,600
    From this org
    $174,407
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $16,193
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $171,307
    Bonus
    $3,100
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $7,112
    Nontaxable benefits
    $9,081
    Filer's total
    $190,600

  • Peter Kong

    SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER II

    Total calculated
    $178,065
    From this org
    $164,048
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $14,017
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $159,144
    Bonus
    $3,000
    Other
    $1,904
    Deferred
    $6,485
    Nontaxable benefits
    $7,532
    Filer's total
    $178,065

  • Maheen Sahoo

    MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

    Total calculated
    $190,736
    From this org
    $184,846
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $5,890
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $146,746
    Bonus
    $38,100
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $5,890
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $190,736

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART I, LINE 5
THE SALES TEAM RECEIVED COMMISSION PAYMENTS ON EARNED REVENUE SALES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR SIGNED COMMISSION POLICIES.
PART I, LINE 7
THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE BONUSES. THE BONUS IS ISSUED FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR PRIOR TO DECEMBER 31ST.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
10 October 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202512869349300826

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