Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP-AFGHANISTAN INC.

What the amendment changed

Compared with the return it replaced , filed 18 April 2025 — the latest of 2 it replaced. matched by us Only the Part I totals and the names listed in Part VII are compared. We relate returns by organization, tax year and form, and order them by each return's own timestamp; the filer's own "amended return" checkbox is a separate fact.

Total revenue: $2,395,484 changed to $23,523,857
Total expenses: $2,291,143 changed to $7,272,478
Contributions and grants received: $1,916,208 changed to $23,133,247
Grants paid: $1,409,696 changed to $4,747,970
Program service revenue: $10,000 changed to $17,500
Investment income: $469,276 changed to $344,243
Other revenue: $0 changed to $28,867
Total assets, end of year: $26,462,368 changed to $45,900,306
Total liabilities, end of year: $2,153,201 changed to $3,500,500
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $24,309,167 changed to $42,399,806
Program services expenses: $1,789,653 changed to $5,401,086
Management and general expenses: $297,967 changed to $1,268,933
Fundraising expenses: $203,523 changed to $602,459
Program service expenses (Part III): $1,789,653 changed to $5,401,086

Listed only on the earlier return

Elizabeth Berry-GipsELIZABETH BERRY-GIPS
Kayce Freed-JenningsKAYCE FREED-JENNINGS
Suzanne Green-BraisSUZANNE GREEN-BRAIS

Listed only on the later return

Elizabeth GipsELIZABETH GIPS
John AustinJOHN AUSTIN
Katherine Freed-JenningsKATHERINE FREED-JENNINGS

Listed under a different title

James BullionJAMES BULLION: CHAIRMAN then DIRECTOR
Kristina LoverroKRISTINA LOVERRO: SECRETARY then DIRECTOR
Matiullah AminMATIULLAH AMIN: DIRECTOR then DIRECTOR (SEE SCH. O)

Totals

Total revenue: $23,523,857
Total expenses: $7,272,478
Contributions and grants received: $23,133,247
Grants paid: $4,747,970
Program service revenue: $17,500
Investment income: $344,243
Other revenue: $28,867
Total assets, end of year: $45,900,306
Total liabilities, end of year: $3,500,500
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $42,399,806
Program services expenses (Part IX): $5,401,086
Management and general expenses: $1,268,933
Fundraising expenses: $602,459
Program service expenses (Part III): $5,401,086

Program services were 74.3% 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

$23,133,247
1g · Noncash contributions included above

$1,418,030
2a · Program service revenue: SPEAKING FEES

total $17,500 · related or exempt $17,500
3 · Investment income

total $426,300 · excluded $426,300
7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

securities $40,901,289
7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

securities $40,983,346
7c · Gain or loss

securities -$82,057
7d · Net gain or loss

total -$82,057 · excluded -$82,057
11a · Other revenue: MISCELLANEOUS

total $28,867 · excluded $28,867
11e · Other revenue, total

$28,867

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

2 · Grants to domestic individuals

total $169,053 · program services $169,053
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

total $4,578,917 · program services $4,578,917
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

total $410,974 · program services $120,600 · management and general $158,595 · fundraising $131,779
7 · Other salaries and wages

total $574,837 · program services $83,050 · management and general $324,662 · fundraising $167,125
8 · Pension plan contributions

total $13,597 · program services $1,408 · management and general $8,348 · fundraising $3,841
9 · Other employee benefits

total $18,469 · program services $2,322 · management and general $10,847 · fundraising $5,300
10 · Payroll taxes

total $67,424 · program services $13,737 · management and general $33,282 · fundraising $20,405
11c · Fees: accounting

total $229,077 · management and general $229,077
11f · Fees: investment management

total $36,014 · management and general $36,014
11g · Fees: other

total $296,002 · program services $15,792 · management and general $272,785 · fundraising $7,425
12 · Advertising and promotion

total $10,450 · management and general $10,442 · fundraising $8
13 · Office expenses

total $68,182 · program services $29,462 · management and general $23,633 · fundraising $15,087
14 · Information technology

total $110,207 · program services $35,473 · management and general $63,862 · fundraising $10,872
16 · Occupancy

total $1,267 · management and general $1,267
17 · Travel

total $614,900 · program services $345,396 · management and general $36,938 · fundraising $232,566
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

total $9,722 · management and general $9,722
23 · Insurance

total $11,207 · program services $139 · management and general $11,068
24a · Other expenses: DUES & FEES

total $20,467 · program services $6,573 · management and general $6,017 · fundraising $7,877
24b · Other expenses: MISCELLANEOUS

total $11,780 · program services $1,800 · management and general $9,980
24c · Other expenses: PAYROLL PROCESSING FEES

total $9,714 · management and general $9,714
24d · Other expenses: GRANT ADMIN FEE

total $9,424 · program services -$2,636 · management and general $11,886 · fundraising $174
24e · All other expenses

total $794 · management and general $794

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

beginning of year $174,571 · end of year $1,397,654
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

beginning of year $8,739,091 · end of year $13,419,108
3 · Pledges and grants receivable

beginning of year $2,866,210 · end of year $12,462,162
4 · Accounts receivable

beginning of year $1,800 · end of year $18,973
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

$70,000
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

$9,722
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

beginning of year $0 · end of year $60,278
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

beginning of year $14,631,196 · end of year $18,448,811
13 · Investments: program-related

beginning of year $49,500 · end of year $49,500
15 · Other assets

beginning of year $0 · end of year $43,820
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

beginning of year $153,201 · end of year $95,545
25 · Other liabilities

beginning of year $2,000,000 · end of year $3,404,955
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

beginning of year $21,132,089 · end of year $35,801,025
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

beginning of year $3,177,078 · end of year $6,598,781

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

TO PROVIDE AFGHAN GIRLS A RIGOROUS EDUCATION THAT PROMOTES CRITICAL THINKING, A SENSE OF PURPOSE, AND RESPECT FOR SELF AND OTHERS.

Activities or mission (Part I)

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

SOLA SCHOOL IS THE ONLY BOARDING SCHOOL ON EARTH EDUCATING AFGHAN GIRLS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL. ORIGINALLY BASED IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN, SOLA SCHOOL EVACUATED ITS COMMUNITY OF NEARLY 250 STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO RWANDA IN AUGUST 2021 IN RESPONSE TO THE TALIBAN'S TAKEOVER OF AFGHANISTAN. SOLA SCHOOL'S OPERATIONS RESUMED IN RWANDA IN A FACILITY UNDER AN EXTENDED STAY LEASE. IF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE THE SECURITY CONDITIONS IN AFGHANISTAN CHANGE, SOLA SCHOOL WILL CONSIDER RETURNING TO KABUL. UNTIL THEN, THE SCHOOL IS MAKING RWANDA THEIR PERMANENT HOME. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2024, SOLA INC. ALSO COMMENCED ITS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN AND DESIGN EFFORTS ASSOCIATED WITH A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO BUILD A PERMANENT SCHOOL CAMPUS IN RWANDA. THE PURCHASE OF LAND TOOK PLACE IN FY 2023. UPON RECEIVING CASH DONATIONS AND PLEDGES TOTALING IN EXCESS OF 80% OF THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO BREAK GROUND AND COMMENCE CONSTRUCTION IN FEBRUARY 2025.

Expenses $5,071,433 · Grants $4,503,470 · Revenue $17,500
SOLAX IS SOLA INC.'S WHATSAPP-BASED ONLINE ACADEMY PROGRAMMING. MARCH 30, 2025 WILL MARK ONE YEAR SINCE SOLAX WAS LAUNCHED. STUDENTS ACCESS DAILY, ASYNCHRONOUS CLASSWORK IN 3 LANGUAGES (ENGLISH, DARI, AND PASHTO) BY TEXTING THE SOLAX CHATBOT ON WHATSAPP AND NEED ONLY A SMARTPHONE AND A BASIC CELLULAR CONNECTION TO TAKE PART. WHILE OPEN TO ANY STUDENT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, SOLAX WAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR AFGHAN LEARNERS IN GENERAL AND AFGHAN GIRLS IN PARTICULAR, AND IS A KEY COMPONENT OF SOLA'S RESPONSE TO THE TALIBAN'S EDUCATION BAN THAT FORBIDS GIRLS FROM ATTENDING SCHOOL BEYOND 6TH GRADE IN AFGHANISTAN.

Expenses $329,653 · Grants $244,500

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Shabana Basij-RasikhSHABANA BASIJ-RASIKH

PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER

Total calculated

$307,187

From this org

$292,626

From related orgs

$0

Other

$14,561

Hours/week

44 + 16 related

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$246,321

Bonus

$46,305

Other

$0

Deferred

$11,705

Nontaxable benefits

$2,856

Filer's total

$307,187
Elizabeth GipsELIZABETH GIPS

CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
Deborah HazellDEBORAH HAZELL

TREASURER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

12 + 4 related
Katherine Freed-JenningsKATHERINE FREED-JENNINGS

SECRETARY

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
Matiullah AminMATIULLAH AMIN

DIRECTOR (SEE SCH. O)

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2 + 0.25 related
James BullionJAMES BULLION

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Kristina LoverroKRISTINA LOVERRO

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Ana PincusANA PINCUS

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Zolaykha SherzadZOLAYKHA SHERZAD

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2 + 0.25 related
Wendy CushmanWENDY CUSHMAN

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Suzanne WrightSUZANNE WRIGHT

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
John AustinJOHN AUSTIN

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Elise RiegelELISE RIEGEL

VICE PRESIDENT

Total calculated

$135,200

From this org

$130,000

From related orgs

$0

Other

$5,200

Hours/week

20 + 20 related

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 · Form 990 of other organizations
3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
7 · Other non-fixed payments

Answered no

4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
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 7: DURING THE YEAR, SHABANA BASIJ-RASIKH RECEIVED BONUS COMPENSATION OF $46,305.

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.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

SOLA FOR AFGHAN GIRLS

SCHOOL FOR GIRLS IN KABUL · AF · controlled entity

Directly controlled by SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP-AFGHANISTAN INC

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Related corporations and trusts

Part IV: related organizations taxable as a corporation or trust.

SOLA LTD

C · EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES · RW · share of income $54,611 · share of assets $2,169,774 · controlled entity

Directly controlled by SOLA FOR AFGHAN GIRLS

Provenance

Return type: form_990
Tax year: 2023
Filed: 14 May 2025
IRS schema version: 2023v6.0
Source object: 202521349349305197

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