Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP-AFGHANISTAN INC.

Totals

Total revenue: $16,606,520
Total expenses: $19,135,253
Contributions and grants received: $12,720,529
Grants paid: $15,907,464
Program service revenue: $110,000
Investment income: $3,770,946
Other revenue: $5,045
Total assets, end of year: $47,838,217
Total liabilities, end of year: $887,747
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $46,950,470
Program services expenses (Part IX): $16,797,511
Management and general expenses: $1,359,446
Fundraising expenses: $978,296
Program service expenses (Part III): $16,797,511

Program services were 87.8% 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

$12,720,529
1g · Noncash contributions included above

$29,066
2a · Program service revenue: SPEAKING FEES

total $110,000 · related or exempt $110,000
3 · Investment income

total $917,791 · excluded $917,791
7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

securities $34,384,922
7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

securities $31,531,767
7c · Gain or loss

securities $2,853,155
7d · Net gain or loss

total $2,853,155 · excluded $2,853,155
11d · All other revenue

total $5,045 · excluded $5,045
11e · Other revenue, total

$5,045

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

2 · Grants to domestic individuals

total $105,752 · program services $105,752
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

total $15,801,712 · program services $15,801,712
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

total $493,477 · program services $156,160 · management and general $185,750 · fundraising $151,567
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

total $75,751 · program services $75,751
7 · Other salaries and wages

total $894,629 · program services $69,924 · management and general $227,742 · fundraising $596,963
8 · Pension plan contributions

total $4,461 · management and general $4,461
10 · Payroll taxes

total $81,476 · program services $39,648 · management and general $14,987 · fundraising $26,841
11b · Fees: legal

total $126,007 · program services $3,584 · management and general $122,423
11c · Fees: accounting

total $291,208 · management and general $291,208
11f · Fees: investment management

total $96,510 · management and general $96,510
11g · Fees: other

total $263,786 · program services $202,076 · management and general $61,710
12 · Advertising and promotion

total $26,753 · program services $3,431 · management and general $23,322
13 · Office expenses

total $60,020 · program services $33,920 · management and general $19,468 · fundraising $6,632
14 · Information technology

total $109,987 · program services $40,916 · management and general $69,071
16 · Occupancy

total $21,354 · program services $20,799 · management and general $555
17 · Travel

total $209,880 · program services $105,731 · management and general $70,119 · fundraising $34,030
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

total $3,019 · program services $879 · management and general $1,445 · fundraising $695
20 · Interest

total $14,698 · program services $12,824 · management and general $1,874
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

total $105,029 · program services $81,696 · management and general $23,333
23 · Insurance

total $25,839 · program services $336 · management and general $25,503
24a · Other expenses: UNCOLLECTIBLE PLEDGE EX

total $142,522 · fundraising $142,522
24b · Other expenses: DUES AND FEES

total $140,489 · program services $1,478 · management and general $119,965 · fundraising $19,046
24e · All other expenses

total $40,894 · program services $40,894

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

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

beginning of year $13,419,108 · end of year $623,657
3 · Pledges and grants receivable

beginning of year $12,462,162 · end of year $10,591,497
4 · Accounts receivable

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

$332,645
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

$123,000
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

beginning of year $60,278 · end of year $209,645
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

beginning of year $18,448,811 · end of year $36,413,418
13 · Investments: program-related

beginning of year $49,500
15 · Other assets

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

beginning of year $95,545 · end of year $300,296
25 · Other liabilities

beginning of year $3,404,955 · end of year $587,451
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

beginning of year $35,801,025 · end of year $29,677,143
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

beginning of year $6,598,781 · end of year $17,273,327

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

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

SOLA RWANDA IS A BOARDING SCHOOL OF AFGHAN GIRLS IN GRADES PRE-6 THROUGH 10. FROM 2016 THROUGH 2021, WE OPERATED IN KABUL; SINCE 2021 AND THE TALIBAN'S RETURN, WE HAVE OPERATED IN RWANDA. WE OFFER OUR STUDENTS AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN FOCUS ON THEIR EDUCATION AND POTENTIAL IN A WAY THAT CANNOT BE FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH: A PLACE WHERE THEY'LL BE CHALLENGED BY A RIGOROUS CURRICULUM AND ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES AT SCHOOL AND AMONG EACH OTHER.

Expenses $15,801,712 · Grants $15,801,712
SOLAX IS SOLA INC.'S DIGITAL WHATSAPP-BASED PROGRAMMING. STUDENTS NEED ONLY A SMARTPHONE AND A BASIC CELLULAR CONNECTION TO TAKE PART AND ACCESS FREE, DAILY, ASYNCHRONOUS CLASSWORK IN THREE LANGUAGES (ENGLISH, DARI, AND PASHTO). 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 $380,741
SCHOLARS ABROAD IS A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO GIVE ACCESS TO AFGHAN GIRLS TO CONTINUE THEIR STUDIES AT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ACROSS THE WORLD.

Expenses $615,058 · Grants $105,752 · Revenue $110,000

As filed on the 2024 return.

Listed in Part VII

Shabana Basij-RasikhSHABANA BASIJ-RASIKH

PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER

Total calculated

$402,082

From this org

$369,799

From related orgs

$0

Other

$32,283

Hours/week

40

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$244,799

Bonus

$75,000

Other

$50,000

Deferred

$11,528

Nontaxable benefits

$20,755

Filer's total

$402,082
Elizabeth Berry GipsELIZABETH BERRY GIPS

CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
Deborah HazellDEBORAH HAZELL

TREASURER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

20
Katherine Freed-JenningsKATHERINE FREED-JENNINGS

SECRETARY

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
Matiullah AminMATIULLAH AMIN

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

40
James BullionJAMES BULLION

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
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
Vicki CraverVICKI CRAVER

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Peter QuimbyPETER QUIMBY

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Janel VertzJANEL VERTZ

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$122,456

From this org

$111,904

From related orgs

$0

Other

$10,552

Hours/week

40
Kevin JonesKEVIN JONES

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Total calculated

$126,770

From this org

$113,239

From related orgs

$0

Other

$13,531

Hours/week

40

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

1a · Travel for companions
1a · Housing allowance or residence for personal use
1b · Written policy on the line-1a expenses
2 · Substantiation required before reimbursing expenses
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 1A: TRAVEL FOR COMPANIONS: A TAXABLE TRAVEL STIPEND OF $50,000 WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD TO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S ADDITIONAL EXPENSES INCURRED AS THE MOTHER OF A YOUNG CHILD, ENABLING HER TO CONTINUE TO TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY, AND HAVE EXTENDED OVERSEAS STAYS IN SERVICE OF SOLA AND ITS MISSION. HOUSING ALLOWANCE: PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER SHABANA BASIJ-RASIKH HAS USE OF A LOCAL APARTMENT IN RWANDA WHILE IN COUNTRY AND SERVING IN HER ROLE AS ORGANIZATION PRESIDENT. THIS BENEFIT IS NOT INCLUDED IN TAXABLE INCOME.
PART I, LINE 7: NON-FIXED PAYMENTS IN THE FORM OF DISCRETIONARY BONUSES WERE REVIEWED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTE AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE ORGANIZATION'S PRESIDENT AND FINANCE DIRECTOR. THE DISCRETIONARY BONUS FOR THE PRESIDENT COVERED AN 18 MONTH PERIOD FOR THE STUB YEAR 1/1/23 - 6/30/23 AND FISCAL YEAR 2024 FROM 7/1/23 - 6/30/24 DUE TO THE FISCAL YEAR CHANGE FROM A CALENDAR YEAR TO AN ACADEMIC YEAR. THESE TWO DISCRETIONARY BONUSES WERE PAID IN EARLY FY 2025.

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.

SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP AFGHANISTAN (SOLA)

C · EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES · RW · 100% owned · share of income $15,606,399 · share of assets $11,717,631

Directly controlled by SOLA FOR AFGHAN GIRLS

Provenance

Return type: form_990
Tax year: 2024
Filed: 8 June 2026
IRS schema version: 2024v5.5
Source object: 202611599349300901

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