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Minds Matter National, Inc.
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133688434 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE O50 · Youth Development · Medium ($1M-$10M) · mindsmatter.org
revenue
$1.3M
expenses
$1.4M
net assets
$1.9M
employees
6
volunteers
2,000
program ratio
47%
mission · from form 990

MINDS MATTER CONNECTS DRIVEN AND DETERMINED STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WITH THE PEOPLE, PREPARATION AND POSSIBILITIES TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE, CREATE THEIR FUTURE, AND CHANGE THE WORLD.

profile · synthesized from sources

Minds Matter National, Inc. is a youth development organization that supports driven students from low-income families through mentoring and college readiness programs. The organization connects students with volunteer mentors and prepares them for success in higher education. It operates through a network of 14 local chapters across the United States, with the founding chapter established in New York City in 1991.

named programs · 1 · from sources

What they call their work

College Readiness Program
Multi-year mentoring program pairing high-achieving, low-income students with volunteer mentors to guide them through the college admissions and financial aid process
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • College Access and Success Support 4 activities
    • Academic programming for sophomores in college readiness curriculum
      Offers a structured Sophomore Program that builds confidence and academic skills through coursework in writing, critical thinking, and math, including weekly discussions on current events and debate topics to strengthen argumentation and logical reasoning. Students also create a Three-Year Course & Activity Plan and receive support applying to summer educational programs at colleges and prep schools.
    • College enrollment outcomes for graduates
      Tracks and reports strong college enrollment outcomes: 63% of graduates enroll in a U.S. News top 100 college and 40% enroll in a U.S. News top 50 college.
    • Standardized test preparation program (Math Matters)
      Delivers Math Matters, a structured test preparation program for sophomores that includes trained teachers, study materials, a weekly curriculum, and individualized attention to improve standardized test scores.
    • Three-year college readiness program for low-income students
      Operates a three-year program that empowers low-income, high-achieving students from marginalized communities to achieve college readiness and success, with a focus on academic development, college admissions guidance, and postsecondary enrollment. The program has supported students for over 30 years and consistently achieves a 100% four-year college acceptance rate among graduates.
  • Regional Chapter Network Support 2 activities
    • Leadership appointments for regional chapter executive directors
      Appoints executive directors to lead regional chapters, including recent appointments of Ashley McGrath (Philadelphia), Johnna Loreen (Portland), and Cynthia Suttle (Houston) in mid-2025, to ensure strong local leadership and program delivery.
    • Regional chapter network supporting student postsecondary success
      Operates 14 regional chapters across the United States—including in New York City (founded 1991), Chicago (co-founded 2005), Houston (launched Fall 2017), and others—that deliver localized college readiness programming and support services to students in their communities.
  • Youth One-on-One Mentoring 1 activity
    • Volunteer mentoring program pairing students with college graduates
      Annually pairs students with volunteer mentors who are college graduates to build supportive relationships and guide academic development throughout the three-year program.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.35M
Contributions & grants$1.03M76%
Program service revenue$234K17%
Investment income$87K6%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.44M
Program expenses47%
Admin / overhead39%
Fundraising15%
Salaries & benefits$875K
Grants paid out$150K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.94M
Cash$1.85M
Investments$0
Liabilities$32K
Net assets$1.91M
Liquid reserves15.4 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +48.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KATHLEEN ERIKA HALSTEAD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $234K
COLIN DELANEY CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 40 $171K
board members · 16
  • ADAKU NWACHUKWU — SECRETARY
  • ASHISH SHAH — DIRECTOR
  • AVI FERNANDES — DIRECTOR
  • BOB ALIG — DIRECTOR (LEFT 6/30/25)
  • BRENT ASHTON — CHAIR
  • DEB MCGINN — TREASURER
  • ELVIS RODRIGUEZ — DIRECTOR
  • FRANCISCO PARET — VICE CHAIR
  • JEAN HUANG — DIRECTOR
  • LORA DENNIS — DIRECTOR (JOINED 10/24)
  • MELANIE GIRTON — DIRECTOR
  • MICHAEL RECHT — DIRECTOR
  • MINHAJ PATEL — DIRECTOR
  • PETER AGNES — DIRECTOR
  • PHIL TAYLOR — DIRECTOR (LEFT 12/24)
  • RAM VITTAL — DIRECTOR
relationships · 125

Who they work with

  • Adaku Nwachukwu Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Akash Shah Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Allen Blue Funder — Donor contributing $25,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • AllianceBernstein Funder — Donor contributing $5,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Andrew Paone Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Anna & Francisco Paret Funder — Donor contributing $10,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Avi Fernandes Funder — Donor contributing $25,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Aviva & Gershon Distenfeld Funder — Donor contributing $10,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Barclays Funder — Donor contributing $5,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Bay Area Partner — Regional chapter location providing local program delivery
  • Bijal & Sureel Choksi Funder — Donor contributing $50,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Boston Partner — Regional chapter location providing local program delivery
  • Brian Deschuytner Funder — Donor contributing $5,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Byron Boston Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Camden City School District Partner — Former employer where Ashley McGrath supported district-wide strategic initiatives and operational readiness.
  • Cara & Erik Moreno Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Carol Hattler Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Charles Lowrey Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Chicago Partner — Regional chapter location providing local program delivery
  • Chicago Chapter Partner — Local chapter co-founded and led by board member Michael Recht.
  • Cleveland Partner — Regional chapter location providing local program delivery
  • College Possible Portland Partner — Johnna Loreen, new Executive Director of Minds Matter Portland, previously worked at College Possible Portland.
  • College Possible Portland Partner — Organization where Johnna Loreen previously worked as an academic coach for under-represented college students.
  • Concetta B. Miller Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Cornell University Partner — Institution where Ashley McGrath earned her Bachelor’s degree.
  • Cybele Fishman & Jay Rao Funder — Donor contributing $5,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Cynde & Bill Mutryn Funder — Donor contributing $5,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Dana & Peter Agnes III Funder — Donor contributing $25,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • David Rodriguez Funder — Donor contributing $1,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
  • Deborah McGinn & Lloyd Pasley Funder — Donor contributing $10,000 or more to Minds Matter National, Inc.
+ 95 more
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • College Access Through Mentorship and Preparation
    methodology: college_access_through_mentorship_and_preparation
    By combining long-term mentorship, academic preparation, and college readiness resources, we increase college success for students from low-income backgrounds because sustained relational support and skill development address systemic barriers to higher education.
  • Early Intervention with Structured Academic Support
    methodology: early_test_prep_with_individual_support
    By intervening in tenth grade with structured test preparation, tutoring, and individualized instruction, we improve college readiness because early, targeted academic support builds foundational skills and confidence when students are most receptive to long-term guidance.
  • Near-Peer Mentorship Model
    methodology: near-peer_mentorship
    By using college students and recent graduates as mentors, we increase engagement and aspiration among younger students because near-peer relationships are more relatable and inspiring than traditional top-down mentoring models.