XQ Institute is a nonprofit organization and independent affiliate of Emerson Collective dedicated to transforming high school education in America. Based in Oakland, California (with a mailing address in Palo Alto), XQ works to redesign teaching, learning, and policy to ensure every student graduates ready for college, career, and life.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$10.8M
+120.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$14.1M
-30.2% YoY
Grant Count
14
-41.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.0M
+19.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: XQ exists to transform high school in America so every student graduates ready for the world they're entering—prepared to thrive in college, career, and life.
Primary Focus Areas:
Movement Building and Public Awareness: Building national will for high school transformation through creative use of media (film, television, social media), storytelling, donated advertising, public reports on key issues in high school reform, and public speaking.
Support for New High School Designs: Working in communities throughout the country with individual schools and entire school systems to help them reimagine high school, turn innovative ideas into action, and create more rigorous and equitable schools. XQ shares working models with other schools and districts for adaptation.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$250,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
XQ has a presence in over 180 sites across the country. Documented grantmaking includes activity in the District of Columbia, California, New York, and Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent (2023):
- Total Assets: $4.9 million
- Total Revenue: $64.7 million
- Total Expenses: $73.5 million
- Total Liabilities: $3.06 million
- Annual Giving: $20.2 million
Staffing: Approximately 58 employees
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; tax-exempt since March 2017 (EIN: 47-4422640)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,834,287 | $4,904,857 | $12,771,318 |
| Revenue | $69,425,077 | $64,656,700 | $73,370,038 |
| Expenses | $70,000,353 | $73,486,092 | $76,120,353 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $62,696,067 | $72,522,561 | $75,188,088 |
| Net Investment Income | $329,318 | $936 | $1,349 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching ($6,933,052), Dc Public Education Fund ($2,403,959), Fund for Public Schools Inc ($1,830,569).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CARNEGIE FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHING STANFORD, CA | SUPPORT TO RE-IMAGINE AND REDEFINE THE HIGH SCHOOL LEARNING EXPERIENCE | $6,933,052 |
| DC PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND WASHINGTON, DC | SUPPORT DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THEIR WORK TO RE-IMAGINE AND RE-DESIGN THEIR SCHOOLS | $2,403,959 |
| FUND FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS INC NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORT NYDOE IN THEIR WORK TO RE-IMAGINE AND RE-DESIGN THEIR SCHOOLS | $1,830,569 |
| IOVINE AND YOUNG FOUNDATION LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORT THE CREATION OF NEW SCHOOL, THE IOVINE AND YOUNG CENTER | $1,000,000 |
| EDUCATION FOR CHANGE OAKLAND, CA | SUPPORT THE HIGH SCHOOL IN THEIR WORK TO RE-IMAGINE AND RE-DESIGN THEIR SCHOOL | $643,875 |
| UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND (UNCF) WASHINGTON, DC | SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF A REDESIGNED HIGH SCHOOL TO BE A MODEL EXEMPLAR. | $350,000 |
| CROSSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL INC MEMPHIS, TN | SUPPORT SCHOOL IMPLEMENTATION OF XQ TOOLS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO DRIVE INNOVATIVE, STUDENT-CENTERED IMPROVEMENT. | $250,000 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION WASHINGTON, DC | SUPPORT HIGH SCHOOL MATH BADGING SYSTEM WITHIN BIE FUNDED SCHOOLS. | $323,500 |
| THE 74 MEDIA INC NEW YORK, NY | GRANT IN SUPPORT OF JOURNALISTIC CONTENT, FOCUSED ON AMPLIFYING MESSAGE OF RETHINKING HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION | $150,000 |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY EDUCATION SYSTEMS CENTER DEKALB, IL | SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF MASTERY-BASED HIGH SCHOOL MATH BADGING IN ILLINOIS | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Russlynn Ali: Chief Executive Officer and co-founder (former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in Education)
- Laurene Powell Jobs: Founder and President of Emerson Collective; founded XQ in 2015
- Molly Mauer: Chief Strategy Officer
- Keith Dysarz: Chief Academic Officer
- Zoe Lewis: Deputy Chief Program Officer
- Nytesia Ross: Director, Stakeholder Engagement
- Marc Eckō: Board Member
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAURENE POWELL JOBS | CHAIR OF THE BOARD | 10 | — |
| RUSSLYNN ALI | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 35 | — |
| MICHAEL KLEIN | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| GEOFFREY CANADA | TREASURER | 3 | — |
| YO-YO MA | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| MARC ECKO | SECRETARY | 25 | — |
| JIMMY IOVINE | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| MOLLY MAUER | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $395,899 |
| JONATHAN DOOLEY | CHIEF FINANCIAL AND ADM OFFICER | 40 | $258,472 |
| JEYACHANDRAN RATNAGOPAL | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (THRU 1/31/24) | 40 | $116,674 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
XQ launched its "Super School Project" in 2015 with an open national call that generated overwhelming response: 10,000 people from all 50 states formed 700 teams, with 16 schools selected as part of the initial cohort.
Two R.I. high schools win $500,000 grants from XQ InstituteRecent grant activity includes awards to Rhode Island high schools, including $500,000 planning grants distributed through the XQ+RI program, with multiple schools receiving recognition in the High School Design Challenge.
20 RI High School Teams Received XQ+RI Planning GrantsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Xq Institute fund?
**Mission:** XQ exists to transform high school in America so every student graduates ready for the world they're entering—prepared to thrive in college, career, and life. **Primary Focus Areas:** • **Movement Building and Public Awareness:** Building national will for high school transformation through creative use of media (film, television, social media), storytelling, donated advertising, public reports on key issues in high school reform, and public speaking. • **Support for New High Schoo…
How do I apply for a grant from Xq Institute?
**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: $20.2 million (2023) • Number of grants: 24 (2023) • Median grant size: $250,000 • Grant range: $4,000 to $5.0 million **Application Policy:** Invite-only; does not accept unsolicited applications. **Giving Rate:** Exceeds 100% of assets annually.
Where does Xq Institute make grants?
XQ has a presence in over 180 sites across the country. Documented grantmaking includes activity in the District of Columbia, California, New York, and Rhode Island.
What size grants does Xq Institute award?
In 2024, Xq Institute awarded 14 grants totaling $14.1M — an average of about $1.0M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Xq Institute's EIN?
Xq Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4422640. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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