Pencils of Promise Incorporated
Every child deserves access to quality education
About
Pencils of Promise is a US-based nonprofit organization working to improve access to quality education for children in underserved communities. It partners with local communities and governments to build safe schools, strengthen teaching quality, and improve access to clean water and sanitation. Its work is currently focused on Ghana, Guatemala, and Laos. The organization emphasizes locally led, measurable and sustainable education programs.
Pencils of Promise believes every child should have access to quality education, regardless of where they are born. Its mission is to address global education inequality by creating safe learning environments, supporting teachers, and removing barriers that prevent children from learning. It works alongside local communities to create long-term improvements in education.
Pencils of Promise was founded by Adam Braun in 2008. While traveling, Braun asked a boy in India what he wanted most in the world, and the boy answered, “a pencil.” The experience inspired Braun to begin supporting education, initially …
Programs
5 programs run by Pencils of Promise Incorporated-
School Builds
Constructs and improves safe classrooms and school infrastructure in underserved communities.
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Teacher Support
Provides ongoing teacher training, coaching, resources, and support to improve classroom instruction and student learning.
Focus & reach
Ghana
Laos
Guatemala
Verification & registration
Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.
Integrity assessment
A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. See exactly what we do and do not have →
Financials
IRS Form 990Leadership at a glance
Official filingsSimilar charities
GiveRadar Intelligence
GiveRadar Analysis
GiveRadar's verified records show Pencils of Promise Incorporated with a complete profile, cross-referenced across 5 independent sources including the IRS.
- GiveRadar holds 14 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2024 - a deeper filing history than 99% of the 12,908 international charities in the United States with filings on record. See the filings
- GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 5 independent sources, led by the IRS - more than 91% of comparable charities. See the sources
- Its integrity score of 96 places it in the top 1% of the 25,023 international charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (14 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- third-party accreditation
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Filing history
10 years on file from IRS Form 990: revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTax deductibility
Whether a gift to Pencils of Promise Incorporated lowers your own taxes depends on where you pay them. Choose your country to see the rule that applies.
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
PENCILS OF PROMISE INCORPORATED is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
Leadership & board
Official filingsBoard members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.
22 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.
No red flags detected
Timeline
From official filingsKey dates from this charity's official filings, newest first.
In the news
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Top 1% of 25,023 international charities in the United States on integrity score
The highest integrity score in this cohort (96/100). Positions are competition ranks: ties share a position. Cohorts are the tightest local peer set with at least 30 comparable organizations; a metric is left out where the cohort is too small or nearly uniform.
Bars show the share of the cohort this charity outranks. Ranks describe how much is publicly disclosed, not how good the charity is.
How it stacks up against peers
Compared with 8 similar international charities in United States.
Cause areas in United States
Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.
Sources and verification
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search · 64 disclosed in the public registry.
What we know and don't know
Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.
Data freshness
How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
Read full methodologyIf you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions about Pencils of Promise Incorporated
Pencils of Promise Incorporated is a registered international nonprofit based in New York, NY, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2008 and has been operating for 18 years. Its EIN is 263618722. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 96/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $3M in annual revenue. 64 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Pencils of Promise Incorporated's CEO, Leslie Engle, received $256,685 in reported compensation in its most recent filing (2024). This figure comes straight from the organization's official filing and covers salary plus other reportable pay. Executive pay generally scales with the size and complexity of a nonprofit, so it is best read alongside the organization's revenue and what it does.
Based on official filings, Pencils of Promise Incorporated has $3M in annual revenue. It allocates 87% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 76% for international charities in United States. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Pencils of Promise is a US-based nonprofit organization working to improve access to quality education for children in underserved communities. It partners with local communities and governments to build safe schools, strengthen teaching quality, and improve access to clean water and sanitation. Its work is currently focused on Ghana, Guatemala, and Laos. The organization emphasizes locally led, measurable and sustainable education programs. Pencils of Promise Incorporated is classified as an international organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2008.
Pencils of Promise Incorporated is classified as an International organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a medium organization. It has $3M in annual revenue. The organization has 64 disclosed officers and directors.
Pencils of Promise Incorporated's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 263618722. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
Pencils of Promise Incorporated is located in New York, NY, United States. The organization was established in 2008 and has been active for 18 years.
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Quick facts about Pencils of Promise Incorporated
- What is Pencils of Promise Incorporated?
- Pencils of Promise Incorporated is a international supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in New York, United States. Pencils of Promise is a US-based nonprofit organization working to improve access to quality education for children in underserved communities. It partners with local communities and governments to build safe schools, strengthen teaching quality, and improve access to clean water and sanitation. Its work is currently focused on Ghana, Guatemala, and Laos. The organization emphasizes locally led, measurable and sustainable education programs.
- When was Pencils of Promise Incorporated founded?
- Pencils of Promise Incorporated was founded in 2008.
- Who leads Pencils of Promise Incorporated?
- Leslie Engle serves as CEO.
- Where is Pencils of Promise Incorporated located?
- Headquartered in New York, NY, United States. The charity operates in 3 countries.
- What is Pencils of Promise Incorporated's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is $2.8 million. 87% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Pencils of Promise Incorporated trustworthy?
- Pencils of Promise Incorporated has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 96 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Pencils of Promise Incorporated's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 263618722.
- What is Pencils of Promise Incorporated's website?
- http://www.pencilsofpromise.org