Impact & finances
Donor confidence depends on honest reporting. This page sets out what the initiative runs today, how we measure it, and what every dollar covers.
An honest baseline, not a finished record.
The initiative began as a privately financed pilot and is now established as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The figures here are drawn from the 2026 program narrative the board is working from. They describe a real, operating program — and they are deliberately conservative. Where a measurement system is still being built, we say so plainly rather than publishing a number we cannot defend. As board-reviewed financial records and monitoring data become available, this page will carry them.
Financial snapshot last updated: May 2026
Key figures.
What the two programs comprise today.
Being introduced
Standardized diagnostic testing, aggregate attendance reporting, and a participant vs. non-participant comparison are part of the monitoring framework below. Until those systems have produced a full cycle of data, we report program scale and cost — not outcome percentages.
How we will know it is working.
The evidence on Kankor performance points to a practical strategy: repeated, measured exposure to exam format and curriculum scope. The same discipline applies to how we evaluate ourselves. The framework below is what the initiative is committed to operating.
- Baseline diagnostics at intake
- Monthly assessments through the term
- Attendance dashboards for both programs
- Participant vs. non-participant comparison, where ethically sound
- Kankor participation tracking for eligible students
- Long-term directional target: at least five university admissions each year
We use discretion in public storytelling and avoid identifying students without appropriate consent and safety review. Our reporting emphasizes aggregate progress, program structure, and educational outcomes while protecting students and communities.
The operating budget.
The budget distinguishes the current operating baseline from a planned expansion model. Figures are from the 2026 program narrative reviewed by the board — not audited financial statements — and will be replaced by board-approved statements as the Initiative's finance function is established.
Combined operating budget
| Program | Current / month | Current / year | Projected / month | Projected / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program 1 — Nishegram after-school | $200 | $2,400 | $800 | $9,600 |
| Program 2 — Kabul Bridge Cohort | $480 | $5,760 | $480 | $5,760 |
| Combined total | $680 | $8,160 | $1,280 | $15,360 |
Program 1 — expanded staffing model
The current $200/month baseline covers limited instruction. The expansion model adds subject-specific teachers — three recruited locally, with English instruction recruited externally — at $800/month.
| Role | / month | / year |
|---|---|---|
| Master trainer | $200 | $2,400 |
| English instructor | $300 | $3,600 |
| Physics & chemistry instructor | $150 | $1,800 |
| Reading & writing instructor | $150 | $1,800 |
| Total staffing | $800 | $9,600 |
Program 2 — Kabul Bridge Cohort
The Kabul cohort is budgeted per student at roughly $80 per month, covering housing, food, transport, materials, utilities, internet, and welfare supervision.
| Scenario | Students | / month | / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| At launch, 2025 | 4 | $320 | $3,840 |
| Current cohort | 6 | $480 | $5,760 |
Even at the expanded combined level of $15,360 a year, the budget remains modest relative to the scale of educational disadvantage the program is built to address.
How the initiative reached this point.
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1895–1896
Nuristan is annexed into the modern Afghan state and renamed. That history of marginalization still shapes the province's limited institutional development and exclusion from educational opportunity.
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2023
The proof-of-concept after-school program launches in Nishegram, privately financed.
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2025
The Kabul Bridge Cohort launches as a second proof point — four students relocate for intensive preparation.
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2026
Nuristan Education Initiative is established as a California nonprofit and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity — creating a governance and fundraising platform for the work.
A small budget, real leverage.
$40 funds a village student's year. $80 sustains a Kabul Bridge student for a month. Every gift is accounted for.