2023-11-13T20:13:10-06:00 2022-12-31 SMITH & HOWARD ADVISORY LLC 271 17TH STREET NW SUITE 1600 ATLANTA GA 30363 990 2022-01-01 135562388 SOUTHERN EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC % LEIGHTON O'SULLIVAN SOUT 4045230001 101 MARIETTA ST NW 1650 ATLANTA GA 30303 Leighton O'Sullivan CFO 4045230001 2023-11-15 true Leighton OSullivan 999009999 SABRE J LINAHAN P01372980 4048746244 2 2022 2023-04-26 12:10:37Z Raymond Pierce 101 MARIETTA ST NW SUITE 1650 ATLANTA GA 30303 9253562 false X www.southerneducation.org X 1867 GA TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR DISADVANTAGED RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES BY PROMOTING EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION. 9 9 21 9 0 3988850 7556460 0 0 985605 1226149 28819 78655 5003274 8861264 6379 150000 0 0 1598745 2043049 321646 0 184528 804738 2074461 2731508 4267510 2271766 4593754 32697616 30404725 1181928 1182294 31515688 29222431 X THE SOUTHERN EDUCATION FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS IN THE SOUTH, PARTICULARLY LOW-INCOME STUDENTS AND STUDENTS OF COLOR. SEF USES COLLABORATION, ADVOCACY, AND RESEARCH TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD. OUR CORE BELIEF IS THAT EDUCATION IS THE VEHICLE BY WHICH ALL STUDENTS GET FAIR CHANCES TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMON GOOD. SEF STRIVES TO FULFILL ITS MISSION THROUGH THE FOLLOWING CORE PROGRAM AREAS: EXPANDING EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, ADVANCING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND IMPROVING COLLEGE ACCESS AND COMPLETION. SEF EXECUTES FIVE PRIMARY STRATEGIES ACROSS OUR PROGRAMS: LEVERAGING KNOWLEDGE OF THE FIELD: BY ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING TASK FORCES, WORK GROUPS, AND LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO ORGANIZE KNOWLEDGE AND ADVANCE NEW SOLUTIONS TO LONG STANDING PROBLEMS; PUTTING GOOD IDEAS TO A FAIR TEST: PROMOTING, CONDUCTING, AND USING DEMONSTRATIONS, PILOTS, AND EVALUATIONS TO SHAPE POLICY AND PRAC false false 3293250 150000 For a summary of our strategies, activities and accomplishments in 2022 follows for each program area, please see continuation on Schedule O. 3293250 true true false true false false false false false true true false false false true true true false false false false false false false false false false true false true false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false true 55 0 true 21 true false false false false false false false false false false false false X 9 9 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false GA NY X LEIGHTON O'SULLIVAN 4045230001 101 MARIETTA ST NW STE 1650 ATLANTA GA 30303 X Raymond Pierce President 40.0 0.0 X 335175 0 50973 Kenita Williams Chief Operating Officer 40.0 0.0 X 210000 0 36673 Leighton O'Sullivan Chief Financial Officer 40.0 0.0 X 150834 0 27798 Fred Jones Jr Senior Director of Public Poli 40.0 0.0 X 124370 0 33971 Max Altman Director of Research and Polic 40.0 0.0 X 130833 0 11098 Dr Michael Nettles Chairman 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Dr Hakim Lucas Vice Chair 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Kenneth Jones II Secretary 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Judith Leonard Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Larry Berger Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Ajay Mehrota Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Michelle Warman Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Careshia Moore Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Charlotte Morris Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 951212 0 160513 5 false true false C G Consulting LLC 1502 Winter Valley Drive TUPELO MS 38801 OUTCOMES BASED 110000 THIRD SECTOR CAPITAL PARTNERS PO BOX 962001 BOSTON MA 02196 OUTCOMES BASED 196000 2 306213 7250247 430305 7556460 0 768331 768331 0 0 0 0 0 850116 392298 457818 457818 457818 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OTHER INCOME 900099 78655 78655 78655 8861264 1304804 150000 150000 0 0 0 816683 653346 98002 65335 0 973270 778616 116792 77862 56275 45020 6753 4502 73051 58441 8766 5844 123770 99016 14852 9902 1090214 955916 117620 16678 54337 5944 48393 47075 47075 0 0 128281 128281 74564 74564 40477 27054 13423 80881 45887 34048 946 10731 1530 9201 0 193613 174252 19361 0 0 197237 113613 81190 2434 0 0 63933 63933 3737 3737 DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS 57408 26618 29765 1025 HONORARIA 27000 19500 7500 TAXES & LICENSES 4973 4973 4267510 3293250 789732 184528 X 0 0 1981934 169925 2000000 1278450 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 478694 318761 223866 159933 27761743 28159369 0 0 0 0 0 0 730073 637048 32697616 30404725 75923 280085 0 0 0 200000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1106005 702209 1181928 1182294 X 17831927 16517736 13683761 12704695 31515688 29222431 32697616 30404725 4593754 -6887011 X false true X true false X 1565117 724240 1389634 3988850 1556460 9224301 0 0 1565117 724240 1389634 3988850 1556460 9224301 2772786 6451515 646420 540226 426957 564377 768331 2946311 0 1286 24668 11311 28818 78655 144738 12315350 0.52386 0.47105 X Part II, Line 1 The organization received a one-time, unexpected grant during the 2022 year of $6,000,000. It has not been reported in the 2022 column for grants received during the year as it was deemed to meet the definition of an unusual grant. 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PART X, Line 1 In May 2020, the Foundation obtained a Small Business Administration("SBA") loan under the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") in the amount of $360,625. During 2021, the Foundation obtained complete loan forgiveness and included the amount in other changes in the statement of activities and changes in net assets at December 31, 2021. In June 2021, the Foundation obtained a second Small Business Administration ("SBA") loan under the Paycheck Protection Program("PPP")in the amount of $306,213. The PPP loan bears interest at 1% and may require repayment under certain circumstances. Under the terms of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act (the "Cares Act") and the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act ("PPPFA"), the Foundation may apply with the lending institution for PPP loan proceeds used to cover certain payroll and other expenses as defined by the CARES Act and PPPFA. Initial repayments of the loan are deferred until the date the SBA remits the loan forgiveness funds to the lending institution, or until 10 months after the end of the forgiveness coverage period if the Foundation does not apply for forgiveness. During 2022, the foundation obtained complete loan forgiveness and included the amount in other changes in the statement of activities and changes in net assets at December 31, 2022. PART X, Line 2 The Foundation is recognized as an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in Section 501 (c)(3). The Foundation annually evaluates all federal and state income tax positions. This process includes an analysis of whether these income tax positions the Foundation takes meet the definition of an uncertain tax position under the Income Taxes Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Codification. In the normal course of business, the Foundation is subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities. The Foundation believes it is no longer subject to tax examinations for tax years ending before December 31, 2019. true The Duval County School Board 1701 Prudential Drive Jacksonville FL 32207 596000589 65000 Book Support Fulton County Schools 6201 Powers Ferry Road NW Atlanta GA 30339 586000246 75000 Book Support 2 PROCEDURES FOR MONITORING THE USE OF GRANT FUNDS The organization selects recipients based on need and requests an annual report detailing the outcome of the project funded and an accounting for the monies received. X X X X X false false false false false false false true false Raymond Pierce President 308175 15000 12000 44300 8646 388121 Kenita Williams Chief Operating Officer 200000 10000 0 30000 8361 248361 Leighton O'Sullivan Chief Financial Officer 140834 10000 0 21125 8242 180201 Fred Jones Jr Senior Director of Public Poli 116870 7500 0 18428 17142 159940 PART I, LINE 7 BONUSES WERE BASED ON PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS. PART II COLUMN (B)(III) AUTOMOBILE EXPENSE X 2 430305 FMV false true true Part I, Column B - Items Contributed: COLUMN B REPORTS NUMBER OF ITEMS RECEIVED. Part I, Line 32 B The Organization uses their investment broker to sell donated stock. PART III, LINE 4A (1) CONTINUED FROM FORM 990, The Southern Education Foundation's mission is to advance equity and excellence in education for all students in the South, particularly low-income students and students of color. SEF uses collaboration, advocacy, and research to improve outcomes from early childhood to adulthood. Our core belief is that education is the vehicle by which all students get fair chances to develop their talents and contribute to the common good. SEF strives to fulfill its mission through the following core program areas: expanding early learning opportunities, advancing public education and improving college access and completion. SEF executes five primary strategies across our programs: -Leveraging knowledge of the field: by establishing and operating task forces, work groups, and learning communities to organize knowledge and advance new solutions to long standing problems; -Putting good ideas to a fair test: promoting, conducting, using pilots and evaluations to shape policy and practice; -Mobilizing the public: through direct engagement to educate and organize, providing research, tools, and in some cases capital assistance to organizations for advancing public education through policy and practice reforms that improve learning opportunities for vulnerable children and youth; -Leadership Development: advancing the will, skill, and capacity of change agents focused on equity in education in the South through fellowships from undergraduates to C-suite professionals; -Communications as a change strategy: conducting and commissioning research and messaging campaigns to support progressive public policy and practice reforms in education, from early learning through higher education. A summary of our strategies, activities and accomplishments in 2022 follows for each program area. Advancing Public Education: Public education for all children has long been a cornerstone of democracy in the United States, and the American South has been the center of the battle to achieve this goal. A perennial threat is the disinvestment in our public schools and increasing efforts to divert funds to private and charter schools as a hindrance from achieving equity in education for all, and we work to push back on these efforts and advance well-funded, safe, supportive, and diverse public schools that are held to meaningful and fair standards. Our Strategy: -Informing and supporting public education campaigns across the South, to help engage, connect, and align diverse coalitions within and across states to employ multi-strategy approaches to advance public education; -Regionalizing efforts through policy research and communications efforts, to help marshal evidence about what works in the region and strengthen the public education narrative; and -Advancing ideas about teaching and learning to provide education advocates with where defensive battles can become offensive ones that shift from simply protecting public education to re-envisioning public education systems that support all children. In 2022, SEF used a number of initiatives to implement this strategy - support for advocacy campaigns, communications, policy research and data sharing across the country and across the South. SEF redefined principles and positions considered to be critical to improving K-12 public education. Most of this work was done by working closely throughout the year with both national and regional stakeholders interested in education justice in the American South. SEF joined approximately 104 partner organizations in a collaborative effort on K-12 and Higher Education issues throughout communities in the South. Our vision for education equity includes a focus on; meaningful learning, professional capacity, sufficient resources, and connected communities. Southern Education Leadership Initiative Embedded across the three programs' strategy, is SEF's leadership development initiative, the Southern Education Leadership Initiative (SELI). SELI was developed in 2004 to honor the 50 year anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. For a decade, SELI has provided intensive trainings and paid summer fellowships to a diverse and inspired group of 260 college and graduate level students interested in working with nonprofit organizations to make systemic changes in education policy and practice. Fellowship Overview The Southern Education Leadership Initiative (SELI) is an intensive, eight-week, paid summer fellowship for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students interested in advancing racial equity and improving education across the pre-kindergarten to college continuum. A continuation of SEF's legacy of educating leaders in the South, which spans more than a century, SELI's 2004 launch marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. Our initiative recognized that there is still important work to be done to ensure that all children, irrespective of race or class, receive an excellent education. Placed in nonprofits, school districts, higher education institutions, or state education agencies in the South, SELI fellows spend the summer developing as leaders, engaging with valuable stakeholders, and acquiring practical job skills through direct learning experiences. Over SELI's tenure, more than 280 talented and diverse young leaders have conducted important research, policy analysis, advocacy, and organizing efforts for over 110 partner organizations. SELI alum can be found today working as educators, policymakers, researchers, community organizers, and committed civic leaders dedicated to improving the life chances of all children. The fellowship is delivered via three key activities: Orientation Training, Placement, and the Closing Meeting. The Orientation Training takes place in May each summer and exposes students to research and data around racial and socio-economic disparities in education, stresses the importance of education equity, offers site visits to see top issues in education firsthand, and provides opportunities to learn from inspiring leaders. Students depart from Orientation to their placement sites, where they work for eight weeks on projects to advance the capacity of their host sites, while developing their own leadership potential in the educational equity field. The Closing Meeting, held every July, presents an opportunity for fellows to share lessons learned, reflect, and brainstorm on how to continue making change as part of a network of emerging leaders in the sector. PART III, LINE 4A (1) CONT. Racial Equity Leadership Network In districts all over the United States, race and class remain among the most reliable predictors of student success in school. Currently, in southern states, more than half of all the students enrolled in public school are from low-income families, with a growing number of families living in extreme poverty. The majority of public school students in the South are also children of color, rapidly changing the demographics of large and small districts. The increasing diversity and inequities students and families confront, creates an imperative for us to reimagine how we create a system that increases access and opportunity for all children to learn, develop, and thrive. We think the system we need now requires a bold and significant shift in educational leadership and practice. Leaders in every corner of our nation are being called to think, engage and act differently in the face of the complex challenges they navigate. Strengthening the will, skill and capacity of district leaders and their teams is an important lever for advancing authentic and enduring equity-centered system change. Funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Southern Education Foundation is answering this call by launching an innovative Racial Equity Leadership Network (RELN) to advance the capacity of district leaders committed to enduring equity-centered systems change as a solution to addressing racial, economic and academic disparities in districts across the South. Fellowship Overview and Theory of Change Delivered in partnership with the National Equity Project and Learning Policy Institute, RELN is an 18-month, cohort-style fellowship program for school district leaders who are committed to addressing persistent disparities in their systems and ensuring that race and class are no longer the most reliable predictors of student success. Each RELN cohort is comprised of up to twelve (12) executive leaders (i.e., Superintendents, Deputy Superintendents, Chief Academic Officers, etc.) from school systems across the South. Over the course of their fellowship experience, RELN fellows attend five (5) two-and-a-half-day network convening's focused on the essential levers for equity-centered leadership and system transformation. In between network convening's, the fellows also receive customized coaching and webinars to support the identification of a context-specific equity challenge. Finally, fellows receive grant support and other technical assistance to implement an action plan addressing their unique equity challenge during a six-month in-district work period. The RELN leadership development model follows a double helix approach incorporating two distinct, but intrinsically linked, strands of learning, engaging, and testing over the course of the 18-month fellowship. Fellows sharpen their individual racial equity lens and receive tools to enhance their capacity for influencing education policy and practice. Because this individual development is insufficient to create sustainable change within systems, fellows simultaneously identify specific policy or practice challenges to address within their districts, receive resources for engaging with others, and observe model districts making progress towards racial equity. Fellowship Outcomes As members of the Racial Equity Leadership Network, fellows (ideally) will: 1) Deepen awareness and understanding of the historical and contextual drivers of racial inequity in schools and make connections to present-day education policies and practices that perpetuate racial disparities in student opportunity and outcomes. 2) Challenge to examine their own attitude, beliefs, and assumptions about students' ability to learn, regardless of background. 3) Establish clear steps for an explicit racial equity vision for their systems and establishing racial equity as a fundamental value that is clearly articulated and championed by all school community members, who work collaboratively to advance sustainable, equitable opportunities and outcomes for students. 4) Strengthen ability to diagnose, and ultimately create solutions to address, the inequities that they witness in their system. 5) Gain a peer network and professional learning community of equity-oriented district leaders throughout the South. PART VI, LINE 11A In accordance with IRS requirements, the 990 was provided to each Board member prior to filing. PART VI, LINE 12C Annually, each Trustee and SEF staff member execute a disclosure form identifying any relationships, positions or circumstances in which he/she is involved that could contribute to a real or perceived conflict of interest. Any information regarding business interest of a Trustee is treated as confidential and is generally made available to the Chair, the President, and any committee appointed to address conflicts of interest, except to the extent additional disclosure is necessary in connection with the implementation of this policy. Trustees do not vote on any matter in which they believe there is duality of interest and may, if asked, be called upon to share with fellow Trustees such information related to the duality of interest as may be necessary and appropriate. The minutes of Board meetings will show that the Trustee having a duality of interest disclosed same and abstained from voting on related matters. A copy of this policy is furnished to each person who is or becomes a member of the Board of Trustees or staff. Each such person is required to review a copy of this policy and acknowledge in writing that he or she has done so. PART VI, LINE 15 IN ORDER TO DETERMINE STAFF COMPENSATION LEVELS FOR ITS SMALL STAFF AND CONSERVATIVE MODEST RESOURCES, SEF CONSULTS SOURCES SUCH AS THE ANNUALLY COMPENSATION SURVEY PUBLISHED BY THE COUNCIL ON FOUNDATIONS, REPORTS IN THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY, AND THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, RATHER THAN HIRING INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS TO CONDUCT DETAILED COMPENSATION SURVEYS AND AUDITS. SEF BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF, AS APPROPRIATE, ALSO CONSULT WITH PEER ORGANIZATIONS TO ASCERTAIN APPROPRIATE COMPENSATION RANGES FOR STAFF. MANY SEF BOARD MEMBERS SERVE, AS WELL, ON OTHER NON -PROFIT ORGANIZATIONAL BOARDS AND BRING THAT KNOWLEDGE AND PERSPECTIVE TO BEAR IN SETTING COMPENSATION FOR SEF STAFF. SEF'S FINANCE, AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE REVIEWS COMPENSATION AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET-SETTING CYCLE AND DETERMINES COMPENSATION OF THE PRESIDENT BASED UPON AN ANNUAL APPRAISAL OF PERFORMANCE. THAT APPRAISAL CONSIDERS ALL ASPECTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S WORK INCLUDING FUNDRAISING, MANAGEMENT, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION, GOVERNANCE AND COMMUNICATIONS. SEF'S PRESIDENT APPRAISES THE PERFORMANCE OF OTHER SUBORDINATE SEF STAFF ANNUALLY. ALL SEF STAFF ARE PART OF A MERIT PAY PROGRAM IN WHICH THERE ARE NO AUTOMATIC OR COST OF LIVING INCREASES. PART VI, LINE 19 All SEF public documents are available upon request. Once a request is received the documents can be sent either electronically or through the US postal system. The 2021 CPA audit, conflict of interest policy and whistleblower policy can also be found on the SEF web site in the "Public Documents Listing."