2025-08-07T22:51:14-04:00 2024-12-31 SMITH & HOWARD ADVISORY LLC 271 17TH STREET NW SUITE 2100 ATLANTA GA 30363 990 2024-01-01 135562388 SOUTHERN EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC % LEIGHTON O'SULLIVAN SOUT 4045230001 101 MARIETTA ST NW 1650 ATLANTA GA 30303 Leighton O'Sullivan CFO 4045230001 2025-11-15 true true SABRE J LINAHAN P01372980 4048746244 2025-11-15 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Raymond Pierce 101 MARIETTA ST NW SUITE 1650 ATLANTA GA 30303 28596269 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. 8 8 37 8 0 0 5060131 8225676 248053 344526 1052802 6043819 96140 55204 6457126 14669225 50000 60000 0 0 2759970 4347987 0 0 356349 3724295 6425244 6534265 10833231 -77139 3835994 34001067 36382579 1327709 1166672 32673358 35215907 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 true false 8895442 60000 344526 Southern Education Leadership Initiative Embedded across the strategies of SEF's three programmatic areas is our long-standing leadership development initiative, the Southern Education Leadership Initiative (SELI). Launched in 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, SELI has now entered its third decade of cultivating leadership for educational equity and opportunity across the South. As we prepare to mark SELI's 21st year, we celebrate a legacy of 299 college and graduate students who have completed intensive training and paid summer fellowships through the program. These emerging leaders-diverse, driven, and deeply committed-represent the next generation of changemakers shaping the future of 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. It is a continuation of SEF's legacy of educating leaders in the South, which spans more than a century. 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, education technology firms, 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, 299 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. In the past year, SELI has expanded to include intentional alumni engagement, ensuring fellows are supported well beyond the summer experience. This ongoing support aims to bolster their leadership capacities and keep them connected to a broader network of changemakers. Alumni opportunities have included virtual professional learning webinars on timely topics in education and leadership, as well as the launch of a new, advanced summer fellowship exclusively for SELI alumni, developed in collaboration with Columbia University's Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL). These efforts reflect SELI's long-term commitment to cultivating and sustaining a robust pipeline of Southern education leaders. 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, Inc. is answering this call by hosting the 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 The Racial Equity Leadership Network 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 their ability to diagnose, and ultimately create solutions to address, the inequities that they witness in their system. Gain a peer network and professional learning community of equity-oriented district leaders throughout the South. Since its inception, the Racial Equity Leadership Network has impacted the leadership journeys of 37 executive district leaders across four cohorts. Through their participation in the fellowship, these leaders have shifted the way they approach complex challenges in their systems, applying equity-centered strategies and tools in real-time. Each fellow represented a district in the South, spanning urban, suburban, and rural contexts, bringing with them diverse perspectives and a shared commitment to advancing opportunity and outcomes for all students. 8895442 true true false true false false false false false true true true 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 122 0 true 37 true false false false false false false false false false false false false X 8 8 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 402271 0 72406 Kenita Williams Chief Operating Officer 40.0 0.0 X 222300 0 39851 Saba Bireda Executive Director - BP 40.0 0.0 X 231000 0 15587 Leighton O'Sullivan Chief Financial Officer 40.0 0.0 X 202700 0 36761 Ary Spatig-Amerikaner Executive Director - BP 40.0 0.0 X 229433 0 9261 Fred Jones Jr Senior Director of Public Poli 40.0 0.0 X 163596 0 48715 Max Altman Director of Research and Polic 40.0 0.0 X 140960 0 27800 Eshe Collins Director, Equity Assistance 40.0 0.0 X 140200 0 14291 Dr Hakim Lucas 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 Mehrotra Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Michele Warman Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Charlotte Morris Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Careshia Moore Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 1732460 0 264672 11 false true false Brittany Miller 15638 Baker Avenue LAKEWOOD CO 80228 Consultant 325345 Forvis Mazars P O BOX 200870 DALLAS TX 753200870 Consultant 397356 CG Consulting 1502 Winter Valley Driv TUPELO MS 38801 Consultant 260000 Education Law Center 60 Park Place Suite 300 NEWARK NJ 07102 Consultant 233771 First 8 Memphis 1350 Concourse Avenue MEMPHIS TN 38104 Consultant 228825 16 1601564 6624112 1050619 8225676 ISSUES FORUM 900099 344526 344526 344526 805917 805917 0 0 0 0 0 19164946 13927044 5237902 5237902 5237902 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OTHER INCOME 900099 55204 55204 55204 14669225 344526 6099023 60000 60000 0 0 0 979628 783703 117555 78370 0 2751427 2201142 330171 220114 274792 219834 32975 21983 92223 73778 11067 7378 249917 199934 29990 19993 4216146 3861097 352488 2561 9750 2592 7157 1 51500 51500 0 0 81545 81545 80841 77201 3413 227 241558 212977 26427 2154 294216 223842 69474 900 278814 165930 110440 2444 0 172956 155660 17296 0 0 806105 632562 173370 173 0 0 86889 86889 9504 9504 DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS 95250 25050 70149 51 TAXES AND LICENSES 170 140 30 0 10833231 8895442 1581440 356349 X 0 0 65290 313238 1298662 919195 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 617761 585284 453384 173371 131900 29483978 31925598 2440294 2037905 0 0 0 0 539472 436982 34001067 36382579 730928 683582 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 596781 483090 1327709 1166672 X 17934968 17322045 14738390 17893862 32673358 35215907 34001067 36382579 3835994 -2675874 1382429 X false true X true true true X 1389634 3988850 1556460 5060131 8225676 20220751 0 0 1389634 3988850 1556460 5060131 8225676 20220751 7284825 12935926 426957 564377 768331 694171 805917 3259753 0 11311 28818 78655 96140 55204 270128 23750632 592579 0.54466 0.54535 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 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, 2021. true Duval County Public School 1701 Prudential Drive Jacksonville FL 32207 60000 Book Support 1 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 359271 25000 18000 65000 8556 475827 Kenita Williams Chief Operating Officer 216300 6000 0 32445 8556 263301 Leighton O'Sullivan Chief Financial Officer 195700 7000 0 29335 8444 240479 Fred Jones Jr Senior Director of Public Poli 159596 4000 0 25553 24154 213303 Max Altman Director of Research and Polic 135960 5000 0 20394 8305 169659 Saba Bireda Executive Director - BP 231000 0 0 8181 8556 247737 Ary Spatig-Amerikaner Executive Director - BP 229433 0 0 8662 1749 239844 Eshe Collins Director, Equity Assistance 137700 2500 0 6885 8389 155474 PART I, LINE 7 BONUSES WERE BASED ON PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS. PART II COLUMN (B)(III) AUTOMOBILE EXPENSE X 1 1050619 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 immediately. PART III, LINE 2 During the year, the Foundation entered into a fiscal sponsorship agreement with The Browns Promise Project ("Browns Promise") to provide administrative support. The Foundation receives a fee for providing administrative support to Browns Promise. The Foundation is to receive 10% of the first $1 million in funds received by Brown's Promise and then 5% of all funds received thereafter within the calendar year. PART III, LINE 4A (1) CONT. Catalyzing Community Foundations: A Strategic Lever to Fund Smaller Nonprofits Across the South, smaller nonprofit organizations are working every day to improve postsecondary outcomes for students in their communities-often with limited resources and limited access to sustained funding. Recognizing the critical role of local philanthropy in addressing this challenge, the Southern Education Foundation has launched the Catalyzing Community Foundations initiative, a new effort designed to strengthen community-based support for postsecondary student success. With support from ECMC Foundation, the initiative is focused on deepening the capacity of community foundations in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi to fund and support organizations that are rooted in and responsive to the communities they serve. Each participating foundation will partner with local nonprofit organizations that operate with annual budgets under $1.5 million and are committed to increasing postsecondary retention and completion. In its first year, SEF conducted a landscape analysis to better understand the education-focused grantmaking efforts of community foundations in these states. This included identifying potential partners, mapping nonprofit capacity across the region, and designing the initiative's structure and strategy. With these foundational elements in place, SEF formally launched the first cohort in 2025. The Catalyzing Community Foundations initiative reflects SEF's broader commitment to investing in local infrastructure, expanding philanthropic reach, and strengthening the ecosystem of support for postsecondary student success. By equipping community foundations with targeted resources and capacity-building support, we seek to elevate the organizations closest to students-those best positioned to deliver direct, responsive, and sustained impact. 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."