The Childrens Scholarship Fund
The Childrens Scholarship Fund reported $31.7 million in revenue and $25.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $93.06 went to program services, $1.91 to management and general costs and $5.03 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 85.2% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $398,541 (President & CEO). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 15% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $25MFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $32M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$85.20 $27M
- Program service revenue$7.13 $2.3M
- Investment income$7.67 $2.4M
Other revenue was negative: −$5,363. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 93.1% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 1.9% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 5.0% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.05 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 85.2% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 7.1% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $398,541 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.56% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 21.7 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 11 of 12 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseIn fiscal year 2025 nearly 30,290 children across the US benefited from scholarships awarded by CSF and its partner programs. These children, all of whom are from low-income families, are receiving the education desired by their families due to the generosity of our donors and the efforts of scholarship programs in 24 communities. Since its inception in 1998, nearly 217,430 children from low-income families have benefited from attending the private school of their choice with more than $1.155 billion in tuition assistance from CSF and its partner programs
Program management and administration of New Hampshire Education Freedom (EFA) program: The EFA program provides students who are not enrolled full time in a New Hampshire public school and whose family earns 350% of the poverty line or below with a state grant to spend on eligible education related expenses. CSF administers the funding provided from the State of New Hampshire to each student account. Program staff verifies eligibility of students through the application process, reviews and approves payment of eligible education expenses, and approves educational providers. In addition…
Program management, outreach and support: CSF's program staff works with parents and schools to ensure the integrity and efficient management of the program. The program staff verifies eligibility and student attendance, disburses the tuition assistance payments to schools and annually requalifies returning students. The Children's Scholarship Fund maintains partnerships with local scholarship programs in communities around the country. In addition to providing matching grants to these organizations, the Children's Scholarship Fund also trains local program staff and has developed and…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President & CEO Director/trustee, officer, 40 hrs/week | $361,448 | $0 | $37,093 | $398,541 |
| CFO Officer, 40 hrs/week | $248,586 | $0 | $32,532 | $281,118 |
| Executive Director New Hampshire Programs Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $194,862 | $0 | $25,805 | $220,667 |
| VP Strategic Planning & Development Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $207,287 | $0 | $11,281 | $218,568 |
| Corporate Secretary Officer, 40 hrs/week | $167,754 | $0 | $24,469 | $192,223 |
| Director of Strategic Partnerships Highest compensated employee, 40 hrs/week | $155,298 | $0 | $25,805 | $181,103 |
| Director of Scholarship Operations Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $130,712 | $0 | $22,800 | $153,512 |
| Director of Donor Engagement Highest compensated employee, 40 hrs/week | $107,875 | $0 | $6,199 | $114,074 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Childrens Scholarship Fund (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.5M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b12 · 11 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 534
- Volunteers Part I, line 6133
Private foundation grants it received
25 private foundations reported grants to The Childrens Scholarship Fund totaling $9.7M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from The Childrens Scholarship Fund's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Childrens Scholarship Fund, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 The Childrens Scholarship Fund spent in FY2025, $93.06 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Michigan Family ResourcesGrand Rapids, MI · revenue $32M · programs 91.5% · 2024
- Catalyst SchoolsChicago, IL · revenue $32M · programs 92.7% · FY2025
- Opportunity 180Las Vegas, NV · revenue $32M · programs 87.0% · FY2025
- Holland Christian Education SocietyHolland, MI · revenue $32M · programs 90.5% · FY2025
- College FoundationRaleigh, NC · revenue $32M · programs 92.6% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of The Childrens Scholarship Fund's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, The Childrens Scholarship Fund reported that 93.1% of its $25.5 million in expenses went to program services, 1.9% to management and general and 5.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Childrens Scholarship Fund pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Childrens Scholarship Fund reported for one person in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 was $398,541, for the role of President & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Childrens Scholarship Fund get its money?
Of $31.7 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, 85.2% came from contributions and grants and 7.1% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Childrens Scholarship Fund a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 13-4002189 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, object 202513389349300336 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2024, object 202443409349300739 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2023, object 202343359349300724 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022, object 202203429349300445 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2021, object 202133519349301308 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2020, object 202043459349300104 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 13-4002189: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.