Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship
Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship reported $18.1 million in revenue and $19.1 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $88.46 went to program services, $11.54 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.9% of the total. Government grants made up 57.1%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $390,346 (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER). 12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 73% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $19MFor 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 June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $18MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 88.5% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 11.5% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.9% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 57.1% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $390,346 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.04% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 12 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 34.8 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 21 of 21 | 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 expenseSay Yes Buffalo Scholarship, inc. Raises funds to support college tuition and related educational expenditures through the provision of scholarships and opportunity grants. Funds raised are transferred to a scholarship fund at a community foundation for administration of the scholarship programs. The scholarship fund provides scholarships for all graduates of buffalo and niagara falls public and charter schools to pursue a post-secondary education. This scholarship program serves to articulate the possibility and expectation of post-secondary completion for all students and gives hope to…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $343,467 | $0 | $46,879 | $390,346 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $168,600 | $0 | $47,718 | $216,318 |
| CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $156,429 | $0 | $16,430 | $172,859 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $121,813 | $0 | $30,505 | $152,318 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $118,648 | $0 | $27,937 | $146,585 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SCHOLARSHIP ADMINISTRATION Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $103,548 | $0 | $31,683 | $135,231 |
| DATA DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $108,828 | $0 | $26,146 | $134,974 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $114,376 | $0 | $17,332 | $131,708 |
12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $777K (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–1b21 · 21 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14No
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aNo
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5198
- Volunteers Part I, line 65
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES Outsource hr and payroll | $203,731 |
| TECHNET MSP LLC Information system services | $184,074 |
| POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE OF BUFFALO Summer camp partner | $139,273 |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF BUFFALO INC Summer camp partner | $115,240 |
| MT MORIAH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH Summer camp partner | $111,056 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 6 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
17 private foundations reported grants to Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship totaling $4.3M 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 Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship spent in FY2025, $88.46 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Vail Mountain SchoolVail, CO · revenue $18M · programs 81.4% · FY2025
- The J127 Education FoundationFairfax, VA · revenue $18M · programs 92.7% · FY2025
- Linwood CenterEllicott City, MD · revenue $18M · programs 94.3% · FY2025
- Partnership for Community ActionDecatur, GA · revenue $18M · programs 92.5% · FY2025
- National Association for College Admission CounselingArlington, VA · revenue $18M · programs 63.9% · 2024
Questions people ask
How much of Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship reported that 88.5% of its $19.1 million in expenses went to program services, 11.5% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $390,346, for the role of CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship get its money?
Of $18.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 99.9% came from contributions and grants (including 57.1% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Say Yes Buffalo Scholarship a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 46-2867677 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 June 30, 2025, object 202621359349305047 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202500989349301960 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401359349303700 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311219349301041 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202240819349300109 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202140959349300709 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 46-2867677: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.