Council of Chief State School Officers
Council of Chief State School Officers reported $29.3 million in revenue and $28.9 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $77.68 went to program services, $17.41 to management and general costs and $4.91 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 90.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $449,448 (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER). 35 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 June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $29MFor 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 $29MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 77.7% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 17.4% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.9% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $1.42 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 3.4% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 90.4% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $449,448 | $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 | 35 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 9.0 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 13 of 13 | 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 expenseCcsso in 2025 supported our members to lead effectively and serve their students, educators and communities in their states and territories. On our annual member survey 96% of responding chiefs and deputies indicated they are satisfied with their membership and 93% rated ccsso programs and benefits as very good/excellent.this year ccsso launched the states leading network, a nonpartisan network designed to help states lead with clarity and strength in a changing landscape. Our high-quality instructional materials and professional development network continued to grow, expanding to 16 states.…
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, 37.50 hrs/week | $370,589 | $0 | $78,859 | $449,448 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 37.50 hrs/week | $235,031 | $0 | $77,557 | $312,588 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Key employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $216,612 | $0 | $75,715 | $292,327 |
| CHIEF OF STAFF Key employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $233,280 | $0 | $50,452 | $283,732 |
| CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Key employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $224,679 | $0 | $50,395 | $275,074 |
| CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Key employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $223,469 | $0 | $41,536 | $265,005 |
| MANAGING DIRECTOR, FOUNDATION & CORPORATE RELATION Highest compensated employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $160,348 | $0 | $70,089 | $230,437 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $164,617 | $0 | $61,119 | $225,736 |
35 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Council of Chief State School Officers (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.9M (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–1b13 · 13 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 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 4Yes
- 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 571
- Volunteers Part I, line 69
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| EDUCATION FIRST Consulting | $339,669 |
| FEDERAL EDU GROUP LLC Consulting | $214,020 |
| INSTRUCTION PARTNERS Consulting | $112,600 |
| FORESIGHT LAW POLICY Consulting | $108,000 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 7 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
10 private foundations reported grants to Council of Chief State School Officers totaling $7.8M 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 Council of Chief State School Officers's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Council of Chief State School Officers, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Council of Chief State School Officers spent in FY2025, $77.68 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Little Rock Christian AcademyLittle Rock, AR · revenue $29M · programs 90.8% · FY2025
- Advanced Education Research & Development FundOakland, CA · revenue $29M · programs 89.7% · 2024
- Cleary UniversityHowell, MI · revenue $29M · programs 74.5% · FY2025
- Greater Raleigh Area Christian EducationRaleigh, NC · revenue $29M · programs 83.3% · FY2025
- Paul Public Charter SchoolWashington, DC · revenue $29M · programs 88.0% · FY2025
All education charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of Council of Chief State School Officers's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Council of Chief State School Officers reported that 77.7% of its $28.9 million in expenses went to program services, 17.4% to management and general and 4.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Council of Chief State School Officers pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Council of Chief State School Officers reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $449,448, for the role of CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Council of Chief State School Officers get its money?
Of $29.3 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 3.4% came from contributions and grants and 90.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Council of Chief State School Officers a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 53-0198090 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), 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 202630619349300013 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202540499349302219 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202441279349301204 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202310549349300926 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202241179349300634 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202100119349301230 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 53-0198090: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.