South Carolina First Steps to
South Carolina First Steps to reported $72.4 million in revenue and $72.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $96.34 went to program services, $3.56 to management and general costs and $0.10 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.8% of the total. Government grants made up 99.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $122,935 (DIRECTOR-ADM). 3 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 95% 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 $73MFor 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 $72MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 96.3% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 3.6% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.1% | 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 | 99.8% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 99.5% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $122,935 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.17% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 3 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 1.9 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 25 of 25 | 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 expenseThe mission of South Carolina First Steps is to ensure that children enter kindergarten emotionally, physically and intellectually ready for success in school and life. Services are offered across sc through the local partnership network for children ages birth to five. Programs include evidence based parent education and mentoring programs, reading readiness, health related programs and specialized training with child care centers
South Carolina First Steps also administers the state's 4k program. The 4k program utilizes a public-private service delivery model so that parents may enroll eligible children who turn 4 on or before september 1st in an approved private child care center, charter or private school. Sc First Steps provides training and oversight for almost four hundred 4k sites across sc. The 4k model supports high quality curriculum, learning environments and teacher-child interactions. The model also includes a parent-caretaker engagement component
Sc First Steps also convenes the sc early childhood advisory council which is a collaborative body representing the state's early childhood system. Established in law, the ecac includes the directors of nine state agencies and government entities that provide state and federally funded services for young children
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTOR-ADM Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $122,935 | $0 | $0 | $122,935 |
| 4K STATE DIR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $109,189 | $0 | $0 | $109,189 |
| DIRECT-GRANT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $101,026 | $0 | $0 | $101,026 |
| CHIEF FINAN Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $99,692 | $0 | $0 | $99,692 |
| CHIEF PARTNE Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $96,957 | $0 | $0 | $96,957 |
| EXEC DIR-EFF Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $23,960 | $0 | $0 | $23,960 |
3 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from South Carolina First Steps to (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $554K (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–1b25 · 25 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 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 5132
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| FLOCK AND RALLY LLC Marketing | $779,496 |
| MANLEY GARVIN LLC Accounting | $681,601 |
| CHERNOFF NEWMAN LLC Marketing | $283,226 |
| 37 GEARS INC Marketing | $272,686 |
| DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION Admin & it serv | $271,600 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 14 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from South Carolina First Steps to's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for South Carolina First Steps to, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 South Carolina First Steps to spent in FY2025, $96.34 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All education charities · Largest charities in South Carolina
Questions people ask
How much of South Carolina First Steps to's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, South Carolina First Steps to reported that 96.3% of its $72.7 million in expenses went to program services, 3.6% to management and general and 0.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does South Carolina First Steps to pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation South Carolina First Steps to reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $122,935, for the role of DIRECTOR-ADM (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does South Carolina First Steps to get its money?
Of $72.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 99.8% came from contributions and grants (including 99.5% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is South Carolina First Steps to a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 57-1087576 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 202621359349311947 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202541339349305154 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431369349311768 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311319349306946 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202241179349302104 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202101109349300010 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 57-1087576: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.