Scholar Fund
Scholar Fund reported $45.3 million in revenue and $45.7 million in expenses for calendar year 2023. Of every $100 it spent, $94.14 went to program services, $5.85 to management and general costs and $0.01 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 98.8% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $270,400 (CEO). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 199% between 2020 and 2023. Source: Form 990, 2023.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2023 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $46MFor 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
Calendar year 2023 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $45MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2023 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 94.1% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 5.8% | 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 | $0.01 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 1.2% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 98.8% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $270,400 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.59% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 0.7 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 5 of 5 | 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
2023 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseBest Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy: Scholar Fund partners with community organizations and public initiatives to ensure working families have access to equitable, high-quality childcare support. Through collaborative efforts, we streamline the administration of family assistance programs, making childcare accessible to those who face systemic barriers
King County Relief Fund: Through emergency response programming, Scholar Fund supports community-driven financial resilience initiatives that assist underserved populations facing economic hardship. We administer equitable financial relief efforts to mitigate income disruptions affecting low-income families and workers
King County Fee Support: Scholar Fund facilitates access to critical legal and administrative resources for individuals navigating complex documentation processes. By reducing financial barriers, we ensure that underserved communities can access the necessary pathways for economic and civic participation
Highest reported compensation
2023 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $270,400 | $0 | $0 | $270,400 |
| Director of Engineering Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $195,011 | $0 | $0 | $195,011 |
| Director of Operations Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $175,160 | $0 | $0 | $175,160 |
| Senior Software Engineer Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $159,519 | $0 | $0 | $159,519 |
| Director of Education Strategy Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $136,021 | $0 | $0 | $136,021 |
5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Scholar Fund (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $936K (Part IX, line 5).
4 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2023 · 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–1b5 · 5 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bNo
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aNo
- 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 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 533
- Volunteers Part I, line 610
Private foundation grants it received
2 private foundations reported grants to Scholar Fund totaling $200K 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 Scholar 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 Scholar Fund, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Scholar Fund spent in 2023, $94.14 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Christendom Educational CorporationFront Royal, VA · revenue $45M · programs 83.7% · FY2025
- Olivet CollegeOlivet, MI · revenue $45M · programs 86.5% · FY2025
- The Fessenden SchoolWest Newton, MA · revenue $45M · programs 80.0% · FY2025
- University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St LouisSaint Louis, MO · revenue $45M · programs 86.5% · FY2025
- LemnisBeaverton, OR · revenue $45M · programs 31.4% · 2024
Questions people ask
How much of Scholar Fund's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2023, Scholar Fund reported that 94.1% of its $45.7 million in expenses went to program services, 5.8% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Scholar Fund pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Scholar Fund reported for one person in calendar year 2023 was $270,400, for the role of CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Scholar Fund get its money?
Of $45.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2023, 1.2% came from contributions and grants and 98.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Scholar Fund a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 81-3153433 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 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202522129349300917 · read the filing · XML
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202441069349300889 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202430469349303063 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202323059349300302 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 81-3153433: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.