2021-10-26T19:25:52-05:00 2020-12-31 SMITH & HOWARD PC 271 17TH STREET NW SUITE 1600 ATLANTA GA 30363 990 2020-01-01 135562388 SOUTHERN EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC % LEIGHTON O'SULLIVAN SOUT 4045230001 101 MARIETTA ST NW 1650 ATLANTA GA 30303 Leighton O'Sullivan CFO 4045230001 2021-11-15 true Leighton OSullivan 999009999 MARC A AZAR P91739349 4048746244 2021-11-15 3 2020 2022-09-23 18:48:47Z Raymond Pierce 101 MARIETTA ST NW SUITE 1650 ATLANTA GA 30303 5871132 false X www.southerneducation.org X 1867 GA TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR DISADVANTAGED RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES BY PROMOTING EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION. 8 8 15 9 0 0 724240 1389634 38575 0 566737 542388 24668 11311 1354220 1943333 183964 580391 0 0 2023811 1800265 22973 16667 203349 2162507 940678 4393255 3338001 -3039035 -1394668 26469811 27828839 1138271 1343258 25331540 26485581 X THE SOUTHERN EDUCATION FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS IN THE SOUTH, PARTICULARLY LOW-INCOME STUDENTS AND STUDENTS OF COLOR. SEF USES COLLABORATION, ADVOCACY, AND RESEARCH TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD. OUR CORE BELIEF IS THAT EDUCATION IS THE VEHICLE BY WHICH ALL STUDENTS GET FAIR CHANCES TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMON GOOD. SEF STRIVES TO FULFILL ITS MISSION THROUGH THE FOLLOWING CORE PROGRAM AREAS: EXPANDING EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, ADVANCING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND IMPROVING COLLEGE ACCESS AND COMPLETION. SEF EXECUTES FIVE PRIMARY STRATEGIES ACROSS OUR PROGRAMS: LEVERAGING KNOWLEDGE OF THE FIELD: BY ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING TASK FORCES, WORK GROUPS, AND LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO ORGANIZE KNOWLEDGE AND ADVANCE NEW SOLUTIONS TO LONG STANDING PROBLEMS; PUTTING GOOD IDEAS TO A FAIR TEST: PROMOTING, CONDUCTING, AND USING DEMONSTRATIONS, PILOTS, AND EVALUATIONS TO SHAPE POLICY AND PRAC false false 1657139 580391 For a summary of our strategies, activities and accomplishments in 2020 follows for each program area, please see continuation on Schedule O. 1657139 true true false true false false false false false true true false false false true true true false false false false false false true false false false true false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 43 0 true 15 true false false false false false false false false false false false false X 8 8 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false GA NY X LEIGHTON O'SULLIVAN 4045230001 101 MARIETTA ST NW STE 1650 ATLANTA GA 30303 X RAYMOND PIERCE CEO/PRESIDENT 40.0 0.0 X 321347 0 47601 TROY D JOHNSON CFO/COO ( - April 2020) 40.0 0.0 X 197317 0 11580 KENITA WILLIAMS DIR. OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 40.0 0.0 X 147057 0 26923 FRED JONES JR DIRECTOR OF GOV'T AFFAIRS 40.0 0.0 X 104358 0 34403 Titilayo Ali DIRECTOR OF GOV'T AFFAIRS 40.0 0.0 X 118672 0 16436 Leighton O'Sullivan CFO (April 2020 -) 40.0 0.0 X 89167 0 6460 Judith Leonard TRUSTEE 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 MICHAEL NETTLES Chairman 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Larry Berger Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 FRED FRELOW Trustee 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 AJAY MEHROTA TRUSTEE 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 DR HAKIM LUCAS TRUSTEE 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 KEN JONES Secretary 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 DR LILY MCNAIR TRUSTEE 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 MICHELLE WARMAN TRUSTEE 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 977918 0 143403 5 false true false LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE 1530 PAGE MILL RD 200 PALO ALTO CA 94304 CONSULTING 294654 NATIONAL EQUITY PROJECT 1720 BROADWAY OAKLAND CA 94612 CONSULTING 110392 Highlander Research and Education C 1959 Highlander Way NEW MARKET TN 37820 Grantmaking 130000 TDC Centennial LLC 5310 S Alston Avenue Ste 210 DURHAM NC 27713 Office Rent 139005 4 1389634 1389634 0 426957 426957 0 0 0 0 0 4043230 3927799 115431 115431 115431 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OTHER INCOME 900099 11311 11311 11311 1943333 553699 580391 580391 0 0 0 677512 284282 326577 66653 0 886382 371923 427257 87202 75936 8375 65530 2031 64930 64930 95505 43382 41009 11114 221440 188306 23829 9305 9720 425 9295 46144 46144 0 16667 16667 105439 105439 3250 3250 23755 9488 14252 15 88885 25275 62704 906 10670 10670 0 193153 15103 176159 1891 0 0 95749 60207 34184 1358 0 0 63933 51147 9590 3196 12976 12976 DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS 60972 14085 43876 3011 TAXES & LICENSES 4592 1500 3092 3338001 1657139 1477513 203349 0 0 215645 2780189 253983 180650 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28953 21205 478694 190895 351732 287799 24716905 23737328 0 0 0 0 0 0 902593 821668 26469811 27828839 165155 92665 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 973116 1250593 1138271 1343258 X 13386579 14487957 11944961 11997624 25331540 26485581 26469811 27828839 -1394668 2648709 -100000 X false true X true false X 693538 2989235 1565117 724240 1389634 7361764 0 0 693538 2989235 1565117 724240 1389634 7361764 3130250 4231514 487208 550029 646420 540226 426957 2650840 0 20000 20577 1286 24668 11311 77842 10090446 85737 0.41936 0.28896 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 3338001 3338001 316900 79225 false 363912 365873 369663 316900 1416348 2124522 90978 91468 92416 79225 354087 531131 19944961 868028 54026 580391 152780 136220 19997624 21546559 599119 68574 183964 1693368 391959 19944961 22530704 1393933 -25383 497221 1428989 426485 21546559 22450881 2742500 56254 1070642 1242096 406193 22530704 22934524 579797 26565 88036 726627 275342 22450881 0.40000 0.02400 0.57600 false false 318053 97847 220206 160641 93048 67593 287799 0 OPERATING LEASE LIABILITY 889968 PAYCHECK PROTECTION LOAN 360625 1250593 X 4486603 2648709 2648709 1837894 105439 105439 1943333 3332562 100000 100000 3232562 105439 105439 3338001 INTENDED USES OF THE ORGANIZATION'S ENDOWMENT FUNDS ENDOWMENT FUNDS ARE USED TO SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION'S VARIOUS RESEARCH, ANALYSIS, ADVOCACY, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. PART X, Line 1 In May 2020, the Foundation obtained a Small Business Administration ("SBA") loan under the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") in the amount of $360,625. The PPP loan bears interest at 1% and may require repayment under certain circumstances. Under the terms of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act (the "Cares Act") and the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act ("PPPFA"), the Foundation may apply with the lending institution for PPP loan proceeds used to cover certain payroll and other expenses as defined by the CARES Act and PPPFA. Initial repayments of the loan are deferred until the date the SBA remits the loan forgiveness funds to the lending institution, or until 10 months after the end of the forgiveness coverage period if the Foundation does not apply for forgiveness. The loan currently matures in May 2022, at which time the outstanding balance is due in full. The Foundation has currently recorded the PPP proceeds as debt in the accompanying financial statements and expects to recognize these proceeds as grant revenue once notified of loan forgiveness. As of the date of this report, the Foundation has applied for loan forgiveness and is waiting on determination. PART X, Line 2 The Foundation is recognized as an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in Section 501 (c)(3). The Foundation annually evaluates all federal and state income tax positions. This process includes an analysis of whether these income tax positions the Foundation takes meet the definition of an uncertain tax position under the Income Taxes Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Codification. In the normal course of business, the Foundation is subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities. The Foundation believes it is no longer subject to tax examinations for tax years ending before December 31, 2017. Part XII, Line 2d Bad Debt Expense: 100,000 X X X X true Bridge Philanthropic Consulting FUNDRAISING false 16667 0 16667 0 GA NY true NATIONAL PUBLIC EDUCATION SUPPORT FUND 1900 L ST NE STE 520 WASHINGTON DC 20036 263015634 501(C)(3) 20000 PROGRAM GRANT STAND FOR CHILDREN 1350 CONCOURSE AVE SUITE 434 MEMPHIS TN 38104 521957214 501(C)(3) 13500 PROGRAM GRANT village of wisdom 111 S Guthrie Ave DURHAM NC 27703 472060936 501(C)(3) 13500 program grant Building for a Mission 7726 Grunston Plaza 1772 lorton VA 22199 11998 Program Grant National Equity Project 1720 Broadway 4th Floor Oakland CA 94612 943222960 501(c)(3) 110392 Program Grant Learning Policy Institure 1530 Page Mill Road Suite 200 Palo Alto CA 94304 472772048 501(c)(3) 294654 Program Grant NumbersBox LLC 15 Bates Ave NE Atlanta GA 30317 6000 Program Grant United Way of Greater Atlanta 40 Courtland St NW Suite 300 Atlanta GA 30303 580566194 501(c)(3) 10000 Program Grant 6 2 PROCEDURES FOR MONITORING THE USE OF GRANT FUNDS The organization requires an annual report detailing the outcome of the project funded and an accounting for the monies received. X X X X X false false false false false false false true false TROY D JOHNSON CFO/COO ( - April 2020) 197317 9093 3092 209502 KENITA WILLIAMS DIR. OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 137057 10000 20463 7958 175478 RAYMOND PIERCE CEO/PRESIDENT 274347 35000 12000 41141 8433 370921 PART II COLUMN (B)(II) BONUSES WERE BASED ON PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS. PART II COLUMN (B)(III) AUTOMOBILE EXPENSE PART III, LINE 4A (1) CONTINUED FROM FORM 990, The Southern Education Foundation's mission is to advance equity and excellence in education for all students in the South, particularly low-income students and students of color. SEF uses collaboration, advocacy, and research to improve outcomes from early childhood to adulthood. Our core belief is that education is the vehicle by which all students get fair chances to develop their talents and contribute to the common good. SEF strives to fulfill its mission through the following core program areas: expanding early learning opportunities, advancing public education and improving college access and completion. SEF executes five primary strategies across our programs: -Leveraging knowledge of the field: by establishing and operating task forces, work groups, and learning communities to organize knowledge and advance new solutions to long standing problems; -Putting good ideas to a fair test: promoting, conducting, using pilots and evaluations to shape policy and practice; -Mobilizing the public: through direct engagement to educate and organize, providing research, tools, and in some cases capital assistance to organizations for advancing public education through policy and practice reforms that improve learning opportunities for vulnerable children and youth; -Leadership Development: advancing the will, skill, and capacity of change agents focused on equity in education in the South through fellowships from undergraduates to C-suite professionals; -Communications as a change strategy: conducting and commissioning research and messaging campaigns to support progressive public policy and practice reforms in education, from early learning through higher education. A summary of our strategies, activities and accomplishments in 2020 follows for each program area. PART III, LINE 4A Advancing Public Education: Public education for all children has long been a cornerstone of democracy in the United States, and the American South has been the center of the battle to achieve this goal. A perennial threat is the disinvestment in our public schools and increasing efforts to divert funds to private and charter schools as a hindrance from achieving equity in education for all, and we work to push back on these efforts and advance well-funded, safe, supportive, and diverse public schools that are held to meaningful and fair standards. Our Strategy: -Informing and supporting public education campaigns across the South, to help engage, connect, and align diverse coalitions within and across states to employ multi-strategy approaches to advance public education; -Regionalizing efforts through policy research and communications efforts, to help marshal evidence about what works in the region and strengthen the public education narrative; and -Advancing ideas about teaching and learning to provide education advocates with where defensive battles can become offensive ones that shift from simply protecting public education to re-envisioning public education systems that support all children. In 2020, SEF used a number of initiatives to implement this strategy - support for advocacy campaigns, communications, policy research and data sharing across the country and across the South. SEF redefined principles and positions considered to be critical to improving K-12 public education. Most of this work was done by working closely throughout the year with both national and regional stakeholders interested in education justice in the American South. SEF joined 104 partner organizations in a collaborative effort on K-12 and Higher Education issues throughout communities in the South. Our vision for education equity includes a focus on; meaningful learning, professional capacity, sufficient resources, and connected communities. PART III, LINE 4A (2) Southern Education Leadership Initiative Embedded across the three programs' strategy, is SEF's leadership development initiative, the Southern Education Leadership Initiative (SELI). SELI was developed in 2004 to honor the 50 year anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. For a decade, SELI has provided intensive trainings and paid summer fellowships to a diverse and inspired group of 175 college and graduate level students interested in working with nonprofit organizations to make systemic changes in education policy and practice. Fellowship Overview The Southern Education Leadership Initiative (SELI) is an intensive, eight-week, paid summer fellowship for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students interested in advancing racial equity and improving education across the pre-kindergarten to college continuum. A continuation of SEF's legacy of educating leaders in the South, which spans more than a century, SELI's 2004 launch marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. Our initiative recognized that there is still important work to be done to ensure that all children, irrespective of race or class, receive an excellent education. Placed in nonprofits, school districts, higher education institutions, or state education agencies in the South, SELI fellows spend the summer developing as leaders, engaging with valuable stakeholders, and acquiring practical job skills through direct learning experiences. Over SELI's tenure, more than 225 talented and diverse young leaders have conducted important research, policy analysis, advocacy, and organizing efforts for over 100 partner organizations. SELI alum can be found today working as educators, policymakers, researchers, community organizers, and committed civic leaders dedicated to improving the life chances of all children. The fellowship is delivered via three key activities: Orientation Training, Placement, and the Closing Meeting. The Orientation Training takes place in May each summer and exposes students to research and data around racial and socio-economic disparities in education, stresses the importance of education equity, offers site visits to see top issues in education first hand, and provides opportunities to learn from inspiring leaders. Students depart from Orientation to their placement sites, where they work for eight weeks on projects to advance the capacity of their host sites, while developing their own leadership potential in the educational equity field. The Closing Meeting, held every July, presents an opportunity for fellows to share lessons learned, reflect, and brainstorm on how to continue making change as part of a network of emerging leaders in the sector. PART III, LINE 4A (3) Racial Equity Leadership Network In districts all over the United States, race and class remain among the most reliable predictors of student success in school. Currently, in southern states, more than half of all the students enrolled in public school are from low-income families, with a growing number of families living in extreme poverty. The majority of public school students in the South are also children of color, rapidly changing the demographics of large and small districts. The increasing diversity and inequities students and families confront, creates an imperative for us to reimagine how we create a system that increases access and opportunity for all children to learn, develop, and thrive. We think the system we need now requires a bold and significant shift in educational leadership and practice. Leaders in every corner of our nation are being called to think, engage and act differently in the face of the complex challenges they navigate. Strengthening the will, skill and capacity of district leaders and their teams is an important lever for advancing authentic and enduring equity-centered system change. Funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Southern Education Foundation is answering this call by launching an innovative Racial Equity Leadership Network (RELN) to advance the capacity of district leaders committed to enduring equity-centered systems change as a solution to addressing racial, economic and academic disparities in districts across the South. Fellowship Overview and Theory of Change Delivered in partnership with the National Equity Project and Learning Policy Institute, RELN is an 18-month, cohort-style fellowship program for school district leaders who are committed to addressing persistent disparities in their systems and ensuring that race and class are no longer the most reliable predictors of student success. Each RELN cohort is comprised of up to twelve (12) executive leaders (i.e., Superintendents, Deputy Superintendents, Chief Academic Officers, etc.) from school systems across the South. Over the course of their fellowship experience, RELN fellows attend five (5) two-and-a-half-day network convening's focused on the essential levers for equity-centered leadership and system transformation. In between network convening's, the fellows also receive customized coaching and webinars to support the identification of a context-specific equity challenge. Finally, fellows receive grant support and other technical assistance to implement an action plan addressing their unique equity challenge during a six-month in-district work period. The RELN leadership development model follows a double helix approach incorporating two distinct, but intrinsically linked, strands of learning, engaging, and testing over the course of the 18-month fellowship. Fellows sharpen their individual racial equity lens and receive tools to enhance their capacity for influencing education policy and practice. Because this individual development is insufficient to create sustainable change within systems, fellows simultaneously identify specific policy or practice challenges to address within their districts, receive resources for engaging with others, and observe model districts making progress towards racial equity. Fellowship Outcomes As members of the Racial Equity Leadership Network, fellows (ideally) will: 1)Experience opportunities for renewal, inspiration, healing, and sustenance as an equity leader. 2)Sharpen a racial equity lens, gaining greater understanding and knowledge of the role that implicit bias, privilege, history, and structural racism play in perpetuating racial inequity in education. 3)Test, prototype, or pilot innovative solutions to address and make progress on a specific racial equity challenge in their respective context/school system, laying the foundation to improve the learning environments, experiences, and outcomes of Black, Brown, and low-income students in the fellow's respective district. 4)Gain a supportive equity-focused community of practice and, by extension, peer learning network that extends beyond the conclusion of the fellowship. Receive and make use of tools, resources, and coaching support to practice a racial equity leadership approach to the work they are doing in their system. This approach includes critical self-reflection, bias identification and confrontation, empathetic listening, and reimagined ways of identifying and tackling equity challenges by leveraging role authority to create desired changes in policy and practices. PART VI, LINE 11A THE 990 IS REVIEWED BY THE FULL BOARD, THE CEO AND THE CFO. AFTER ALL QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED THE 990 IS FILED AND A COPY IS PRESENTED TO EACH BOARD MEMBER. PART VI, LINE 12C Annually, each Trustee and SEF staff member execute a disclosure form identifying any relationships, positions or circumstances in which he/she is involved that could contribute to a real or perceived conflict of interest. Any information regarding business interest of a Trustee is treated as confidential and is generally made available to the Chair, the President, and any committee appointed to address conflicts of interest, except to the extent additional disclosure is necessary in connection with the implementation of this policy. Trustees do not vote on any matter in which they believe there is duality of interest and may, if asked, be called upon to share with fellow Trustees such information related to the duality of interest as may be necessary and appropriate. The minutes of Board meetings will show that the Trustee having a duality of interest disclosed same and abstained from voting on related matters. A copy of this policy is furnished to each person who is or becomes a member of the Board of Trustees or staff. Each such person is required to review a copy of this policy and acknowledge in writing that he or she has done so. PART VI, LINE 15 IN ORDER TO DETERMINE STAFF COMPENSATION LEVELS FOR ITS SMALL STAFF AND CONSERVATIVE MODEST RESOURCES, SEF CONSULTS SOURCES SUCH AS THE ANNUALLY COMPENSATION SURVEY PUBLISHED BY THE COUNCIL ON FOUNDATIONS, REPORTS IN THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY, AND THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, RATHER THAN HIRING INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS TO CONDUCT DETAILED COMPENSATION SURVEYS AND AUDITS. SEF BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF, AS APPROPRIATE, ALSO CONSULT WITH PEER ORGANIZATIONS TO ASCERTAIN APPROPRIATE COMPENSATION RANGES FOR STAFF. MANY SEF BOARD MEMBERS SERVE, AS WELL, ON OTHER NON -PROFIT ORGANIZATIONAL BOARDS AND BRING THAT KNOWLEDGE AND PERSPECTIVE TO BEAR IN SETTING COMPENSATION FOR SEF STAFF. SEF'S FINANCE, AUDIT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE REVIEWS COMPENSATION AS PART OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET-SETTING CYCLE AND DETERMINES COMPENSATION OF THE PRESIDENT BASED UPON AN ANNUAL APPRAISAL OF PERFORMANCE. THAT APPRAISAL CONSIDERS ALL ASPECTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S WORK INCLUDING FUNDRAISING, MANAGEMENT, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION, GOVERNANCE AND COMMUNICATIONS. SEF'S PRESIDENT APPRAISES THE PERFORMANCE OF OTHER SUBORDINATE SEF STAFF ANNUALLY. ALL SEF STAFF ARE PART OF A MERIT PAY PROGRAM IN WHICH THERE ARE NO AUTOMATIC OR COST OF LIVING INCREASES. PART VI, LINE 19 All SEF public documents are available upon request. Once a request is received the documents can be sent either electronically or through the US postal system. The 2020 CPA audit, conflict of interest policy and whistleblower policy can also be found on the SEF web site in the "Public Documents Listing." Part XI, Line 8 (100,000) Bad Debt Expense for Prior Year Pledges