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Classroom Central Inc

EIN 03-0455618 · Charlotte, NC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair63 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

CLASSROOM CENTRAL FOSTERS EQUITY IN EDUCATION BY PROVIDING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITH THE FREE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED.

Income
$10.4 million
Spending
$14.3 million
Spent on programs
95%
Reserves
10.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 93%
Employees
14
Volunteers
1,656
Highest pay
$203,701, executive di

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 10.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 1% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 37% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 41% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    95% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    18 of 18 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $13.6 million spent. THE MISSION OF CC IS TO FOSTER EQUITY IN EDUCATION BY PROVIDING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITH THE FREE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY DISTRIBUTING FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THROUGH FOUR PROGRAMS: FREE STORE, MOBILE FREE STORE, ONLINE ORDERING WITH CURBSIDE PICK-UP, SUBSCRIPTIONS SERVICE (BEGINNING TEACHERS) AND BACKPACKS AND BASICS (OUR ONLY DIRECT-TO-SCHOOLS INITIATIVE). TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN QUALIFYING HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOLS AS DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM, MAY "SHOP" FOR FREE SUPPLIES THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR. ALL MATERIALS DISTRIBUTED ARE USED TO CREATE INVITING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, AND TO SUPPORT THE ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL GROWTH OF LOW-SOCIOECONOMIC STUDENTS. THE FREE STORE PROGRAM IS OPEN WEEKLY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR TEACHER SHOPPING. OUR MOBILE FREE STORE TRAVELS ONCE PER WEEK AND VISITS DISTRICTS SERVED (CURRENTLY SIX SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO INCLUDE CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG, KANNAPOLIS CITY, IREDELL-STATESVILLE, UNION COUNTY, GASTON COUNTY IN NC AS WELL AS LANCASTER COUNTY SCHOOLS IN SC) AND WORKS ON A SIX-WEEK ROTATION THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO ENSURE THAT TEACHERS FURTHEST FROM OUR FREE STORE MAY RECEIVE AMPLE SUPPLIES AND RESOURCES. OUR ONLINE ORDERING WITH CURBSIDE PICK-UP PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS A WAY TO ENSURE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE NEEDED SUPPLIES SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY. THE PROGRAM WAS SO POPULAR THAT IT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED AS A PERMANENT PART OF OUR OPERATIONS. TEACHERS PLACE AN ORDER ONLINE VIA THE CLASSROOM CENTRAL WEBSITE, ORDERS ARE PACKED BY VOLUNTEERS AND ARE AVAILABLE TO BE PICKED UP THROUGH A DRIVE-THRU SYSTEM. OUR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE PROVIDES FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS IN ELIGIBLE CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS. EACH QUARTER, SUPPLIES ARE SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO THE FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS. FINALLY, BACKPACKS AND BASICS ENGAGES DONORS TO OFFSET THE COST OF PROVIDING A NEW BACKPACK FILLED WITH BASIC SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING THE HIGHEST NEEDS SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA. CLASSROOM CENTRAL HAS DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 80 MILLION IN SUPPLIES AND RESOURCES SINCE OPENING IN 2002. THE MISSION OF CC IS TO FOSTER EQUITY IN EDUCATION BY PROVIDING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITH THE FREE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY DISTRIBUTING FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THROUGH FOUR PROGRAMS: FREE STORE, MOBILE FREE STORE, ONLINE ORDERING WITH CURBSIDE PICK-UP, SUBSCRIPTIONS SERVICE (BEGINNING TEACHERS) AND BACKPACKS AND BASICS (OUR ONLY DIRECT-TO-SCHOOLS INITIATIVE). TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN QUALIFYING HIGH-NEEDS SCHOOLS AS DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM, MAY "SHOP" FOR FREE SUPPLIES THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR. ALL MATERIALS DISTRIBUTED ARE USED TO CREATE INVITING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, AND TO SUPPORT THE ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL GROWTH OF LOW-SOCIOECONOMIC STUDENTS. THE FREE STORE PROGRAM IS OPEN WEEKLY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR TEACHER SHOPPING. OUR MOBILE FREE STORE TRAVELS ONCE PER WEEK AND VISITS DISTRICTS SERVED (CURRENTLY SIX SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO INCLUDE CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG, KANNAPOLIS CITY, IREDELL-STATESVILLE, UNION COUNTY, GASTON COUNTY IN NC AS WELL AS LANCASTER COUNTY SCHOOLS IN SC) AND WORKS ON A SIX-WEEK ROTATION THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO ENSURE THAT TEACHERS FURTHEST FROM OUR FREE STORE MAY RECEIVE AMPLE SUPPLIES AND RESOURCES. OUR ONLINE ORDERING WITH CURBSIDE PICK-UP PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS A WAY TO ENSURE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE NEEDED SUPPLIES SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY. THE PROGRAM WAS SO POPULAR THAT IT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED AS A PERMANENT PART OF OUR OPERATIONS. TEACHERS PLACE AN ORDER ONLINE VIA THE CLASSROOM CENTRAL WEBSITE, ORDERS ARE PACKED BY VOLUNTEERS AND ARE AVAILABLE TO BE PICKED UP THROUGH A DRIVE-THRU SYSTEM. OUR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE PROVIDES FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS IN ELIGIBLE CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS. EACH QUARTER, SUPPLIES ARE SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO THE FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS. FINALLY, BACKPACKS AND BASICS ENGAGES DONORS TO OFFSET THE COST OF PROVIDING A NEW BACKPACK FILLED WITH BASIC SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING THE HIGHEST NEEDS SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA. CLASSROOM CENTRAL HAS DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 80 MILLION IN SUPPLIES AND RESOURCES SINCE OPENING IN 2002.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since July 2002.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.