Center for Supportive Schools Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CSS HELPS SCHOOLS BECOME PLACES WHERE STUDENTS WANT TO BE. WE PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS IN THREE AREAS: DEVELOPING ALL STUDENTS INTO LEADERS; EMPOWERING TEACHERS TO COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH STUDENTS; AND ENGAGING ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE HOW LEARNING HAPPENS.
- Income
- $18.8 million
- Spending
- $18.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 75%
- Employees
- 124
- Volunteers
- 16
- Highest pay
- $310,410, president an
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: 60 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.0 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 60% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 30 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 44% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 17 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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 (5)
- $442,519 spent. THE TEEN PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAM (TEEN PEP) UTILIZES PEER-TO-PEER EDUCATION TO INCREASE STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, SKILLS, AND BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH SEXUAL HEALTH. HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS, KNOWN AS PEER EDUCATORS, ARE ENROLLED IN A DAILY, FOR-CREDIT, YEARLONG LEADERSHIP COURSE TAUGHT BY SCHOOL FACULTY DURING REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS. PEER EDUCATORS CONDUCT A SERIES OF STRUCTURED WORKSHOPS FOR GROUPS OF YOUNGER PEERS, FACULTY, AND FAMILY MEMBERS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND DECISION-MAKING WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR.
- $2.7 million spent. PEER GROUP CONNECTION (PGC) TAPS INTO THE POWER OF OLDER STUDENTS TO CREATE A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCING THE PEER LEADERS' OWN LEARNING, GROWTH, AND DEVELOPMENT. OLDER STUDENTS, KNOWN AS PEER LEADERS, ARE TRAINED TO BE LEADERS AND POSITIVE ROLE MODELS BY SCHOOL FACULTY DURING REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS. EACH WEEK, PAIRS OF PEER LEADERS MEET WITH SMALL GROUPS OF YOUNGER STUDENTS IN OUTREACH SESSIONS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILD SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT PGC IMPROVES THE GRADUATION RATES OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS BY NINE PERCENTAGE POINTS, INCREASES DAILY ATTENDANCE BY AS MANY AS SIX DAYS, AND CUTS BY HALF THE NUMBER OF MALE STUDENTS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE DROP OUT.
- $11.8 million spent. COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: IN OUR WORK WITH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, CSS USES A COLLABORATIVE, DATA- INFORMED, AND RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN APPROACH, GROUNDED WITH A FOCUS ON STUDENT LEADERSHIP, TO PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE STUDENT AND SCHOOL OUTCOMES. CSS HELPS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROVIDE STUDENT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, STRONG FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS, ENGAGING ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION, SOCIAL SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS. THROUGH CAREFULLY CULTIVATED PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, STUDENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, CSS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS DEVELOP CUSTOMIZED COMMUNITY SCHOOL PLANS THAT FOCUS ON STUDENT ATTENDANCE, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ACADEMICS, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE. CSS CURRENTLY SERVES AS A LEAD COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION FOR 29 COMMUNITY SCHOOLS. COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: IN OUR WORK WITH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, CSS USES A COLLABORATIVE, DATA- INFORMED, AND RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN APPROACH, GROUNDED WITH A FOCUS ON STUDENT LEADERSHIP, TO PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE STUDENT AND SCHOOL OUTCOMES. CSS HELPS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROVIDE STUDENT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, STRONG FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS, ENGAGING ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION, SOCIAL SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS. THROUGH CAREFULLY CULTIVATED PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, STUDENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, CSS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS DEVELOP CUSTOMIZED COMMUNITY SCHOOL PLANS THAT FOCUS ON STUDENT ATTENDANCE, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ACADEMICS, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE. CSS CURRENTLY SERVES AS A LEAD COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION FOR 29 COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
- $548,117 spent. "ACHIEVEMENT MENTORING (AM): A SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION PROGRAM, DEVELOPED BY DR. BRENNA BRY, THAT PAIRS ADULT SCHOOL STAFF WITH STUDENTS IN ONE-TO-ONE MENTOR-MENTEE RELATIONSHIPS AND HAS BEEN PROVEN TO REDUCE PROBLEM BEHAVIORS, IMPROVE ACADEMICS, AND REDUCE SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG AT-RISK STUDENTS. "DATA-DRIVEN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: A DATA-INFORMED, RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN INITIATIVE THAT PROVIDES SCHOOLS WITH THE ABILITY TO (A) BUILD A SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ANALYZING CRITICAL DATA IN PUBLICLY ACCOUNTABLE WAYS, AND (B) SHARE PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY (ADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY, OTHER STAFF, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND KEY COMMUNITY MEMBERS/ORGANIZATIONS) ABOUT STRENGTHS AND AREAS OF NEED THAT LEADS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TARGETED AND CUSTOMIZED ACTIONS. "WHEN STUDENTS LEAD: GIVES MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELEVATE YOUTH VOICE AND ENGAGEMENT ON ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM. PARTICIPATING STUDENTS RECEIVE EVIDENCE-BASED LEADERSHIP TRAINING TO HELP THEM BECOME EFFECTIVE ADVOCATES FOR CAUSES THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND TO INSPIRE THEIR PEERS TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE WITHIN THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. STUDENTS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE SKILLS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH, ANALYZE DATA, PROBLEM-SOLVE, AND COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. "TOBACCO RELATED PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NJ DEPT. OF HEALTH & SENIOR SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF A GRANT RECEIVED FROM THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION (CDC), AS WELL AS THE FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA). THE CDC GRANT FOCUSED ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN NEW JERSEY THAT IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE TOBACCO-FREE SCHOOL POLICY, WITH THE GOAL FOR SCHOOLS TO UTILIZE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND CESSATION STRATEGIES VERSUS THE TRADITIONAL EMPHASIS ON SUSPENSION FOR TOBACCO INFRACTIONS. THE FDA GRANT FOCUSED ON REDUCING THE ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO MINORS BY CONDUCTING YEAR ROUND TOBACCO INSPECTIONS IN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THE NJ LAW PROHIBITING RETAILERS TO SELL TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21 IS BEING ENFORCED. THE MAIN GOAL OF YEAR ROUND INSPECTIONS IS TO PREVENT THE INCREASE OF RETAILERS' VIOLATION RATES AND KEEP IT NO HIGHER THAN 10%. "OTHER CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS: CSS'S SOLUTIONS ARE CREATED IN RESPONSE TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF SCHOOLS. CSS HAS DESIGNED CUSTOM SOLUTIONS FOR OVER 150 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. AS WITH ALL CSS MODELS, OUR CUSTOM SOLUTIONS TAKE ROOT WITHIN SCHOOLS AND MAKE A LASTING, SUSTAINABLE IMPACT THAT PERSISTS LONG AFTER OUR INVOLVEMENT. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY INVESTING SIGNIFICANT TIME INTO DEVELOPING A STRONG STAKEHOLDER GROUP WITHIN THE SCHOOL AND THEN BY WORKING WITH SCHOOL FACULTY AND STAFF USING AN INTENSIVE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER STRATEGY, USER-FRIENDLY CURRICULA, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
- "ACHIEVEMENT MENTORING (AM): A SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION PROGRAM, DEVELOPED BY DR. BRENNA BRY, THAT PAIRS ADULT SCHOOL STAFF WITH STUDENTS IN ONE-TO-ONE MENTOR-MENTEE RELATIONSHIPS AND HAS BEEN PROVEN TO REDUCE PROBLEM BEHAVIORS, IMPROVE ACADEMICS, AND REDUCE SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG AT-RISK STUDENTS. "DATA-DRIVEN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: A DATA-INFORMED, RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN INITIATIVE THAT PROVIDES SCHOOLS WITH THE ABILITY TO (A) BUILD A SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ANALYZING CRITICAL DATA IN PUBLICLY ACCOUNTABLE WAYS, AND (B) SHARE PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY (ADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY, OTHER STAFF, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND KEY COMMUNITY MEMBERS/ORGANIZATIONS) ABOUT STRENGTHS AND AREAS OF NEED THAT LEADS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TARGETED AND CUSTOMIZED ACTIONS. "WHEN STUDENTS LEAD: GIVES MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELEVATE YOUTH VOICE AND ENGAGEMENT ON ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM. PARTICIPATING STUDENTS RECEIVE EVIDENCE-BASED LEADERSHIP TRAINING TO HELP THEM BECOME EFFECTIVE ADVOCATES FOR CAUSES THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND TO INSPIRE THEIR PEERS TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE WITHIN THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. STUDENTS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE SKILLS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH, ANALYZE DATA, PROBLEM-SOLVE, AND COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. "TOBACCO RELATED PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NJ DEPT. OF HEALTH & SENIOR SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF A GRANT RECEIVED FROM THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION (CDC), AS WELL AS THE FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA). THE CDC GRANT FOCUSED ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN NEW JERSEY THAT IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE TOBACCO-FREE SCHOOL POLICY, WITH THE GOAL FOR SCHOOLS TO UTILIZE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND CESSATION STRATEGIES VERSUS THE TRADITIONAL EMPHASIS ON SUSPENSION FOR TOBACCO INFRACTIONS. THE FDA GRANT FOCUSED ON REDUCING THE ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO MINORS BY CONDUCTING YEAR ROUND TOBACCO INSPECTIONS IN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THE NJ LAW PROHIBITING RETAILERS TO SELL TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21 IS BEING ENFORCED. THE MAIN GOAL OF YEAR ROUND INSPECTIONS IS TO PREVENT THE INCREASE OF RETAILERS' VIOLATION RATES AND KEEP IT NO HIGHER THAN 10%. "OTHER CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS: CSS'S SOLUTIONS ARE CREATED IN RESPONSE TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF SCHOOLS. CSS HAS DESIGNED CUSTOM SOLUTIONS FOR OVER 150 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. AS WITH ALL CSS MODELS, OUR CUSTOM SOLUTIONS TAKE ROOT WITHIN SCHOOLS AND MAKE A LASTING, SUSTAINABLE IMPACT THAT PERSISTS LONG AFTER OUR INVOLVEMENT. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY INVESTING SIGNIFICANT TIME INTO DEVELOPING A STRONG STAKEHOLDER GROUP WITHIN THE SCHOOL AND THEN BY WORKING WITH SCHOOL FACULTY AND STAFF USING AN INTENSIVE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER STRATEGY, USER-FRIENDLY CURRICULA, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
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
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1990.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 21, 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.