Princeton-Blairstown Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Princeton-Blairstown Center serves young people, primarily from historically marginalized communities, by nurturing their social-emotional skills through experiential, environmental, and adventure-based programming. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) includes five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Acquiring these skills will enable Princeton-Blairstown Center participants to change their communities and the world.
- Income
- $2.4 million
- Spending
- $3.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 9.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 47%
- Employees
- 46
- Volunteers
- 165
- Highest pay
- $193,221, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 40% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 82% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 34 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 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 December 31, 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)
- $2.6 million spent. The Princeton-Blairstown Center is a 118-year-old award-winning outdoor education center that provides equitable access to exceptional outdoor experiences for young people, primarily from historically marginalized communities. Highly trained facilitators teach 21st Century skills while students experience the transformative power of nature.Blairstown Campus ProgramsDuring a typical year, groups of students and their chaperones come from across the Mid-Atlantic region to stay at PBCs 268-acre Blairstown Campus in the northwest corner of New Jersey near the Delaware Water Gap for one to five days. These students come from public schools, independent schools, universities, and community-based organizations. Most of these organizations provide services to students from historically marginalized communities which face numerous challenges such as poverty, low-performing schools, high-crime neighborhoods, food insecurity, single adult households, court-involved youth, or youth in foster care. The Blairstown Campus serves as an extension of their school or community organization a place where they can practice critical 21st Century skills that can be taken back to their schools, families, and communities. These trips are organized by the administration or faculty of the visiting school or organization expressly for the purpose of obtaining instruction in non-cognitive skills using PBCs social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. The SEL skills that PBC teaches can include verbal and non-verbal communication, leadership, cooperation, team building, problem solving, healthy risk-taking, empathy, and interpersonal skills; each group coordinator determines which skills should be the focus of their PBC program. During their time at PBC, students spend most of the day engaged in hands-on instructional activities, with time for meals, sleep, and personal reflection/journal writing. In 2025, the Center served 5,988 students, chaperones, and families for day, extended day, and overnight programming.Summer Bridge ProgramPBCs Summer Bridge Program is a one-week academic enrichment and leadership program, provided free of charge to students from low-income communities in Newark and Trenton, New Jersey. The program helps students lessen summer learning loss, build social-emotional skills, and form positive, supportive relationships with peers and adults. The program takes place at PBCs Blairstown Campus and is an opportunity for students to make the developmental break from elementary or middle school. Small groups of students spend approximately three hours a day engaged in hands-on literacy, STEM, and STEAM activities; an hour a day engaged in waterfront activities (swimming/canoeing/ kayaking); and two hours a day engaged in developing leadership, teambuilding, and problem-solving skills. Each day students take part in a student choice activity that includes recreational and STEAM activities as well as daily restoration duties (stewardship of their cabins, the dining room, and the wash houses). During the summer of 2025, 212 students and 47 leaders/chaperones were served by the Summer Bridge Program. In addition, PBC held its Leader-in-Training Program that served eight students for a total of six weeks.Venture Out ProgramVenture Out is PBCs new environmental education initiative. This high-quality outdoor education program, offered free to middle school students in the Trenton Public School District, is a 30-hour residential program that provides students with inquiry-based, hands-on environmental education and social-emotional learning sessions that aim to help students engage more deeply with science and the scientific method, understand that science is fun, an increased appreciation and respect for the natural world, and a desire to protect the environment. The Centers curriculum is aligned to the State of New Jerseys middle school science curriculum standards. This program is led by experienced Sr. Facilitators who have been carefully trained on the Centers environmental, SEL, and adventure-based curriculum. During 2025, PBC served a total of 313 Trenton middle school students and 43 leaders/chaperones.Princeton University Groups ProgramAs an affiliate of Princeton University, PBC supports Princeton undergraduate civic engagement and student retreats in a natural setting. For the past several years, Princeton Universitys Community Action Program has sent a cohort of first year students to the Center as part of their orientation process. Additionally, other university groups use the Center to provide programming. During 2025, PBC served a total of 260 Princeton University students, staff, and leaders/chaperones.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 1944.
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.