Spartanburg Academic Movement
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SPARTANBURG ACADEMIC MOVEMENT IS AN "ALL-IN" PARTNERSHIP OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENTS, FOUNDATIONS, FAITH COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS ACROSS SPARTANBURG COUNTY IN PURSUIT OF HIGH LEVELS OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT. THE COLLECTIVE MISSION IS WE ENSURE SPARTANBURG COUNTY'S CHILDREN AND YOUTH REACH ACADEMIC AND LIFE SUCCESS BY CONVENING PARTNERS, ALIGNING RESOURCES AND ADVANCING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL.
- Income
- $14.4 million
- Spending
- $5.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 95%
- Reserves
- 15.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 87%
- Employees
- 35
- Highest pay
- $176,880, chief exec o
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 15.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 64% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 52% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1595% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 2518 of 18 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, 2024, 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)
- $4.9 million spent. THE HISTORY AND A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SAM'S PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE ORGANIZATION'S WEBSITE: WWW.LEARNWITHSAM.ORG. THE SPARTANBURG ACADEMIC MOVEMENT (SAM) IS BOTH A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND A COLLABORATIVE IMPACT MOVEMENT USING DATA AND RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY ACHIEVEMENT GAPS, WORK WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO REDUCE AND REMOVE THOSE GAPS, AND ULTIMATELY CREATE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL, ANCHORED IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. SAM WAS FORMED IN 2013, COMBINING THE WORK OF THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES ALLIANCE AND THE COLLEGE HUB TO CREATE THE CRADLE THROUGH CAREER PERSPECTIVE FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING AND ACTION. SAM WORKS TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN AND YOUTH REACH ACADEMIC AND LIFE SUCCESS BY CONVENING PROGRAM AND SERVICE DELIVERY PARTNERS, ALIGNING RESOURCES, AND ADVANCING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. SAM SPECIFICALLY MONITORS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT INDICATORS: KINDERGARTEN READINESS, THIRD GRADE READING, EIGHTH GRADE MATH, COLLEGE/CAREER-READY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, POSTSECONDARY ENROLLMENT, AND POSTSECONDARY PERSISTENCE AND COMPLETION. TO DATE, SAM HAS BUILT COLLABORATIVE ACTION/COLLECTIVE IMPACT PARTNERSHIPS WITH WELL OVER 150 PROGRAM AND SERVICE PROVIDERS ACROSS THE MANY SECTORS IMPACTING CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES: ACADEMIC/SCHOOLS, HEALTHCARE, SOCIAL SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING AGENCIES. WE ENGAGE THESE PARTNERS WITH ONE ANOTHER AND OUR DATA TO IMPLEMENT ACTION PLANS THAT RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN/FAMILIES/COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. WE USE THE STRIVETOGETHER (WWW.STRIVETOGETHER.ORG) IMPACT MODEL AND THEORY OF ACTION TO GUIDE THE PROCESS. SAM OFFERS TRAINING IN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PRACTICES THROUGH ITS WARDLAW CENTER FOR IMPROVEMENT SCIENCE, PROVIDING PARTNERS A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH FOR TRACKING IMPACT AND GUIDING FUTURE ACTION PLANNING. SAM ALSO OFFERS TRAINING THROUGH THE CENTER FOR RESILIENT SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES BY WORKING WITH SPARTANBURG COUNTY FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES TO BUILD SUPPORTS AND SYSTEMS THAT INCREASE CHILDREN'S SUCCESS, PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES EXIST. THE HISTORY AND A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SAM'S PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE ORGANIZATION'S WEBSITE: WWW.LEARNWITHSAM.ORG. THE SPARTANBURG ACADEMIC MOVEMENT (SAM) IS BOTH A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND A COLLABORATIVE IMPACT MOVEMENT USING DATA AND RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY ACHIEVEMENT GAPS, WORK WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO REDUCE AND REMOVE THOSE GAPS, AND ULTIMATELY CREATE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL, ANCHORED IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. SAM WAS FORMED IN 2013, COMBINING THE WORK OF THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES ALLIANCE AND THE COLLEGE HUB TO CREATE THE CRADLE THROUGH CAREER PERSPECTIVE FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING AND ACTION. SAM WORKS TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN AND YOUTH REACH ACADEMIC AND LIFE SUCCESS BY CONVENING PROGRAM AND SERVICE DELIVERY PARTNERS, ALIGNING RESOURCES, AND ADVANCING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. SAM SPECIFICALLY MONITORS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT INDICATORS: KINDERGARTEN READINESS, THIRD GRADE READING, EIGHTH GRADE MATH, COLLEGE/CAREER-READY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, POSTSECONDARY ENROLLMENT, AND POSTSECONDARY PERSISTENCE AND COMPLETION. TO DATE, SAM HAS BUILT COLLABORATIVE ACTION/COLLECTIVE IMPACT PARTNERSHIPS WITH WELL OVER 150 PROGRAM AND SERVICE PROVIDERS ACROSS THE MANY SECTORS IMPACTING CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES: ACADEMIC/SCHOOLS, HEALTHCARE, SOCIAL SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING AGENCIES. WE ENGAGE THESE PARTNERS WITH ONE ANOTHER AND OUR DATA TO IMPLEMENT ACTION PLANS THAT RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN/FAMILIES/COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. WE USE THE STRIVETOGETHER (WWW.STRIVETOGETHER.ORG) IMPACT MODEL AND THEORY OF ACTION TO GUIDE THE PROCESS. SAM OFFERS TRAINING IN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PRACTICES THROUGH ITS WARDLAW CENTER FOR IMPROVEMENT SCIENCE, PROVIDING PARTNERS A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH FOR TRACKING IMPACT AND GUIDING FUTURE ACTION PLANNING. SAM ALSO OFFERS TRAINING THROUGH THE CENTER FOR RESILIENT SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES BY WORKING WITH SPARTANBURG COUNTY FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES TO BUILD SUPPORTS AND SYSTEMS THAT INCREASE CHILDREN'S SUCCESS, PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES EXIST.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2011.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.