Rowan County Crosby Scholars Community Partnership
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO ASSIST PUBLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ROWAN COUNTY IN PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE ENROLLMENT.
- Income
- $1.6 million
- Spending
- $1.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 47.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 72%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 90
- Highest pay
- $465,111, director, ex-officio
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 91% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 47.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 36% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 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 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 22 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)
- $699,165 spent. Rowan County Crosby Scholars is a college access program through which public school students begin to prepare academically, financially, and personally for successful college admission as early as middle school. We are partnered with Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina Inc. and modeled after the successful Crosby Scholars Community Partnership in Forsyth County, which graduates 100% of its seniors and sends 98% of its graduates on to access post-secondary education. Every public middle and high school student in Rowan County is eligible to join our program before 12th grade. Each year, students are encouraged to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, attend a Crosby Academy workshop, complete and submit community service hours, follow school policies (i.e., no out-of-school suspensions), and commit to remaining drug/tobacco/alcohol free. High school students must also attend a college fair or visit four college campuses before graduation, and seniors must meet with 1:1 advisors throughout 12th grade to prepare for their next steps toward post-secondary plans. Students have the option of participating in additional college preparation meetings, which are led by staff or partner agencies. Students who complete all of the requirements each year automatically stay in the program as they progress through high school graduation. Enrollment in 2024 totaled 1,961 students in grades 6th-12th. Of those, 1,306 students received credit for attending one or more of our academy workshops. Community service hours were submitted by 1,198 of our students, who combined recorded over 5,379 hours of volunteer work. Our program provides college access training to parents, guardians, and volunteers so that each senior has a 1:1 advisor to meet with throughout the school year for assistance with the college process. In addition to the individual meetings, senior academy workshops were held to help with essay writing, college applications, standardized test taking, understanding financial aid, and general preparation for the freshman year of college. To date, the Rowan County Crosby Scholars program has graduated over 1,595 seniors.
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 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 2024.
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 August 2013.
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.