Public School Forum of North Carolina Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ALL NORTH CAROLINA CHILDREN SHALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL THROUGH EQUITABLE AND MEANINGFUL PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT NOURISHES OUR STATE'S CIVIC AND ECONOMIC VITALITY.TO PROVIDE TRUSTED, NONPARTISAN, EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH, POLICY ANALYSIS AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS THAT EMPOWER AN INFORMED PUBLIC TO DEMAND THAT EDUCATION BEST PRACTICE BECOMES COMMON PRACTICE THROUGHOUT NORTH CAROLINA.
- Income
- $5.3 million
- Spending
- $4.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 8.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 58%
- Employees
- 30
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $225,822, president / executive dire
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 83% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 20% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2526 of 26 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 (4)
- $389,481 spent. FOUNDED IN 2002 BY THE FORUM, THE NORTH CAROLINA CENTER FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS (NC CAP) IS A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE AFTERSCHOOL NETWORK THAT INCLUDES AFTERSCHOOL PROVIDERS, STATE AGENCIES, STATE AND LOCAL POLICYMAKERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUSINESS, AND THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY, ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR ALL CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN NORTH CAROLINA, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE AT RISK FOR EDUCATION FAILURE. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HIGH QUALITY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND SCHOOL-DAY ATTENDANCE, NURTURE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, DECREASE JUVENILE CRIME AND OTHER HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS, AND MEET THE NEEDS OF WORKING FAMILIES. AS A STATEWIDE AFTERSCHOOL NETWORK, NC CAP REPRESENTS OVER 6,000 AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS SERVING MORE THAN 150,000 CHILDREN AND YOUTH ACROSS THE STATE. NC CAP UNITES A COLLABORATIVE OF OVER 35 PARTNERS TO ADDRESS ISSUES INCLUDING QUALITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING.
- $743,981 spent. NC INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICYMAKERS: THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FORUM PROVIDES POLICYMAKERS AND EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS WITH DATA AND INFORMATION TO ADDRESS THE HOST OF COMPLEX QUESTIONS THAT WILL SHAPE SCHOOLS IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE EDUCATION POLICY PRIMER IS PROVIDED TO ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS AS WELL AS TO CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE TO SERVE AS A BRIEFING MANUAL ON ALL TOPICS AND ISSUES RELATED TO EDUCATION IN NORTH CAROLINA.THE PRIMER IS A KEY DOCUMENT FOR POLICYMAKERS, EDUCATORS, PARENTS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS SEEKING FACTS AND RESEARCH ABOUT EDUCATION IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE PRIMER CONTAINS THE MOST RECENT EDUCATION DATA AVAILABLE, UPDATES ON RECENTLY PASSED EDUCATION LEGISLATION, AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE EDUCATION LEGISLATION. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FORUM HAS PRODUCED AND UPDATED THE PRIMER FOR SEVERAL YEARS, PROVIDING NEW INFORMATION, UPDATED FACTS, AND KEY ANALYSIS EACH ELECTION CYCLE. THIS VALUABLE TOOL IS USED AS A RESOURCE FOR POLICYMAKERS AS THEY TACKLE THE POLICY ISSUES IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY, OR IN THEIR SCHOOLS. THE FORUM HOSTS VIRTUAL SESSIONS TO PRESENT THE PRIMER FOR ALL CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR STATE AND LOCAL OFFICES IN THE EVEN NUMBER YEARS.IN RECENT YEARS, THE FORUM HAS EXPANDED ITS EFFORTS TO INFORM AND EDUCATE ON EDUCATION POLICY BY HOSTING PUBLIC EDUCATION POLICY PRIMER SESSIONS AND LEADING PRESENTATIONS ON EDUCATION POLICY FOR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. IN 2025, THE FORUM TEAM TRAVELED AND PRESENTED TO CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, ROTARY CLUBS, PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, SCHOOL BOARDS, AND OTHER NORTH CAROLINA BUSINESS, COMMUNITY, POLICY, AND EDUCATION LEADERS.
- $1.3 million spent. NC RESILIENCE AND LEARNING PROJECT - THE NC RESILIENCE AND LEARNING PROJECT WORKS WITH HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE WHERE STUDENT TRAUMA IS PREVALENT. OUR MODEL IS A WHOLE SCHOOL, WHOLE-CHILD FRAMEWORK TO CREATE TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS THAT WILL IMPROVE ACADEMIC, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS. THE CDC-KAISER PERMANENTE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACE) STUDY FOUND THAT ROUGHLY 64% OF THE OVER 17,000 PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HAVING AT LEAST ONE ACE (ACES INCLUDE ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND HOUSEHOLD DYSFUNCTION SUCH AS A HOME WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL ILLNESS, MOTHER BEING TREATED VIOLENTLY, OR AN INCARCERATED RELATIVE). RESEARCH SHOWS ACES CAN ACTUALLY ALTER BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND CAUSE CHEMICALLY TOXIC EFFECTS IN THE BRAIN RESULTING IN CHILDREN REMAINING IN A CONSTANT STATE OF "SURVIVAL MODE" LEADING TO THE FIGHT, FLIGHT, OR FREEZE RESPONSE. THIS REACTION RESULTS IN MAJOR IMPACTS IN CHILDREN'S LEARNING, CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR, AND RELATIONSHIPS. STUDENTS WITH ACES HAVE HIGHER RATES OF OFFICE REFERRALS, SUSPENSIONS, AND RETENTION AS WELL AS LOWER ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. OUR PROJECT HAS TWO COMPONENTS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SCHOOL-WIDE STAFF AND THE FORMATION OF A SCHOOL STEERING COMMITTEE WHO MEET REGULARLY AND SERVE AS THE CHAMPIONS OF THIS WORK. THE COMMITTEE IDENTIFIES AREAS OF URGENCY, CREATES, AND IMPLEMENTS SPECIFIC TRAUMA-SENSITIVE STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING TRAUMA IN ORDER TO POSITIVELY INFLUENCE LEARNING AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS. THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR WILL BE OUR 8TH YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION. AS OF 2024, WE HAVE PROVIDED TRAINING AND/OR COACHING IN 39 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE. THIS SCHOOL YEAR IS OUR BIGGEST YEAR YET AS WE HAVE YEAR-LONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH 18 SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND 48 INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS FOR OUR FULL MODEL OF IMPLEMENTATION. WE WILL PROVIDE SHORT-TERM TRAINING WITH OTHER SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS AS WELL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN ADDITION TO OUR SCHOOL AND DISTRICT-LEVEL TRAINING AND COACHING WORK, OUR TEAM ALSO FOCUSES ON POLICY AND RESEARCH RELATED TO TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES WITHIN SCHOOLS. WE DO THIS THROUGH: - OUR OWN TEAM POLICY BRIEFS - CASE STUDIES ON PARTNER SCHOOLS - EDUCATION PREPARATION PROGRAM TASK FORCE ON TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES - A TEAM OF FACULTY FROM ED PREP PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE MEETING BI-MONTHLY TO COLLABORATE AND SET BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS - PARTNERSHIP WITH DUKE UNIVERSITY TO COLLECT DATA AND PROVIDE EVALUATION ON PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AS WELL AS OTHER RELATED AREAS SUCH AS HOW TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES CAN BETTER SUPPORT STUDENTS SPECIFICALLY WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES - OTHER EDUCATOR STATEWIDE COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES BRINGING TOGETHER PARTNER SCHOOL AND DISTRICT STAFF TO CONVENE AND COLLABORATE ON THEIR OWN TRAUMA-INFORMED WORK.
- $938,343 spent. OTHER: TO FURTHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS SUCH AS: EDUCATION POLICY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (EPFP)THE FORUM HAS LED THE NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION POLICY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (EPFP) SINCE 1992. NORTH CAROLINA EPFP IS THE ONLY STATEWIDE PROGRAM OF ITS KIND FOCUSED ON LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATION POLICY. EACH NEW COHORT BRINGS TOGETHER A DIVERSE AND COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY OF STRATEGIC LEADERS TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE EDUCATION POLICY. FELLOWS COME FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, STATE AGENCIES, AND A WIDE RANGE OF EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA. OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM, EPFP FELLOWS DIVE DEEP INTO EDUCATION POLICY ISSUES ON THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVEL, AND ARE EXPOSED TO PERSPECTIVES THAT THEY DON'T TYPICALLY ENCOUNTER IN THEIR DAILY WORK. FELLOWS INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS OF HOW PUBLIC POLICY IS MADE, LEARN WHO THE KEY PLAYERS ARE, AND BECOME MORE CONFIDENT AND INVOLVED IN ADVOCACY AND THE POLICYMAKING PROCESS. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, FELLOWS CAN EXPECT TO BE MORE INFORMED, WELL-ROUNDED CONTRIBUTORS TO AND LEADERS IN THE CRITICAL DEBATES THAT SHAPE EDUCATION IN NC AND BEYOND. EPFP HAS GRADUATED MORE THAN 1200 FELLOWS AND HAS A RICH NETWORK OF ALUMNI IN NORTH CAROLINA AND NATIONALLY WHO ARE WORKING TO SHAPE EDUCATION POLICY IN DIFFERENT WAYS. KEY RESEARCH, POLICY ANALYSIS, AND PUBLICATIONSTHE PUBLIC SCHOOL FORUM IS A HIGHLY TRUSTED SOURCE IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS OF KEY POLICY ISSUES AFFECTING PUBLIC EDUCATION. THE FORUM'S RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS HELPS TO EQUIP POLICYMAKERS AND EDUCATION ADVOCATES WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO ADVANCE POLICIES THAT WILL LEAD TO EQUITABLE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTCOMES FOR ALL NORTH CAROLINA CHILDREN. FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, THE FORUM HAS ANNUALLY PRODUCED THE LOCAL SCHOOL FINANCE STUDY, THE ONLY REPORT OF ITS KIND IN NORTH CAROLINA THAT TRACKS COUNTIES' INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. THE REPORT HELPS STATE-LEVEL POLICYMAKERS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE STATE FUNDING FOR LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE INEQUITIES IN LOCAL FUNDING ACROSS COUNTIES AND HELPS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS, AND LOCAL SCHOOL FINANCE OFFICERS LEARN LESSONS FROM SIMILAR COUNTIES ON HOW TO BOOST RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS. THE FORUM'S ANNUAL TOP EDUCATION ISSUES PUBLICATION OUTLINES THE FORUM'S POLICY PRIORITIES IN ADVANCE OF EACH LEGISLATIVE BIENNIUM AND TRACKS PROGRESS TOWARDS THOSE GOALS. THE BIENNIAL ROADMAP OF NEED PRESENTS COUNTY-LEVEL DATA ON INDICATORS OF WELLNESS ACROSS FIVE DOMAINS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PHYSICAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, EDUCATION RESOURCES, AND EDUCATION OUTCOMES. THESE DOMAINS CAPTURE THE INTERCONNECTED SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND ACADEMIC ELEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR A CHILD TO SUCCEED, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM. THE ROADMAP SERVES AS A KEY RESOURCE FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROVIDERS, SCHOOL AND DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS, NONPROFITS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, PARENTS, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION ADVOCATES TO DEMONSTRATE THE NEEDS FACED BY LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND INFORM EFFORTS TO CREATE STATE AND LOCAL POLICIES THAT ADDRESS THEM. THE FRIDAY REPORT IS A WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER THAT REPORTS ON TOP EDUCATION NEWS, INFORMATION, AND EVENTS HAPPENING IN NORTH CAROLINA'S SCHOOLS. THE FRIDAY REPORT REACHES INDIVIDUALS IN THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION AND OTHER STATE AGENCIES, LEGISLATORS AND LEGISLATIVE STAFF, SUPERINTENDENTS, TEACHERS, EDUCATION NONPROFITS, AND THE MEDIA, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN EDUCATION. THE FORUM ALSO REGULARLY PUBLISHES POLICY BRIEFS, OP-EDS, AND RESEARCH REPORTS EXPLORING TIMELY EDUCATION POLICY MATTERS. A RECENT EXAMPLE IS A RESEARCH REPORT ENTITLED "OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS AND THE SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVE THEM" WHICH PRESENTS DATA ON NORTH CAROLINA'S RECENTLY EXPANDED SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM. DUDLEY FLOOD CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY IN OCTOBER 2019, THE FORUM FORMALLY ANNOUNCED THE FOUNDING OF THE DUDLEY FLOOD CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY (FLOOD CENTER). THE FLOOD CENTER, BORN OUT OF THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FORUM'S STUDY GROUP XVI: EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY (2016), SERVES AS THE UMBRELLA TO ORGANIZE POLICY PROPOSALS AND PROGRAMS (INCLUDING COLOR OF EDUCATION) FOCUSED ON EQUITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF K-12 EDUCATION AND TO SERVE AS A NEXUS FOR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS IN EDUCATIONAL EQUITY, ACCESS, AND OPPORTUNITY ACROSS THE STATE. THE FLOOD CENTER IS NAMED FOR DR. DUDLEY FLOOD, A CURRENT AND LONG-TERM FORUM BOARD MEMBER, WHO TRAVELLED ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA TO UNITE DIVIDED COMMUNITIES AND WORK TOWARD INTEGRATING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOLLOWING BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION (1954).THE FLOOD CENTER HAS AN ADVISORY BOARD AND OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN THE FALL OF 2020. TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES OF EDUCATIONAL INEQUITY, THE FLOOD CENTER HOSTS STUDENT VOICES WEBINARS, VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS, THE EQUITY OFFICERS COHORT, AND THE COLOR OF EDUCATION (SEE BELOW).1. EQUITY CORE NETWORK - IDENTIFIES AND CONNECTS LEADERS, EDUCATORS, AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO HELP ADDRESS SYSTEMIC ISSUES RELATED EQUITY, ACCESS, AND OPPORTUNITY ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA. 2. EQUITY INCUBATOR - ADDRESSES RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS IN NORTH CAROLINA TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC TEACHER PIPELINE AND DIVERSITY ISSUES. 3. EQUITY EDUCATION - EDUCATES ABOUT PRACTICES TO ERADICATE SYSTEMIC AND PERSISTENT INEQUITIES AT STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS. COLOR OF EDUCATION, (COE), FIRST INITIATED IN 2017, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FORUM OF NORTH CAROLINA, DUKE POLICY BRIDGE AND THE SAMUEL DUBOIS COOK CENTER ON SOCIAL EQUITY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY, WAS CREATED IN AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE DOMAINS IDENTIFIED IN THE STUDY GROUP XVI'S REPORT. THE MISSION OF THE PARTNERSHIP IS TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY IN EDUCATION ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH BUILDING CONNECTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT ACROSS FIELDS OF RESEARCH, POLICY AND PRACTICE. THIS MISSION IS ACHIEVED BY BRINGING TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS FR
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 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 June 2025.
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 January 1986.
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.
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