Student Basic Needs Coalition
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Student Basic Needs Coalition (SBNC) empowers students to lead efforts that address food and housing insecurity on college campuses. Through peer-to-peer support, public education, and innovative technology solutions, SBNC works to ensure that no student has to choose between meeting their basic needs and pursuing their education.
- Income
- $1.2 million
- Spending
- $769,035
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- 8.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 10
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $115,000, executive dir.
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
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 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 37% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 376% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (3)
- $588,316 spent. Campus Engagement: In 2025, SBNC expanded its campus engagement efforts to support colleges in connecting students to resources that meet their basic needs through a competitive national application process that selected more than 30 colleges and universities to participate in peer navigator training and technical assistance. Student peer navigators conducted outreach activities including tabling, workshops, classroom presentations, and digital campaigns to increase awareness of resources such as SNAP, campus food pantries, emergency aid, and NAVVY while reducing stigma around accessing support. The program benefited college students experiencing food or financial insecurity as well as campus administrators seeking scalable strategies to improve student retention and resource utilization, serving institutions nationwide with an emphasis on community colleges and public institutions. Thousands of students were reached through peer-led outreach activities, and participating campuses strengthened their capacity to sustain basic needs programming, representing an expansion of SBNCs campus engagement services in 2025.
- $73,812 spent. State Engagement: In 2025, SBNC continued and expanded its state engagement work across the Great Lakes region by supporting collaboration among higher education institutions, students, and state agencies to improve awareness of public benefits and strengthen implementation practices that help eligible college students access available resources. SBNC facilitated participation of students and campus representatives in statewide working groups and advisory bodies focused on improving coordination between colleges and public benefit systems. The program benefited college students eligible for public benefits as well as higher education and agency partners seeking effective strategies to increase utilization of existing supports, serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Outcomes included increased cross-sector coordination, improved dissemination of benefits information to students, and expanded institutional capacity to connect students with available assistance, reflecting continued expansion of SBNCs state engagement activities in 2025.
- $38,573 spent. Connecting Students to Public Benefits Through Technology (NAVVY): In 2025, SBNC launched NAVVY in partnership with Impactica, a nationwide eligibility screener available at no cost to students attending higher education institutions to determine whether they may qualify for public benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid based on state-specific requirements and receive guidance on next steps toward enrollment. The program benefited low-income college students facing informational and administrative barriers to accessing benefits and was available nationwide across higher education institutions. More than 50,000 students used NAVVY during the year, with approximately two thirds identified as potentially eligible for public benefits, representing millions of dollars in potential assistance for students and establishing scalable national infrastructure to improve benefits awareness and access. NAVVY was a new program launched in 2025 and will continue to expand functionality in future years.
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 2021.
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.