Established in 1997 at the National Center for Higher Education and located in Washington, D.C., The Postsecondary Electrionic Standards Council (PESC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit,community-based, umbrella association of colleges and universities; colleges and university systems, professional and commercial organizations; data, software and service providers; non-profit organizations and higher education lifecycle.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
48¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $12K a year · 4% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
48%
of spending
Concern: 48% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $39
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$174K
267% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 267% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$289K
+10% vs prior year
Spent
$262K
To programs
48%
Net assets
−$109K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$289K
FY2025▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$286K
FY2022$393K
FY2023$313K
FY2024$264K
FY2025$289K
Expenses
$262K
FY2025▲ +21%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$394K
FY2022$366K
FY2023$369K
FY2024$217K
FY2025$262K
Net assets
−$109K
FY2025▲ +20%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021−$154K
FY2022−$127K
FY2023−$183K
FY2024−$136K
FY2025−$109K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 1999.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

48 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 48% · $126K Management & general 51% · $135K Fundraising 1% · $2K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

14 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Acting Executive Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Michael Sessa’s $146K as President and CEO is at the 95th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

See Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Connects higher education stakeholders to improve data sharing and student success.

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3 programs · $76K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Conference & Meetings

Meetings to disseeminate information and share ideas and development resources while hearing from industry experts on emerging techonologies and user-friendly processes that impact students and technology expectations. These meeting include the annual spring summit and annual fall summit.

$45Kprogram expense
02

Education & Outreach

Newsletter, website, article for publication, and presentations - all to further PESC's exempt purpose. See www.PESC.com

$32Kprogram expense
03

Standards Committee/Fourm

Group formed to study standard-related issues, develop data standards and supporting tools, including a data dictionary for education, as well as work on the U.S. Deparment of Education's national student loan data system (NSLDS) and NCES' common education data standards (CEDS).Task forces - Open, collaborative committees that study…

Pt IX · col B

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$39

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$289K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$254K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$35K
Money outPt IX
$262K
Ln 25
Programscol B$126K
Managementcol C$135K
Fundraisingcol D$2K
Owns and owesPt X
−$109K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$21K
Total assetsLn 16$65K
LiabilitiesLn 26$174K
PeoplePt VI, VII
14
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$35K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$254K
Total revenueLn 12$289K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$21K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$21K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Total assetsLn 16$65K
LiabilitiesLn 26$174K
Net assetsLn 32−$109K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$74K$21K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$364$2K
Total assetsLn 16$112K$65K
LiabilitiesLn 26$248K$174K
Net assetsLn 32−$136K−$109K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$91K$30K$60K$906
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$67K$22K$44K$672
Other employee benefitsLn 9$15K$8K$7K$146
Payroll taxesLn 10$8K$4K$4K$81
Accounting feesLn 11c$3K$3K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$19K$17K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$680$680
OccupancyLn 16$3K$3K
TravelLn 17$10K$10K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$23K$23K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$664$345$312$7
InsuranceLn 23$3K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$20K$11K$9K$37
All other expensesLn 24e$1K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$262K$126K$135K$2K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $289K$262K$27K−$109K 990 PDF
FY2024 $264K$217K$47K−$136K 990 PDF
FY2023 $313K$369K−$55K−$183K 990 PDF
FY2022 $393K$366K$27K−$127K 990 PDF
FY2021 $286K$394K−$108K−$154K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $288,986 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $32,454$35,200
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $231,113$253,786
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $263,567$288,986
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $146,908$180,436
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $69,620$81,674
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $216,528$262,110
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $47,039$26,876
Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members12
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $288,986 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$35,200
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$35,200
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $253,786$253,786
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $253,786 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$288,986
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $262,110 across 14 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $29,883 · Management $59,767 · Fundraising $906$90,556
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $22,168 · Management $44,336 · Fundraising $672$67,176
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $7,594 · Management $6,864 · Fundraising $146$14,604
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $4,212 · Management $3,807 · Fundraising $81$8,100
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $2,527$2,527
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $17,000 · Management $2,441$19,441
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $680$680
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $2,958$2,958
IX-17 TravelPrograms $9,612$9,612
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $22,693$22,693
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $345 · Management $312 · Fundraising $7$664
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,505$2,505
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $10,508 · Management $9,049 · Fundraising $37$19,594
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,000$1,000
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $125,695 · Management $134,566 · Fundraising $1,849$262,110
Part X · Balance sheet $65,227 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $73,676$21,421
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $38,160$42,000
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $364$1,806
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $112,200$65,227
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $45,133$17,363
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $122,854$101,438
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $79,837$55,174
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $247,824$173,975
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$135,624−$108,748
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$135,624−$108,748
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $112,200$65,227
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$108,748 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$288,986
XI-2 Total expenses$262,110
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$26,876
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$135,624
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$108,748

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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