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.
58¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2023 · 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
58%
of spending
Worth a look: 58% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Concern: 0.2 months of spending in cash; under 2 weeks.
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
$222K
560% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 560% 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
$313K
-20% vs prior year
Spent
$369K
To programs
58%
Net assets
−$183K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$313K
FY2023▼ -20%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$286K
FY2022$393K
FY2023$313K
FY2024$264K
FY2025$289K
Expenses
$369K
FY2023▲ +0.7%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$394K
FY2022$366K
FY2023$369K
FY2024$217K
FY2025$262K
Net assets
−$183K
FY2023▼ -43%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021−$154K
FY2022−$127K
FY2023−$183K
FY2024−$136K
FY2025−$109K

From the FY2023 Form 990 (year ending June 2023) · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

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

58 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 58% · $213K Management & general 42% · $153K Fundraising 1% · $3K

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

13 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$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
$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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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $129K · in their own filed words · FY2022
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.

$76Kprogram expense
02

Education & Outreach

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

$54Kprogram 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 FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$313K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$243K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$71K
Money outPt IX
$369K
Ln 25
Programscol B$213K
Managementcol C$153K
Fundraisingcol D$3K
Owns and owesPt X
−$183K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$5K
Total assetsLn 16$40K
LiabilitiesLn 26$222K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$71K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$243K
Total revenueLn 12$313K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$5K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$5K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$606
Total assetsLn 16$40K
LiabilitiesLn 26$222K
Net assetsLn 32−$183K
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$16K$5K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1K$606
Total assetsLn 16$48K$40K
LiabilitiesLn 26$176K$222K
Net assetsLn 32−$127K−$183K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$158K$98K$58K$2K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$81K$27K$54K$811
Other employee benefitsLn 9$32K$17K$15K$324
Payroll taxesLn 10$18K$10K$9K$185
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$3K$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12−$10−$10
Office expensesLn 13$4K$4K
OccupancyLn 16$2K$2K
TravelLn 17$886$886
InterestLn 20$39K$39K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$403$210$189$4
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$26K$17K$9K$38
Total functional expensesLn 25$369K$213K$153K$3K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $289K$262K$27K−$109K 990 PDF
FY2024 $264K$217K$47K−$136K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $313,346 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $67,276$70,773
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $325,360$242,573
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $392,636$313,346
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 $289,752$290,069
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $76,216$78,639
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $365,968$368,708
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $26,668−$55,362
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 $313,346 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$70,773
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$70,773
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $242,573$242,573
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $242,573 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$313,346
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $368,708 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $98,002 · Management $58,485 · Fundraising $1,580$158,067
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $26,755 · Management $53,511 · Fundraising $811$81,077
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $16,880 · Management $15,257 · Fundraising $324$32,461
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $9,601 · Management $8,678 · Fundraising $185$18,464
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $3,204$3,204
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement −$10−$10
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,304$4,304
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $2,114$2,114
IX-17 TravelPrograms $886$886
IX-20 InterestPrograms $39,109$39,109
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $210 · Management $189 · Fundraising $4$403
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,363$2,363
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $16,761 · Management $9,467 · Fundraising $38$26,266
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $212,508 · Management $153,258 · Fundraising $2,942$368,708
Part X · Balance sheet $39,724 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $15,526$4,618
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $31,750$34,500
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,009$606
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $48,285$39,724
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $35,669$39,041
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $139,917$150,573
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$32,773
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $175,586$222,387
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$127,301−$182,663
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$127,301−$182,663
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $48,285$39,724
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$182,663 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$313,346
XI-2 Total expenses$368,708
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$55,362
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$127,301
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$182,663

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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