Our work today makes a better tomorrow by empowering people to achieve their academic goals. At June 30, 2020, the Foundation was servicing a loan portfolio valued at $1,076,801,482 and administering North Carolina's National College Savings Program with a portfolio valued at $2,694,191,618. During the tax year ended June 30, 2020, students used the CFNC.org website to submit 388,828 applications to NC colleges, 348,138 students used the Residency Determination Service, and the Foundation disbursed $257,834,296 in state grants.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
93¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$1.5M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.2M a year · 4% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
93%
of spending
Looks good: 93% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$1.5M
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $22.9M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 3.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$9.1M
17% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 17% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$27.9M
-2% vs prior year
Spent
$26.8M
To programs
93%
Net assets
$43.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$27.9M
FY2021▼ -2%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$28.5M
FY2021$27.9M
FY2022$28.6M
FY2023$31.4M
FY2024$27.3M
FY2025$31.7M
Expenses
$26.8M
FY2021▼ -6%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$28.5M
FY2021$26.8M
FY2022$27.9M
FY2023$27.7M
FY2024$25.0M
FY2025$32.1M
Net assets
$43.2M
FY2021▲ +8%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$39.8M
FY2021$43.2M
FY2022$40.2M
FY2023$45.1M
FY2024$49.0M
FY2025$49.6M

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Nov 2003.

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

Where the money goes

93 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 93% · $25.0M Management & general 7% · $1.8M

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

19 people listed on the 990; $1.5M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
President & CEO
$225,211Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary and Treasurer
$174,950Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$163,295Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$152,449Pt VII · Sec A
Web Development Manager
$151,087Pt VII · Sec A
IT Operations Manager
$139,539Pt VII · Sec A
IT Development Manager
$139,513Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$139,372Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Wendy H McAlister$257,804$249,363$232,780$238,909$225,211$218,013
Pete Rau$199,195$181,936$172,982$178,145$163,295—
Karl D Vass JR$18,341$177,852$185,278$170,515$174,950$156,934
Lynn Barnette$174,474—————
Martin L Flournory$169,910$158,231————
Kevin Bartholomew$169,131$30,445————
Laura Morgan—$140,622$165,242$148,536$152,449$141,358
Marcia Southerland$164,033$145,482————

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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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

Empowers students to achieve academic goals through loans, savings programs, and college application assistance.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $19.3M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Educational Loan Programs

as of June 30, 2021, the Foundation was servicing 171,836 loans to 53,874 borrowers with an outstanding principal balance of $978,229,188. The Foundation services loans for higher education for North Carolinians at institutions of higher education and for students attending institutions of higher education in North Carolina.

$10.6Mprogram expense
02

Information Dissemination Initiative

The Foundation administers the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) program to coordinate information dissemination efforts to increase access to higher education in North Carolina and provide information on planning, applying, and paying for college through a comprehensive website (www.CFNC.org), call center, and program…

$4.4Mprogram expense
03

NC 529 College Savings Program

The Foundation acts as agent for the NC State Education Assistance Authority in the administration of the state's College Savings and Investment Program which is designed to meet the requirements of a "qualified" tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

$4.3Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · this organization's grantmaking
Grants paid · 10 grants · $619K · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$60,172
Unitemized GrantFY2024$13,875
Unitemized GrantFY2023$98,935
Unitemized GrantFY2023$10,424
Unitemized GrantFY2022$120,590
Unitemized GrantFY2021$99,254
Unitemized GrantFY2020$119,389
Unitemized GrantFY2020$4,275
Unitemized GrantFY2019$76,735
Unitemized GrantFY2019$15,325

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$27.9M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$23.8M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$3.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$978K
Money outPt IX
$26.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$25.0M
Managementcol C$1.8M
Owns and owesPt X
$43.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$8.5M
Total assetsLn 16$52.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$9.1M
PeoplePt VI, VII
19
listed · VII A
PaidVII A10
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$3.1M
Government grantsLn 1e$3.1M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Fees for servicesLn 2g$23.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$978K
Gains on assetsLn 7$594K
Total revenueLn 12$27.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$300
SavingsLn 2$8.5M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$8.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$22.9M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$12.4M
Other assetsLn 15$1.4M
Total assetsLn 16$52.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$9.1M
Net assetsLn 32$43.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5230
VolunteersI 610
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$8.9M$8.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$19.7M$22.9M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$12.6M$12.4M
Total assetsLn 16$51.7M$52.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$11.9M$9.1M
Net assetsLn 32$39.8M$43.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$0$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$124K$124K
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$930K$852K$78K$0
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0$0$0$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$11.8M$10.8M$976K$0
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$411K$372K$39K$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$1.8M$1.7M$157K$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$895K$811K$84K$0
Management feesLn 11a$0$0$0$0
Legal feesLn 11b$6K$6K$599$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$169K$163K$6K$0
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0$0$0$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$50K$9K$42K$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$420K$406K$14K$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$3.7M$3.7M$0$0
Office expensesLn 13$785K$774K$11K$0
Information technologyLn 14$3.0M$2.8M$215K$0
RoyaltiesLn 15$0$0$0$0
OccupancyLn 16$347K$320K$28K$0
TravelLn 17$49K$49K$96$0
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0$0$0$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$3K$3K$0$0
InterestLn 20$29K$27K$3K$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0$0$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$1.6M$1.4M$146K$0
InsuranceLn 23$133K$122K$11K$0
All other expensesLn 24e$552K$539K$13K$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$26.8M$25.0M$1.8M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $31.7M$32.1M−$396K$49.6M 990 PDF
FY2024 $27.3M$25.0M$2.4M$49.0M 990 PDF
FY2023 $31.4M$27.7M$3.8M$45.1M 990 PDF
FY2022 $28.6M$27.9M$690K$40.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $27.9M$26.8M$1.1M$43.2M 990 PDF
FY2020 $28.5M$28.5M−$24K$39.8M 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 J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $27,866,306 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $0$3,136,262
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $27,518,173$23,752,029
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $942,285$978,015
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $28,460,458$27,866,306
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $92,060$123,664
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $16,706,229$15,861,934
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $11,686,622$10,829,427
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $28,484,911$26,815,025
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$24,453$1,051,281
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $27,866,306 across 13 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $1,835,156 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$3,135,812
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$450
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$3,136,262
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $21,916,873 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$21,916,873
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $383,844$383,844
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $594,171$594,171
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $23,752,029 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $978,015$27,866,306
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $26,815,025 across 30 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $0$0
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $123,664$123,664
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $0$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for membersPrograms $0$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $852,162 · Management $77,905 · Fundraising $0$930,067
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $10,823,219 · Management $975,758 · Fundraising $0$11,798,977
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $372,312 · Management $38,537 · Fundraising $0$410,849
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,670,432 · Management $156,604 · Fundraising $0$1,827,036
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $811,054 · Management $83,951 · Fundraising $0$895,005
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $5,789 · Management $599 · Fundraising $0$6,388
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $163,336 · Management $5,925 · Fundraising $0$169,261
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $0$0
IX-11f Investment management feesPrograms $8,701 · Management $41,776 · Fundraising $0$50,477
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $405,957 · Management $14,126 · Fundraising $0$420,083
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,678,076 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$3,678,076
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $774,155 · Management $10,764 · Fundraising $0$784,919
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,832,407 · Management $215,215 · Fundraising $0$3,047,622
IX-15 RoyaltiesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $319,636 · Management $27,527 · Fundraising $0$347,163
IX-17 TravelPrograms $49,094 · Management $96 · Fundraising $0$49,190
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officialsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,975 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$2,975
IX-20 InterestPrograms $26,634 · Management $2,757 · Fundraising $0$29,391
IX-21 Payments to affiliatesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $1,413,678 · Management $146,112 · Fundraising $0$1,559,790
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $121,824 · Management $10,765 · Fundraising $0$132,589
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $538,695 · Management $12,808 · Fundraising $0$551,503
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $24,993,800 · Management $1,821,225 · Fundraising $0$26,815,025
Part X · Balance sheet $52,338,286 assets, 24 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $300$300
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $8,851,946$8,510,458
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $0$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $6,889,352$4,715,334
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $0$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,269,577$2,463,758
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $12,631,045$12,381,476
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $17,846,491$20,966,504
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $1,850,850$1,895,679
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $0$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,361,068$1,404,777
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $51,700,629$52,338,286
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,389,308$2,587,213
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $0$0
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $0$0
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $0$0
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $5,723,039$2,575,319
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $11,856,547$9,112,664
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $39,285,302$42,669,742
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $558,780$555,880
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $39,844,082$43,225,622
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $51,700,629$52,338,286
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $43,225,622 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$27,866,306
XI-2 Total expenses$26,815,025
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$1,051,281
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$39,844,082
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$2,402,222
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$71,963
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$43,225,622

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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