Step Up for Students, INC. Empowers families to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children, with an emphasis on families who lack the information and financial resources to access these options. By pursuing this mission, we help public education fulfill the promise of equal opportunity.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78

Before you give

FY2022 · 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 3
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $652K a year · 3% of revenue · last 3 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 3 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
0%
of spending
Concern: 0% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Concern: 0.3 months of spending in cash; under 2 weeks.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $5K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$924K
100% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 100% of assets; over 80%.
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
$7.5M
Spent
$7.5M
To programs
0%
Net assets
$154
By yearFY2022–FY2025
Revenue
$7.5M
FY2022
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2022$7.5M
FY2024$27.4M
FY2025$35.6M
Expenses
$7.5M
FY2022
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2022$7.5M
FY2024$25.5M
FY2025$35.5M
Net assets
$154
FY2022
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2022$154
FY2024$30K
FY2025$61K

From the FY2022 Form 990 (year ending June 2022) · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2022 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 Sep 2024.

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

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Management & general 100% · $7.5M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. 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 (FY2021); the FY2022 filing did not itemize Part VII
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Ruth Rose’s $18K as Chief Cst. Exp. Officer (thru 09/24) is at the 0th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3122 $10–100M human services 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.

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

NameFY2025FY2024
Ruth Rose$17,765$5,739
Gretchen Schoenhaar$17,498—
Doug Tuthill$17,389$17,365
Lesley Searcy$13,811$13,443
Joe Pfountz$13,751$13,200
Shafayet Imam$6,130$12,990
Alexander J Mangan$12,867$7,380
Samantha Espinosa$11,597$6,868

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 families to find and fund the best learning options for their children.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Step up for students, inc. (step up for students) (formally known as sufs parent, inc.) is a nonprofit organization incorporated on december 3, 2021. Step up for students serves as a parent company offering services to its subsidiaries.

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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$7.5M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$7.5M
Investment incomeLn 3$151
Money outPt IX
$7.5M
Ln 25
Managementcol C$7.5M
Owns and owesPt X
$154
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$193K
Total assetsLn 16$924K
LiabilitiesLn 26$924K
PeoplePt VI, VII
14
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Fees for servicesLn 2g$7.5M
Investment incomeLn 3$151
Total revenueLn 12$7.5M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$193K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$193K
Other assetsLn 15$731K
Total assetsLn 16$924K
LiabilitiesLn 26$924K
Net assetsLn 32$154
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5197
VolunteersI 60
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 FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$0$193K
Total assetsLn 16$0$924K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$924K
Net assetsLn 32$0$154
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$2.8M$2.8M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.2M$2.2M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$88K$88K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$613K$613K
Payroll taxesLn 10$356K$356K
Legal feesLn 11b$52K$52K
Accounting feesLn 11c$30K$30K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$43K$43K
Office expensesLn 13$26K$26K
OccupancyLn 16$237K$237K
TravelLn 17$25K$25K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$53K$53K
InsuranceLn 23$140K$140K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$513K$513K
All other expensesLn 24e$372K$372K
Total functional expensesLn 25$7.5M$0$7.5M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $35.6M$35.5M$30K$61K 990 PDF
FY2024 $27.4M$25.5M$1.9M$30K 990 PDF
FY2023 Not on file
FY2022 Viewing $7.5M$7.5M$154$154 990 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 FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $7,527,762 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grants$0
I-9 Program service revenue$7,527,611
I-10 Investment income$151
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenue$7,527,762
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$6,036,777
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expenses$1,490,831
I-18 Total expenses$7,527,608
I-19 Revenue less expenses$154
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 $7,527,762 across 3 lines filed
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $7,527,611$7,527,611
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $151$151
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $7,527,611 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $151$7,527,762
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $7,527,608 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $2,800,211$2,800,211
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesManagement $2,178,793$2,178,793
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsManagement $88,269$88,269
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $613,278$613,278
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $356,226$356,226
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $51,618$51,618
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $30,000$30,000
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $42,640$42,640
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $26,389$26,389
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $237,376$237,376
IX-17 TravelManagement $24,768$24,768
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $53,253$53,253
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $139,920$139,920
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Management $513,275$513,275
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $371,592$371,592
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $0 · Management $7,527,608 · Fundraising $0$7,527,608
Part X · Balance sheet $924,130 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $0$192,766
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $0$654
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$730,710
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $0$924,130
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$923,976
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$923,976
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $0$154
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $0$154
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $0$924,130
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $154 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$7,527,762
XI-2 Total expenses$7,527,608
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$154
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$154

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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