Meeting Street Schools is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Charleston, South Carolina, registered in 2007, with $46,950,223 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 97% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$47.0M
▲ 14.0% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$48.0M
Net assets
$304.7M
Employees
554
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Meeting Street Schools: 97% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Meeting Street Schools: 76 mo reserves · -2% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Meeting Street Schools: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Meeting Street Schools: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Network of innovative schools serving children from under-resourced communities.
B) philanthropic investments: meeting street schools makes strategic investments in projects and causes that further its mission. the largest of these commitments is the meeting street scholarship fund, which provides up to $40,000 for college that can be used for tuition, fees, housing or food. in 2023-24, this helped make college dreams a reality for more than 300 high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need. the scholarship is available to students who: graduate from a charleston county public high school; demonstrate financial need and academic achievement; and enroll in one of south carolina's best colleges. meeting street schools alumni also are eligible for the meeting street alumni scholarship.
C) excellence in teaching awards: the excellence in teaching awards recognizes teachers who make a meaningful impact on the academic achievement of students in schools. the awards are philanthropically funded in meeting street schools and charleston county, and they are provided on top of teachers' base salaries. during the 2023-24 school year, 233 teachers earned a total of $2.2 million in awards - $1.5 million in charleston county schools and $700,000 in meeting street schools. support for this innovative compensation model is growing across south carolina, with 10 additional schools participating in the program during 2023-24 school year; the funding for those awards is provided by the state and other private donors.
Revenue grew from $6.4M (FY2013) to $47.0M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-2.3%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$307.7M
Total liabilities
$3.0M
Net assets
$304.7M
Salaries & benefits
$29.9M
62% of expenses
Board members
8
8 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $46,950,223▲14.0% | $48,038,565▲17.2% | $304,656,093▲4.0% | $307,700,065▲4.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $41,196,053▼86.0% | $40,974,929▲15.0% | $293,044,989▲2.2% | $295,929,641▲2.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $293,526,271▲846% | $35,622,671▲9.9% | $286,631,680▲888% | $288,450,678▲821% | 990 |
| 2020 | $31,027,510▲2.1% | $32,415,542▲11.5% | $29,001,091▼4.5% | $31,326,851▼4.4% | 990 |
| 2019 | $30,403,979▲8.1% | $29,076,991▲16.9% | $30,376,211▲4.5% | $32,755,154▲6.1% | 990 |
| 2018 | $28,127,337▲147% | $24,877,585▲21.6% | $29,056,878▲12.6% | $30,865,490▲14.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $11,387,024▲34.8% | $20,460,556▲25.9% | $25,808,583▼26.0% | $26,953,321▼24.4% | 990 |
| 2016 | $8,448,373▲30.3% | $16,255,343▲44.8% | $34,879,236▼18.3% | $35,635,842▼19.2% | 990 |
| 2015 | $6,482,391▼74.4% | $11,226,658▲48.9% | $42,675,490▼10.0% | $44,116,652▼8.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $25,343,704▲297% | $7,538,700▲129% | $47,413,721▲69.7% | $47,950,812▲71.1% | 990 |
| 2013 | $6,391,266 | $3,287,731 | $27,938,331 | $28,019,426 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Christopher Eide — $230,529 (0.48% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Eide | Executive Director | 40 | $230,529 |
| Jamie Downs | Principal | 40 | $202,633 |
| Christopher Ruszkowski | Chief Exec Officer Thru Feb 2024 | 40 | $186,654 |
| Chad Weiden | Principal | 40 | $173,938 |
| Kyndran Hilton | Principal | 40 | $143,725 |
| Katie Robinson | Chief Academic Officer | 40 | $132,362 |
| Marcus Backman | Chief Financial & Data Officer | 40 | $129,332 |
| Tamil Goodson | Founding Principal | 40 | $127,552 |
| Shavawn Davis-milford | Principal | 40 | $127,333 |
| Nicole Dickens | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $124,715 |
| Benjamin Navarro | President | 1 | — |
| Carley Lane | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Christopher Allen | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Ford Perry | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Josh Bell | Vice President | 1 | — |
| Kelly Navarro | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Lindsay Leonard | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Susan Shuler | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Bus Line LLC | Student Transportation | $858,906 |
| The Budd Group Inc | Janitorial Services | $645,460 |
| Industry Specific Solutions | Outsource To Provide Substitute Teachers | $387,429 |
| Dish & Design Catering Events | Student Nutrition Services | $251,730 |
| Choate Construction Company | Construction Service | $249,393 |
35 grants to Meeting Street Schools totaling $680K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
4 grants totaling $2.2M in FY2023. All grants made by Meeting Street Schools →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Beemok Family Foundation | Meeting street scholarship fund | $1,984,234 |
| Wabash College | Scholarships | $180,000 |
| Green Heart Project Inc | Singleton park community garden funding | $25,000 |
| South Carolina Institute For Independent Journalism | Support local journalism, community publications and civic engagement | $24,000 |
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Data for Meeting Street Schools (EIN 20-4587841) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.