Step Up For Students - Florida Inc
98% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Step Up For Students - Florida Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Jacksonville, Florida, registered in 2000, with $904,611,188 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it C+, and it directs about 98% of spending to programs.
4655 Salisbury Rd Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL, 32256 EIN 59-3649371 Since 2000
Revenue (FY2023)
$904.6M
▼ 0.9% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$1.2B
Net assets
$796.0M
Employees
226
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
C+
★★★★
Rated on 4 of 4 criteria.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →A+Program efficiency40% of the rating98% to programs · $0 to raise $100
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 Step Up For Students - Florida Inc: 98% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
DFinancial health25% of the rating8 mo reserves · -37% margin
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 Step Up For Students - Florida Inc: 8 mo reserves · -37% margin earns a D on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
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 Step Up For Students - Florida Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
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 Step Up For Students - Florida Inc: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Mission
Step up for students 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.
What they do
The family empowerment scholarship program was established in 2019 to provide children and families in the state of florida which have limited resources with educational options to achieve success in their education. the family empowerment scholarship was expanded into two branches: family empowerment scholarship for educational options and for students with unique abilities (formerly known as gardiner scholarship). family empowerment scholarship educational options: this scholarship is intended to help reduce the wait list for the tax credit scholarship program and similarily serves students from low-income and working-class households. step up for students-florida, as an approved sfo, administered this scholarship and served 145,155 k-12 students for the 2023-2024 school year. in 2023, the florida state legislature opened the scholarship to all eligible residents of florida. qualified students could receive up to a maximum scholarship of $11,223 depending on grade level and county residence, for private school tuition and fees or up to $2,232 in transportation costs to attend an out-of-district public school.family empowerment scholarship for students with unique abilities (formally known as gardiner scholarship): in the 2023-24 school year, step up for students-florida administered this scholarship program for students with unique abilities with specific diabilities that include: autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, spina bifida, intellectual disability, williams syndrome, and more. through this scholarship program, 96,678 eligible students received a scholarship for the 2023-24 school year at an average of $9,990 each. the program empowers families to choose the educational services that best meet the needs of their student, and the money can be spent for schools, therapists, specialists, curriculum, technology even a college savings account.
Hope scholarship program: step up for students-florida administers the hope scholarship, which was created in 2018 to provide the option of private school scholarships to students in public schools who have experienced acts of bullying and intimidation. the scholarships are financed by contributions from automobile buyers, who are allowed under the law to redirect up to $105 of their state taxes on each purchase. those contributions are used to provide tuition scholarships to participating private schools. qualified students could receive a maximum scholarship of $11,223 depending on grade level and county residence, for private school tuition and fees or a maximum of $2,232 in transportation costs to attend an out-of-district public school. the scholarship began in 2018 and served 893 students during the 2023-24 school year. up to 95% of unused funds in the hope scholarship program can be used to fund scholarships to students on the florida tax credit scholarship program in the next state of florida fiscal year.
New worlds reading scholarship program: new worlds scholarship account program: the new worlds scholarship was created in 2018 to provide academic support for elementary school students in district or charter schools, who struggled in reading and was expanded to include math in 2023. step up for students-florida, as an approved scholarship funding organization, administers the program. the scholarship is available to students in k- through fifth-grade who have scored a level 1 or 2 on the english language arts and/or math sections of the florida standards assessment. each scholarship is worth $500, irrespective of whether the student needs help in either or both areas of study. the parent can use these funds to pay for tuition and fees related to part-time tutoring, summer and after-school literacy programs, instructional materials and more. through the new worlds scholarship account program, 31,764 students received scholarships in the 2023-24 school year.
Contact & location
- Address
- 4655 Salisbury Rd Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL, 32256
- City
- Jacksonville
- State
- Florida
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Support Foundations & Fundraising
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $333.3M (FY2013) to $904.6M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $692.2MNet assets $796.0M
Operating margin
-37.2%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$1.5B
Total liabilities
$692.2M
Net assets
$796.0M
Salaries & benefits
$35.7M
3% of expenses
Board members
10
10 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $904,611,188▼0.9% | $1,241,338,513▲64.4% | $795,993,715▼29.7% | $1,488,205,086▼2.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $913,033,619▲11.1% | $755,297,200▲23.2% | $1,132,721,040▲16.2% | $1,519,328,624▲25.8% | 990 |
| 2021 | $821,870,206▼16.8% | $612,990,184▼12.4% | $974,984,621▲27.3% | $1,207,920,053▲31.6% | 990 |
| 2020 | $988,357,974▲59.2% | $699,663,403▼2.8% | $766,104,599▲60.5% | $918,219,749▲55.4% | 990 |
| 2019 | $620,704,672▼13.5% | $720,174,387▲10.0% | $477,395,028▼17.2% | $590,867,275▼15.2% | 990 |
| 2018 | $717,949,667▲1.5% | $654,788,551▼2.9% | $576,864,743▲12.3% | $697,130,640▲18.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $707,661,184▲32.6% | $674,603,917▲18.8% | $513,703,627▲6.9% | $589,394,333▲13.7% | 990 |
| 2016 | $533,633,596▲2.3% | $568,032,953▲27.5% | $480,646,360▼6.7% | $518,592,306▼4.5% | 990 |
| 2015 | $521,506,825▲13.9% | $445,647,780▲18.6% | $514,903,810▲17.3% | $543,244,522▲20.9% | 990 |
| 2014 | $457,846,020▲37.4% | $375,779,045▲31.7% | $439,044,765▲21.3% | $449,355,921▲23.5% | 990 |
| 2013 | $333,293,409 | $285,314,975▲33.7% | $361,973,556▲15.3% | $363,784,990▲15.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $213,475,359▲39.9% | $314,025,672▲45.0% | $315,506,923▲44.8% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $152,642,566 | $216,579,435 | $217,819,371 | 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.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Doug Tuthill — $312,563 (0.03% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Tuthill | President | 36 | $312,563 |
| Lesley Searcy | Secretary & Cgo | 36 | $241,973 |
| Joe Pfountz | Treasurer & Cfo | 36 | $237,608 |
| Shafayet Imam | Cio, Sufs (thru 05/24) | 36 | $233,821 |
| Jill Larose | Chief Culture Officer | 36 | $193,861 |
| Asha Deshpande | Sr Dir Ent Data Op Stg(thru 08/24) | 36 | $192,272 |
| Susan Dugan | Vp of Finance (thru 12/23) | 36 | $172,044 |
| Craig Gonsalves | Vp of It Solutions | 36 | $156,316 |
| Sean K Chartier | Architect, Data | 36 | $155,621 |
| Jillian Metz | Vp of External Relations | 36 | $150,365 |
| Alexander J Mangan | Chief Product Officer | 36 | $132,845 |
| Samantha Espinosa | Chief Human Resources Officer | 36 | $123,619 |
| Ruth Rose | Chief Cust. Exp. Officer(thru 09/24) | 36 | $103,307 |
| Alfred Al Lawson | Director | 2 | — |
| Baron Concors | Director | 2 | — |
| Curtis Stokes | Director | 2 | — |
| Denisha Merriweather | Director | 2 | — |
| John F Kirtley | Board Chair | 36 | — |
| John Legg | Director | 2 | — |
| Karen Hobbs | Director | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Nlp Logix LLC | Software Development | $10,947,417 |
| Sutherland Global Services Canada Ulc | Customer Service Call Center | $3,871,941 |
| Sutherland Global Services Inc | Customer Service Call Center | $3,694,369 |
| Praxent LLC | Software Development | $1,943,034 |
| Aston Carter | Temp Agency | $1,728,594 |
Grants received · $347.8M total
38 grants to Step Up For Students - Florida Inc totaling $347.8M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaa Scholarship Foundation Inc | Fl scholarships | 2024 | $85,000,000 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Giving and generosity | 2024 | $36,989 |
| Aaa Scholarship Foundation Inc | Fl scholarships | 2023 | $69,850,000 |
| The Community Foundation Inc | Educational success | 2023 | $100,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $42,100 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Growth | 2023 | $35,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $5,700 |
| Aaa Scholarship Foundation Inc | Fl scholarships | 2022 | $96,620,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2022 | $63,250 |
| Mayo Clinic Group Return | Support charitable purpose | 2022 | $10,000 |
| Aaa Scholarship Foundation Inc | Fl scholarships | 2021 | $51,650,000 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Growth | 2021 | $250,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2021 | $47,750 |
| Ecmc Foundation | General support | 2021 | $20,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $9,200 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Step Up For Students - Florida Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Step Up For Students - Florida Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 59-3649371, based in Jacksonville, Florida. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Step Up For Students - Florida Inc's EIN?
- Step Up For Students - Florida Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 59-3649371.
- How much revenue does Step Up For Students - Florida Inc report?
- Step Up For Students - Florida Inc reported $904,611,188 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Step Up For Students - Florida Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Step Up For Students - Florida Inc spends about 98% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Step Up For Students - Florida Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Step Up For Students - Florida Inc C+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Step Up For Students - Florida Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Step Up For Students - Florida Inc's latest Form 990 is $312,563, paid to Doug Tuthill (President).
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Data for Step Up For Students - Florida Inc (EIN 59-3649371) 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.