Classroom Central Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The mission of cc is to foster equity in education by providing teachers and students with the free resources they need to succeed. We accomplish this by distributing free school supplies and other educational materials through four programs: free store, mobile free store, online ordering with curbside pick-up, subscriptions service (beginning teachers) and backpacks and basics (our only direct-to-schools initiative). Teachers and other school personnel in qualifying high-needs schools as defined by the national school lunch program, may "shop" for free supplies throughout the academic year. All materials distributed are used to create inviting learning environments, and to support the academic and personal growth of low-socioeconomic students. The free store program is open weekly throughout the school year for teacher shopping. Our mobile free store travels once per week and visits districts served (currently six school districts to include charlotte mecklenburg, kannapolis city, iredell-statesville, union county, gaston county in nc as well as lancaster county schools in sc) and works on a six-week rotation throughout the academic year to ensure that teachers furthest from our free store may receive ample supplies and resources. Our online ordering with curbside pick-up program was launched during the covid-19 pandemic as a way to ensure teachers and students were able to receive needed supplies safely and efficiently. The program was so popular that it has been incorporated as a permanent part of our operations. Teachers place an order online via the classroom central website, orders are packed by volunteers and are available to be picked up through a drive-thru system. Our subscription service provides free school supplies to first-year teachers in eligible charlotte-mecklenburg schools. Each quarter, supplies are shipped directly to the first-year teachers. Finally, backpacks and basics engages donors to offset the cost of providing a new backpack filled with basic school supplies for students attending the highest needs schools within our service area. Classroom central has distributed more than 80 million in supplies and resources since opening in 2002.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 94.7%; rating input score 95
• Fundraising efficiency: $22.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -37.3%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.06; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.4%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.1% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings