Durham Public Schools Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

Community driven solutions: grantmakingschool-level grants: the dpsf grants program aimed to improve education quality, knowledge sharing, collaboration, sustainable impact, and the equitable distribution of power and resources for dps students, educators, staff, and families. Through the cohort model, the annual grants cycle comprised two programs: innovation grants and the whole schools fund. Available in the fall, innovation grants were open only to dps students, teachers, staff, administrators, parents, and/or caregivers for projects that directly centered and impacted their school or school communities. Innovation grants funded projects focused on increasing equity, accessibility, resources, and opportunities within dps schools. This year, we funded $85,900 across 18 schools, supporting 14 projects. In addition, we supported over $21,074 in projects across dps through general requests to support school communities.dpsf community support fund: this year, we distributed over $13,500 directly to school families in need of emergency and crisis support. This included support to prevent eviction, provide emergency utility assistance, and cover essential needs. Additionally, over $2,000 was awarded directly to mckinney-vento within durham public schools to support families experiencing homelessness.whole mental health: in partnership with dps and duke health, whole schools uplifted feelings of safety, support, and belonging as essential foundations for learning. This year, we reached 25 schools and funded 22 projects. At our model schools, neal middle school and southern school of energy and sustainability, we supported over 2,200 students and their families, as well as 250 staff members.sixteen dps educators across 10 schools were trained as mental health ambassadors. They learned valuable skills, including how to build healthy relationships and respond to emotional and mental health crises. We also increased community members' access to mental health resources by developing a thrive guide in english and spanish that promoted mental health literacy, wellness practices and strategies, and a shared understanding of support pathways.the whole schools fund provided integrated support, collaboration, and peer-based learning to grant recipients, including students, educators, and caregivers. Dpsf staff provided opportunities for grantees to meet as a cohort to engage in topics related to their work, check in, network, and share progress updates and/or barriers they were encountering. For the 2024-2025 school year, $82,500 was awarded to fund 22 projects across 25 schools. Grant awards ranged from $1,000 to a maximum of $15,000 per funded project.crayons to calculators: in january, we welcomed durham nonprofit crayons2calculators (c2c) as a new dpsf program. Together, we provided educators with a one-stop shop for needed school supplies and resources. Approximately 93% of classroom educators across all disciplines received more than $105,000 worth of school supplies this year. C2c collected donated supplies from community members and partners and relied on a robust volunteer base for daily operations. During the 2024-2025 school year, approximately 200 volunteers logged more than 2,700 hours supporting the crayons2calculators team by sorting donations, filling orders, and delivering supplies to schools.community schools incubation: this year, hundreds of families across community schools received support addressing food and clothing insecurity, individualized tutoring before and after school, and activities focused on physical, mental, and social health and well-being. School coordinators and administrative staff also leaned in closer on shared decision-making and leadership. Dps community schools included fayetteville street elementary, lakewood elementary, and club boulevard elementary. In march 2025, student u took the helm as the lead agency to manage durham's community schools and scale the incubated model across North Carolina.o

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 82.1%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.68 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -41.3%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.8; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 15.8%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 20.4% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 16.4% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings