ANNUAL REPORT 2014 – 2015

ANNUAL REPORT
2014 – 2015

WE KNOW…
The right school can change
a child’s world.
Like many of the supporters of CSF-C, I first became involved
with the organization as a result of a personal experience.
Several years ago our son was recommended to The Fletcher
School, an independent school focused on high achieving
children with learning disabilities. Instantly, we witnessed the
profound difference the right environment can make in a child’s
educational and personal development. We were fortunate to
be able to afford this option for our son, but for many others
educational options such as these are not possible.
The mission of Children’s Scholarship Fund of Charlotte is to
provide assistance to families who wish to take a proactive role in
pursuing the right educational environment for their child. I have
enormous respect for the families who have availed themselves
of opportunities afforded through this program.
It is with great enthusiasm and honor that I assume the
role of Chairman. Over the past few years the board and the
organization have become more introspective, seeking out the
determinants of successful outcomes and challenging ourselves
to better understand the schools, families and students that
we serve. This coming year will bring continued innovation,
introspection and action and my priorities as Chairman will be
to achieve significant strides in the following three areas: 1)
Evaluating and understanding our participating partner schools,
2) Measuring outcomes of students, and 3) Insuring long-term
financial stability of the organization.
On behalf of Children’s Scholarship Fund-Charlotte’s Board of
Directors, I would like to invite you to be our partner this next
year as the organization continues to change the trajectory of
children’s lives through the intrinsic power of education.
Andrew Lindner
Chairman

WE HELP…
Underwrite hundreds of success
stories each year.
Our Mission:
Children’s Scholarship Fund-Charlotte is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to providing educational options for children (grades K-8) from
low-income families residing in Mecklenburg County.
The organization’s purpose is to fund partial tuition assistance to
economically disadvantaged children so that they may attend participating
partner independent schools which most effectively address their
academic, emotional, physical and/or spiritual needs.
Through our support, we believe that children can be taught where and
how they best learn which will enable them to reach their highest potential.
Our Program:
Invested over $8.5 million in 6,500 scholarships
• Applicants’ families must meet the following criteria:
- Families must reside in Charlotte and/or Mecklenburg County
- Children must be attending K-8th grade during the year of funding
- Families must qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Meal Program
- Children must be entering Kindergarten or transferring from a
public school
• Scholarship amounts are determined by the family’s size and income,
and the school’s tuition amount; the maximum award per child is
$2,500
• Each family is required to contribute at least $500 every year toward
their children’s educations; we’re giving them a hand up, not a hand out
• Each family/child must re-qualify every year to continue funding
Our Families:
Average family income:
$31,165
Average tuition per child:
$6,336
Average scholarship
per child:
$1,950

WE SEEK…
Outcomes that can be measured
over a lifetime.
Since 1999, Children’s Scholarship Fund-Charlotte (CSF-C) has invested
over $8.5 million in approximately 6,500 scholarships to children at
risk of failure in their assigned schools in Mecklenburg County. Recent
quantitative studies confirm that our organization is making a significant
difference and changing the trajectory of children’s lives through the
intrinsic power of education.
CSF-C’s Graduation Rate Study (1999 - 2011):
Frontier21 Education Solutions conducted a tracking study
in 2011 to confirm the graduation rate of CSF-C scholarship
97%
recipients who participated in our program for at least one
year, from 1999-2007, and were eligible to graduate by
2011. Frontier 21’s researchers verified that 97% of CSF-C’s recipients
contacted, who matriculated to public and independent high schools
after participating in our program, graduated from the 12th grade.
CSF-C’s Student Outcomes Study (2006 - 2014):
UNC-C’s Urban Institute for Social Capital was commissioned
by CSF-C to identify CSF-C alumni between the 2006-
2007 and 2013 – 2014 school years who returned back into 95%
the public Charlotte Mecklenburg School system after the
8th grade. The Institute concluded that 95% of CSF-C students that
returned to public high school graduated on time, as compared to their
demographic peers at 71.1% - 86.5%.
Another way that CSF-C evaluates our program is through an annual
Parent and Student Survey. This report gives our staff and board
pertinent information about the parents, students and schools which
confirm strengths, identifies patterns and highlights concerns that need
to be addressed. This year’s results revealed that scholarship recipients’
academic performance was significantly improved when compared to
their previous school:
44%
43%
Current School
39%
Previous School
13%
22%
15%
18%
2% 0%
4%
Outstanding Above Average Average Below Average Not Passing

WE BELIEVE…
Scholarship is just another
word for investment.
According to a recent study by the Nation Center for Education Statistics
(NCES):
• 1.3 million students drop out of high school in the United States
• more than half of dropouts are students of color, and most are low-income
• low-income students fail to graduate at five times the rate of middleincome
families and six times that of higher-income youth
When a child drops out of high school, they are destined to face extremely
bleak economic and social prospects. Compared to high school graduates,
dropouts have the increased chance of being:
• unemployed and earning low wages
• chronically unhealthy
• dependent on social services
• incarcerated
Not only does the child suffer, but so does our society:
• each cohort of dropouts costs the U.S. $192 billion in lost income and taxes
• America could see a combined savings and revenue of almost $8 billion
each year if even just 5% of all dropouts stayed in school and attended
college
Although Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ aggregate high school graduation
rate set a new high at 88% in 2015, individual schools with a majority of lowincome
students graduated at rates as low as 73%. While the achievement gap
between white and minority students continues to narrow, there is still great
disparity between the schools located in high income and poverty-stricken zip
codes.
CSF-C recognizes the direct empirical correlation between high-poverty
neighborhoods, low-performing schools, soaring dropout rates and the
inevitable consequences that this problem has on an individual, family and
community. Therefore, it is imperative that our organization become a
significant part of the solution to help CMS address this problem by decreasing
the achievement gap and increasing the high school graduation rates in our
community.
Thank you so much for your consideration to continue supporting or to
begin getting involved with our organization, and changing the trajectory
of children’s lives forever!
Ann Simmons Barnes
Executive Director

WE CELEBRATE!
Robertson Fellow ($10,000+)
• Alpha & Omega Foundation
• Bloomberg L.P.
• Children’s Scholarship Fund
• Dowd Foundation
• Mr. Julian Robertson, Jr.
• Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shleifer
• The Leon Levine Foundation –
Sandra and Leon Levine
• The Merancas Foundation
• The Robertson Foundation
• Triad Foundation
Patron ($4,000 - $9,999)
• Bank of America – Merrill
Lynch
• Brown Brothers Harriman &
Company
• Dickson Foundation
• Mr. and Mrs. Walter Dolhare
• Mr. Brian Gootzeit
• UBS – The Andover Group
Mentor ($2,000 - $3,999)
• Mr. and Mrs. Scott Bortz
• Mr. and Mrs. Rick Dawson
• Global Endowment
• Mr. and Mrs. Timothy
Gunderman
• Mr. Peter Keane
• Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Lindner
• Mr. and Mrs. John Mangan
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Mason
III
• Rinehart Wealth Management
• Mr. and Mrs. Spence Whitman
• Ms. Danielle Williams
Valedictorian ($1,000 - $1,999)
• Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Casey
• Custom Polymers, Inc.
• Mrs. Carolyn Faison
• Mr. and Mrs. Mark Fiddes
• Mr. and Mrs. John Hain
• Mr. and Mrs. James Hynes
• Mr. Barry Bobrow and Ms.
Karen Knoble
• KPB Corporation
• Mr. Richard MacLean
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert Miller
• Mr. and Mrs. Walker Poole
• Providence Day School
• Robert W. Baird & Co.
• Mrs. Dee Schwab
• Mr. and Mrs. Stormy Scott
• Mr. Cecil Stodghill
• Mr. and Mrs. Wellford Tabor
DONOR PROGRAM
(July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015)
• Mr. and Mrs. Dan Thomas
• Trinity Episcopal School
• Mr. Jonathan Vogel
• Mr. and Mrs. Van
Weatherspoon
• Mr. and Mrs. William
Williamson
• Mr. and Mrs. Joe Young
Salutatorian ($500 - $999)
• Atlas Principals
• Mr. and Mrs. Smoky Bissell
• Mrs. Robert Bradshaw
• Charlotte Country Day School
• Charlotte Latin School
• Mr. Rufus Dalton
• Mr. and Mrs. Perrin Q. Dargan
III
• Mr. and Mrs. Eric Eubank
• Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fortin
• Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hardison
• Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hill
• Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ibsen
• Dr. and Mrs. William Merlo
• Father and Mrs. Louis Oats
• Mr. and Mrs. Michael W.
Ramich
• Mr. Ed Weisiger
Scholar ($250 - $499)
• Adventist Christian Academy
• Ms. Ann Simmons Barnes
• Mr. Timothy Bechtold
• Mr. and Mrs. Tim Belk
• Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Beuley
• Mr. and Mrs. William Blue, Jr.
• Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bradshaw
• Ms. Cameron Capel
• Charlotte Preparatory School
• Charlotte United Christian
Academy
• Mrs. Thomas Hal Clarke
• Mr. Edward Crutchfield
• Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dalrymple
• Mr. and Mrs. Alvaro De Molina
• Mr. and Mrs. Roddey Dowd, Sr.
• Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Downing
• Mr. and Mrs. Henry Froelich III
• Granville Capital, Inc.
• Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Graves
• Ms. Meghann Gunderman
• Mr. Richard Handford
• Mr. Cameron Hight
• Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hunter
IV
• Mr. and Mrs. William Joyner III
• Mr. Joel R. Lanik
• Ms. Kim Lukacs
• Mr. and Mrs. William E. Mills
• Palisades Episcopal School
• Mr. and Mrs. John
Papadopulos
• Mr. and Mrs. Randel Phillips
• Ms. Nicole Studva
• Doctors Chris and Lili Teigland
• Mr. and Mrs. Chris Teter
• The John Crosland School
• Mr. Michael L. Velcich
• Mr. and Mrs. Landon Wyatt
• Mr. Johannes Zwick
Graduate ($100 - $249)
• Alpha Theory
• Mrs. Catherine T. Anderson
• Mr. and Mrs. John Black
• Mr. Andrew C. Burns
• Ms. Christina Caldwell
• Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Carlton
• Mr. Scott Chappell
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chiles
• Mrs. Mary Anne Dickson
• Mr. and Mrs. Ry Dunbeck
• Mr. and Mrs. Ned Durden
• Mr. and Mrs. Mike Elliott
• Mr. and Mrs. John Fitzhugh
• Mr. Stuart Friou
• Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Gregory
• Mr. Hooper Hardison
• Mr. Seth Harward
• Mr. Campbell Jenkins
• Mr. Keith Kepley, Jr.
• Mr. Brad Kniejski
• Mrs. Julie Lerner Levine
• Mr. and Mrs. Tarlton Long
• Mr. and Mrs. Don Millen
• Mr. and Mrs. Bailey W. Patrick
• Mr. and Mrs. Steven Sasz
• Ms. Lori P. Shell
• Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shell
• The Cyzner Institute
• Mr. Stephen Vafier
• Mr. Daniel A. Ward
Friend (up to $100)
• Ms. Nicole A. Morris
• Ms. Shaunte Ndiaye
• Mr. and Mrs. Richard Parkhurst
• Mr. Michael Phipps
• Mr. David Reitz
• Mr. and Mrs. Allen Shifflet
• Ms. Jessica Warzybok
Thank you!

FinancIAl Statement
Individuals,
$116,748 (11%)
Revenue Total - $1,107,571
Special Events,
$103,770 (9%)
Foundations,
$887,053 (80%)
Foundations Individuals Special Events
100% of donations are dedicated to scholarships;
administration and fundraising expenses are absorbed
by the unrestricted funding of a generous donor.
Expense Total - $923,048
Fundraising,
$75,364 (8%)
Administration,
$162,350 (18%)
Scholarships,
$685,334 (74%)
Administration Fundraising Scholarships
Children’s scholarship Fund-Charlotte is a 501(c)(3) organization
and supporting foundation of Foundation For The Carolinas.
Our tax ID is: 51-0462802

Show and Tell
“I want to thank all of you
for your generous support
to CSF-C. When you give to
this organization, you give
children like me a chance to
reach their highest potential
and succeed in life.”
Scholarship Recipient, Justin Boyd,
with his family
“The thing I like about my
school is that each student
gets the special attention
that they need, but no
other student is left behind
or becoming bored. They
helped me come up with
ways to focus better and
designed strategies to help
me do my best in all my
subjects.”
Scholarship Recipient, Donavon
Fitzgerald, with former CSF-C Board
Member, Fletcher Gregory
“CSF-C has given me and
so many others a priceless
gift—the opportunity to
thrive, to discover and
achieve our true potential.”
Scholarship Recipient,
Mariah Clarke, with former
Board Chair, Cecil Stodghill

WHAT’S UP?
Save the Dates:
“Shake, Rattle and Rock and Roll” Fundraiser
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Byron’s South End,
with Travis Avenue Band
6:00 – 10:00 PM
Spring Investment Speaker Series
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Duke Mansion
6:30 – 9:30 PM
Charlotte Heptathlon
Saturday, May 21, 2016
– stay tuned for details!
Queens University Athletic Fields
Deadline
to register
is Friday,
November
6th!
Check out our new website
and social media platforms
launching in November 2015!
www.csfcharlotte.org
Foundation For The Carolinas • 220 North Tryon Street
• Charlotte, NC 28202
p) 704-973-4583 • f) 704-973-4934

Board of Directors
Baker Burleson
Hillary Crittendon
Catherine Fortin
Phyllis Gill
Anna Glass
Linda Ibsen
Andrew Lindner (Chair)
Dorothy Killeen
Merrill Mills
Lawrence Moore
Sean Preston
Stormy Scott
Cecil Stodghill
Directors Emeriti
Charles S. Anderson
Weston Andress
Pat Augustine
Scott C. Bortz
Robert W. Bradshaw*
Stephen E. Cummings
Meredith Dolhare
Suzie Yun Dunbeck
Nancy R. Ehringhaus
Fletcher Gregory
Ned H. Hardison
Peter L. Keane
Karen Knoble
John F. Mangan, Jr.
Robert E. Mason III
Father Louis Oats
Laura Park
Bailey W. Patrick
Claudia Plepler
Cecilia A. Ramirez
Marjorie Moses Schwab
Charlene Slaughter
Jonathan Vogel
Van Weatherspoon
Jackie Wells
John Spencer Whitman
Danielle Felix Williams
Earnest Winston
Brian Wise
*Deceased