Form 990 for tax year 2024

Totals

Total revenue

$206,364

Total expenses

$321,833

Contributions and grants received

$206,344

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$20

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$14,755

Total liabilities, end of year

$44,422

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

-$29,667

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$226,648

Management and general expenses

$58,595

Fundraising expenses

$36,590

Program service expenses (Part III)

$226,648

Program services were 70.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2024

• FREEDOM SCHOOLS - THE CDF FREEDOM SCHOOLS PROGRAM TRACES ITS ROOTS TO THE MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM SUMMER PROJECT OF 1964, WHEN COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE NATION TRAVELED TO MISSISSIPPI TO ADVANCE JUSTICE AND VOTING RIGHTS FOR BLACK CITIZENS. THESE EARLY FREEDOM SCHOOLS WERE CREATED TO KEEP BLACK CHILDREN AND YOUTH SAFE WHILE PROVIDING RICH EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES UNAVAILABLE IN SEGREGATED PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN CHURCHES, HOMES, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS, COLLEGE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS TAUGHT READING, WRITING, MATH, SCIENCE, AND HUMANITIESALONGSIDE SUBJECTS NOT OFFERED IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS, SUCH AS BLACK HISTORY AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. THEIR INSTRUCTION FOSTERED INDEPENDENT THINKING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUTH.IN 1995, THE CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND (CDF) LAUNCHED THE MODERN FREEDOM SCHOOLS INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN LACKING ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY SUMMER LITERACY PROGRAMS. SINCE THEN, THE MODEL HAS GROWN INTO A NATIONAL NETWORK WITH A PROVEN RECORD OF IMPROVING READING PROFICIENCY, STRENGTHENING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, AND NURTURING A LOVE OF LEARNING AMONG PARTICIPANTS.IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THERE ARE CURRENTLY SIX ACTIVE FREEDOM SCHOOL SITES, INCLUDING TWO IN CHARLESTON. HOWEVER, BOTH OPERATE WITH LIMITED CAPACITY. THE E3 FOUNDATION HAS PLAYED A KEY LEADERSHIP ROLE IN CONVENING SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM SCHOOL SITES FOR STRATEGIC COLLABORATION AND PLANNING. THROUGH THIS WORK, E3 SUPPORTS COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO EXPAND EXISTING SITES, LAUNCH NEW SITES, AND STRENGTHEN THE STATEWIDE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO SUSTAIN HIGH-QUALITY FREEDOM SCHOOL PROGRAMMING THAT ADVANCES EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY.

  Expenses $56,662

• PRO-TRUTH SC - SINCE SUMMER 2021, E3 FOUNDATION HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE FUND (LDF), ACLU OF SOUTH CAROLINA, LOWCOUNTRY BLACK PARENTS ASSOCIATION, WREN, JEWISH FEDERATION, AND OTHER PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, ADVOCATES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO STRATEGIZE, ORGANIZE, AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA'S LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS RELATED TO TEACHING TRUTHFUL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION.THESE FOUNDING PARTNERS CAME TOGETHER TO FORM THE PRO-TRUTH SC COALITION, A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE ACCESS TO FACT-BASED, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION. THROUGH THIS COALITION, E3 OPERATES AS THE BACKBONE OF THE COALITION AND PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN COMMUNITY EDUCATION, LEGISLATIVE ENGAGEMENT, AND ADVOCACY TRAINING, HELPING RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND HOW PROPOSED LAWS AFFECT SCHOOLS AND HOW TO EFFECTIVELY ADVOCATE FOR EQUITABLE AND ACCURATE INSTRUCTION.TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE, VISIT WWW.PROTRUTHSC.ORG.

  Expenses $67,994

• MOVEMENT 400 - MOVEMENT 400 IS A COLLABORATION OF EDUCATORS, PARENTS, STUDENTS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND CONCERNED CITIZENS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT EVERY CHILD IN THE CHARLESTON REGION HASACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FREE FROM SYSTEMIC RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION.THE E3 FOUNDATION SERVES AS THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATION FOR THIS COALITION, PROVIDING COORDINATION, STRATEGIC GUIDANCE, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT. THROUGH THIS ROLE, E3 HAS HELPED MOVEMENT 400 ORGANIZE AND IMPLEMENT EFFORTS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT UPCOMING ELECTIONS, PROMOTE VOTER REGISTRATION, AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDED HOSTING A SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO ENCOURAGE INFORMED CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND ENSURE COMMUNITY VOICES ARE REPRESENTED IN EDUCATION LEADERSHIP. GOTV CAMPAIGNCOORDINATING 16 VOTER-REGISTRATION WORKSHOPS AND 3000 TOUCH POINTS DURING COMMUNITY EVENTS. AS A RESULT, 107 NEW VOTERS WERE REGISTERED, AND PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO ENGAGE IN LOCAL AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS. THESE EFFORTS SUPPORTED OUR MISSION TO BUILD CIVIC-EMPOWERED COMMUNITIES AND STRENGTHEN EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION IN THE CHARLESTON REGION.

  Expenses $45,330

• REGIONAL TALENT STRATEGY - NUMEROUS STUDIES OVER THE PAST DECADE HAVE SHOWN THAT ALL STUDENTSAND ESPECIALLY BLACK STUDENTSBENEFIT ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY FROM HAVING BLACK TEACHERS. YET IN THE CHARLESTON REGION, THERE REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT GAP BETWEEN THE RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS OF STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS. WHILE OVER 40% OF CHARLESTON COUNTY'S STUDENTS ARE BLACK, ONLY ABOUT 12% OF TEACHERS IDENTIFY AS BLACK, A FIGURE THAT HAS REMAINED STAGNANT FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS. IN 2018, OF CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S 3,312 TEACHERS, 71% WERE WHITE WOMEN AND 14% WERE WHITE MEN, COMPARED TO ONLY 12% BLACK WOMEN AND LESS THAN 1% BLACK MEN. THERE ARE MORE WHITE MEN TEACHING IN THE DISTRICT THAN TEACHERS OF COLOR, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN COMBINED.IN RESPONSE, THE E3 FOUNDATION IS LEADING EFFORTS TO BUILD A PIPELINE OF COMMUNITY-CENTERED, ENTREPRENEURIALLY MINDED EDUCATORS AND LEADERS, WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON RECRUITING, PREPARING, AND SUPPORTING TEACHERS AND LEADERS OF COLOR WHO ARE EQUIPPED TO TRANSFORM THE ACADEMIC TRAJECTORY OF STUDENTS OF COLOR IN CHARLESTON.E3 IS COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING METANOIA, CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, TEACH FOR AMERICA, AND FORMER SERVANT LEADER INTERNS (SLIS) AND ELLA BAKER TRAINERS FROM THE CDF FREEDOM SCHOOLS PROGRAM, TO DEVELOP A REGIONAL FREEDOM SCHOOLS EXPANSION THAT SERVES AS BOTH A HIGH-QUALITY SUMMER LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS AND A TRAINING GROUND FOR FUTURE EDUCATORS.THROUGH COALITION BUILDING, E3 AND ITS PARTNERS AIM TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIESSUCH AS LIMITED ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND LOW TEACHER DIVERSITYWHILE ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES THAT PROMOTE THE SUCCESS OF BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS. E3 BELIEVES THAT THE CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND (CDF) FREEDOM SCHOOLS PROGRAM, FOUNDED IN 1995 BY SOUTH CAROLINA NATIVE MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN AND INSPIRED BY THE FREEDOM SCHOOLS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, OFFERS A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR LITERACY DEVELOPMENT, LEADERSHIP CULTIVATION, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT THAT DIRECTLY ADVANCES EDUCATIONAL EQUITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

  Expenses $22,665

• COMMUNITY ASSESSMENTS - COMMUNITY-WIDE ASSESSMENTS ARE ONE OF THE KEY RESOURCES THE E3 FOUNDATION PROVIDES TO HELP FAMILIES UNDERSTAND AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S LEARNING. E3 HIRES CERTIFIED EDUCATORS TO ADMINISTER ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND COMMUNITIES WITH CLEAR INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS' ACADEMIC STRENGTHS AND AREAS FOR GROWTH.DURING THESE EVENTS, ALL STUDENTS IN PRE-K THROUGH 5TH GRADE WERE ASSESSED IN BOTH READING AND MATH. THE GOAL OF THE FOUNDATION IS TO ENSURE THAT FAMILIES HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF EACH CHILD'S INDIVIDUAL LEARNING NEEDS AND ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO SUPPORT THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.

  Expenses $33,997

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2024

Filed

17 November 2025

IRS schema version

2024v5.2

Source object

202523219349313257

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.