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← COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION NETWORK INC

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION NETWORK INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$6,137,790
Total expenses
$5,999,458
Contributions and grants received
$2,422,973
Grants paid
$145,000
Program service revenue
$3,684,986
Investment income
$23,966
Other revenue
$5,865
Total assets, end of year
$5,113,086
Total liabilities, end of year
$3,938,584
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$1,174,502
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$5,111,919
Management and general expenses
$887,539
Fundraising expenses
$0
Program service expenses (Part III)
$5,111,919

Program services were 85.2% 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.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1b · Membership dues

    $167,833

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $2,255,140

  • 2a · Program service revenue: PROGRAM SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS

    total $3,077,231 · related or exempt $3,077,231

  • 2b · Program service revenue: CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONS

    total $607,755 · related or exempt $607,755

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $23,966 · related or exempt $23,966

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $261

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total -$261 · related or exempt -$261

  • 11a · Other revenue: CREDIT CARD REWARDS

    total $6,126 · related or exempt $6,126

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $6,126

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $145,000 · program services $145,000

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,779,125 · program services $1,274,887 · management and general $504,238

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $111,716 · program services $111,716

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $131,788 · program services $89,537 · management and general $42,251

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $62,307 · program services $61,879 · management and general $428

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $73,238 · program services $58,590 · management and general $14,648

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $1,832,324 · program services $1,832,324

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $139,152 · program services $111,322 · management and general $27,830

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $33,501 · program services $23,010 · management and general $10,491

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $130,998 · program services $104,799 · management and general $26,199

  • 17 · Travel

    total $274,344 · program services $219,475 · management and general $54,869

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $1,039,733 · program services $1,039,733

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $3,940 · program services $3,152 · management and general $788

  • 24a · Other expenses: BOARD DEVELOPMENT

    total $198,646 · management and general $198,646

  • 24b · Other expenses: PAYMENT PROCESSING FEES

    total $18,498 · program services $18,498

  • 24c · Other expenses: RENT

    total $7,238 · program services $5,790 · management and general $1,448

  • 24d · Other expenses: MEALS

    total $6,694 · program services $5,355 · management and general $1,339

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $11,216 · program services $6,852 · management and general $4,364

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $762,646 · end of year $2,186,334

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $44,664 · end of year $46,696

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $1,760,670 · end of year $1,904,351

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $261

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $15,213 · end of year $22,569

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $516,345 · end of year $546,961

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $126,364 · end of year $406,175

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $121,407 · end of year $365,891

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $2,051,516 · end of year $3,572,693

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $1,053,240 · end of year $1,174,502

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO CATALYZE A COMPETENCY- AND SKILLS-FIRST SOCIETY FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS BY EQUIPPING THOSE WHO SERVE THEM WITH THE EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO EXPAND EQUITABLE WORK-LEARN PATHWAYS.

  • OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION NETWORK (C-BEN) HAS CONTINUED TO LEAD NATIONAL EFFORTS TO ADVANCE A SKILLS-FIRST SOCIETY BY DESIGNING EQUITABLE, WORK-LEARN PATHWAYS AND EQUIPPING EDUCATORS WITH INNOVATIVE TOOLS AND STRATEGIES. OUR TEAM NOW INCLUDES 16 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, ALLOWING US TO EXPAND OUR SUPPORT TO INSTITUTIONS, SYSTEMS, EMPLOYERS, AND STATES COMMITTED TO COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION (CBE). C-BEN CO-FACILITATED NATIONAL WORKSHOPS WITH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES OF NURSING, AND TO DATE, WE HAVE TRAINED TWO-THIRDS OF ALL U.S. COLLEGES OF NURSING ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT COMPETENCY-BASED MODELS ALIGNED WITH THE ESSENTIALS. IN KENTUCKY, WE COMPLETED A STATEWIDE GRADUATE PROFILE PROJECT IN NOVEMBER 2024 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION. THE RESULTING ESSENTIAL SKILLS FRAMEWORK IS NOW INFORMING INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY AND WORKFORCE ALIGNMENT EFFORTS ACROSS THE STATE. WE DEEPENED OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH TRIBAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH CONTINUED WORK WITH THE NAVAJO NATION, HELPING LEARNERS DESIGN INDIVIDUALIZED EMPLOYABILITY PATHWAYS THAT PROMOTE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE AND LIFE AUTONOMY. IN ALABAMA, WE SUPPORTED THE STATE'S TALENT TRIAD INITIATIVE-AN AMBITIOUS EFFORT TO CREATE A SKILLS-BASED TALENT MARKETPLACE THAT CONNECTS UNDEREMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED RESIDENTS TO LEARNING AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. C-BEN'S SUPPORT FOR ALABAMA'S WORK HAS BECOME A BLUEPRINT FOR OTHER STATES. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO TENNESSEE'S ZERO- TUITION, COMPETENCY-BASED TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, WHICH IS ADDRESSING CRITICAL EDUCATOR SHORTAGES WHILE SERVING AS A NATIONAL MODEL FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION. C-BEN HOSTED ITS FLAGSHIP EVENT, CBEXCHANGE, WITH OVER 800 ATTENDEES- REFLECTING A 40% GROWTH FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS THE PREMIER NATIONAL EVENT FOR ALL THINGS COMPETENCY-BASED AND SKILLS-FIRST, CBEXCHANGE FOSTERS FIELD-WIDE COLLABORATION AND SHOWCASES INNOVATIVE PRACTICES. OUR ASIA PACIFIC COUNTERPART CONTINUED TO GROW GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT. OUR COMPETENCYU PLATFORM HAS SCALED TO INCLUDE 15 ON-DEMAND COURSES ACROSS MULTIPLE CBE TOPICS, DELIVERED THROUGH TWO CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS AND THREE MICRO-CERTIFICATES. THESE OFFERINGS ALLOW US TO PROVIDE FLEXIBLE, ACCESSIBLE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR EDUCATORS AND LEADERS. WE HAVE OVER 5,000 MEMBERS IN OUR NETWORK-WHILE MOST ARE IN A NO-COST MEMBERSHIP TIER, THE BROAD ENGAGEMENT REFLECTS GROWING INTEREST IN SKILLS- FIRST APPROACHES ACROSS EDUCATION, WORKFORCE, AND POLICY SECTORS. WE ALSO STREAMLINED OUR MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURE AND CONFERENCE REGISTRATION PROCESS TO ENHANCE THE MEMBER EXPERIENCE AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY. IN SUMMARY, C-BEN'S WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR HAS FURTHER SOLIDIFIED OUR POSITION AS A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION. WITH INCREASING DEMAND FOR SCALABLE, WORKFORCE-ALIGNED LEARNING MODELS, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO ADVANCING SOLUTIONS THAT BENEFIT ALL LEARNERS AND SUPPORT ECONOMIC MOBILITY THROUGH SKILL DEVELOPMENT.

    Expenses $5,111,919 · Grants $145,000 · Revenue $3,684,986

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • CHARLA SHEID LONG

    PRESIDENT/DI

    Total calculated
    $392,495
    From this org
    $392,495
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    45

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $392,495
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    not reported
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $392,495

  • BROOKS DOHERTY

    CHAIR/DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • JENNIFER GRAEBE

    VICE CHAIR/D

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • RAYMOND RICE

    TREASURER/DI

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • STEPHANIE BERNOTEIT

    SECRETARY/DI

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

  • CHRISTINA AMATO

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • DIANE DEBACKER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • EMMA MILLER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • JAMIE FASTEAU

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • NATALIE JONES

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • TIFFANY FREEZE DENTON

    VP CONSULTIN

    Total calculated
    $131,233
    From this org
    $131,233
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • AMBER GARRISON DUNCAN

    EXEC VICE PR

    Total calculated
    $236,700
    From this org
    $236,700
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $236,700
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    not reported
    Nontaxable benefits
    not reported
    Filer's total
    $236,700

  • YEDID MINJARES

    DIRECTOR CON

    Total calculated
    $108,016
    From this org
    $108,016
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • LAURIE DODGE

    VP QUALITY A

    Total calculated
    $123,667
    From this org
    $123,667
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • RYAN SPECHT-BOARDMAN

    DIRECTOR HIG

    Total calculated
    $119,758
    From this org
    $119,758
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

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. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
15 May 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202521359349318227

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