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Nonprofiteer
← CALIFORNIA COMPETES

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by CALIFORNIA COMPETES.

Totals

Total revenue
$4,012,820
Total expenses
$2,140,217
Contributions and grants received
$3,744,205
Grants paid
$306,273
Program service revenue
$249,063
Investment income
$19,529
Other revenue
$23
Total assets, end of year
$3,824,164
Total liabilities, end of year
$163,194
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$3,660,970
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,635,982
Management and general expenses
$354,559
Fundraising expenses
$149,676
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,635,982

Program services were 76.4% 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.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $3,744,205

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Program service fees

    total $249,063 · related or exempt $249,063

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $19,529 · excluded $19,529

  • 4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds

    total $0

  • 5 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $0

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $0

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $0

  • 9c · Net income from gaming

    total $0

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $0

  • 11a · Other revenue: Other revenue

    total $23 · excluded $23

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $23

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $284,573 · program services $284,573

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $21,700 · program services $21,700

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $0

  • 4 · Benefits paid to or for members

    total $0

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $426,369 · program services $320,409 · management and general $60,896 · fundraising $45,064

  • 6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

    total $0

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $710,530 · program services $593,314 · management and general $92,440 · fundraising $24,776

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $35,958 · program services $30,510 · management and general $4,142 · fundraising $1,306

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $59,067 · program services $40,261 · management and general $9,425 · fundraising $9,381

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $85,070 · program services $70,656 · management and general $9,657 · fundraising $4,757

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $0

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $20 · management and general $20

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $47,246 · management and general $47,246

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $0

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $4,198 · fundraising $4,198

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $0

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $283,280 · program services $213,514 · management and general $49,556 · fundraising $20,210

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $0

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $44,908 · program services $14,793 · management and general $20,177 · fundraising $9,938

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $24,401 · program services $5,856 · management and general $12,425 · fundraising $6,120

  • 15 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $26,933 · program services $6,464 · management and general $13,714 · fundraising $6,755

  • 17 · Travel

    total $52,565 · program services $24,570 · management and general $15,548 · fundraising $12,447

  • 18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials

    total $0

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $22,013 · program services $6,629 · management and general $13,516 · fundraising $1,868

  • 20 · Interest

    total $0

  • 21 · Payments to affiliates

    total $0

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $0

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $9,504 · program services $2,281 · management and general $4,839 · fundraising $2,384

  • 24a · Other expenses: Dues, licenses & service fees

    total $1,882 · program services $452 · management and general $958 · fundraising $472

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $309,107 · end of year $2,001,859

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $1,524,259 · end of year $0

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    end of year $1,748,285

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $10,375 · end of year $39,000

  • 5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

    end of year $0

  • 6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

    end of year $0

  • 7 · Other notes and loans receivable

    end of year $0

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    end of year $0

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $13,540 · end of year $21,451

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    end of year $0

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    end of year $0

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    end of year $0

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    end of year $0

  • 14 · Intangible assets

    end of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $30,357 · end of year $13,569

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $68,914 · end of year $130,775

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    end of year $18,850

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $30,357 · end of year $13,569

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $617,771 · end of year $1,346,742

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $1,170,596 · end of year $2,314,228

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

Established in 2011, our mission is to help transform the states higher education system into an engine of economic opportunity that empowers all Californians, particularly those from underserved communities, to achieve their full potential.

Activities or mission (Part I)

California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy is a nonpartisan policy and research organization focused on identifying solutions to the states most critical challenges at the intersection of higher education, equity, and the economy.

  • California Competes advances equitable postsecondary opportunities and a just and inclusive economy by influencing systems-level change for underserved Californians. In FY24, California Competes made significant progress by pursuing a range of strategies, from promoting access and success for adult learners to aligning higher education with workforce needs, advancing a more agile and innovative higher education system, and contributing to coordinated policy development and implementation. In our work to advance college access and success for adults, we co-led The California Alliance for Student Parent Success, a statewide coalition to support students with dependent children. Through this coalition, we sponsored our first bill, the GAINS for Student Parents Act (and secured its passage in September 2024) to improve financial aid access for student parents and data collection practices so colleges can better identify the student parents they serve. In partnership with CaliforniaAttain!s network of higher education institutions, we also conducted research that focused on identifying and removing barriers to re-enrollment for Californians with some college but no credential, ensuring they can access educational opportunities and economic mobility. To strengthen workforce alignment, we facilitated strategic collaboration among community colleges in Los Angeles County and local County government officials, fostering a cross-sector culture to boost career readiness. Our efforts in promoting a more agile and innovative higher education for the state advanced through our California Higher Education Policy Institute for Legislative Staff and a series of events during the worlds largest education technology conference. Through these activities, we provided research-based insights and created spaces for policymakers, leaders, and their staff to think critically on the key issues facing the states higher education and workforce systems and share ideas for reform. Through events like this, we aim to contribute to informed decision-making towards reshaping systems to better serve Californians. In the realm of coordinated policy setting and implementation, we advised the Governor's Office on strengthening structures to promote cohesive and effective policy implementation. Additionally, we played a pivotal role as lead advocate for and advisor to the California Cradle-to-Career Data System (C2C). With California Competes CEO actively serving on the C2C Governing Board as a legislative appointee, we've provided thought leadership to shape discussions for productive meetings and advanced C2C's development. We also improved holistic student support through the refinement of student housing policies and the launch of the Public Benefit Finder for California Students, our new user-friendly tool which helps students and their supporters find the resources to which they're entitled.

    Expenses $1,635,982 · Grants $306,273 · Revenue $249,063

As filed on the 2023 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Su Jin Jez

    CEO

    Total calculated
    $173,502
    From this org
    $155,330
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $18,172
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $155,330
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $12,966
    Nontaxable benefits
    $5,206
    Filer's total
    $173,502

  • Laura Bernhard

    Senior Researcher

    Total calculated
    $113,644
    From this org
    $108,691
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $4,953
    Hours/week
    40

  • Kim Bernet

    CFO/VP

    Total calculated
    $111,214
    From this org
    $103,116
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $8,098
    Hours/week
    40

  • David Radwin

    Senior Researcher

    Total calculated
    $110,450
    From this org
    $102,104
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $8,346
    Hours/week
    40

  • Elizabeth Hill

    Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Julia Lopez

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Roger Niello

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Carl Cohn

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Steve Koblik

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Carol Liu

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Lenny Mendonca

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Christopher Cabaldon

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Jack Scott

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Peter Weber

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Dan Gross

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Keely Martin Bosler

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Leroy Morishita

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Libby Schaaf

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Aida Alvarez

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

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 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 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
19 March 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202540789349301754

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