NEW JERSEY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION

"Our finances became a lot more complicated"

The New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association is the nonprofit membership organization and statewide advocacy voice for the state’s 85 public charter schools and the more than 60,000 students they serve. NJPCSA believes that every student deserves the chance to receive a great public education at a school that best meets his or her needs, regardless of their ZIP code, income, or ability level. NJPCSA also seeks to influence legislative and policy environments, leverage collective advocacy, and provide resources to support its members in developing and operating high quality, public charter schools. With 99% of New Jersey’s eligible charter schools as dues-paying members, NJPCSA has one of the highest membership rates in the country.

When Chief Operating Officer Olivia Tremble joined the Association in 2021, NJPCSA had already been working with YPTC. “The organization was going through a period of great transition,” she recalls, transforming itself into an active advocacy organization and expanding its staff from three to eight people. “We’re still a small organization but we more than doubled the size of our staff. With that comes more money and more benefits and more detailed forecasts to keep track of,” she explains. Meanwhile, NJPCSA was awarded a $63.2 million, five-year federal CSP grant, 90% of which is passed through to charter schools in the state.

“Our finances became a lot more complicated. We now needed a single federal audit. We had to figure out our costs for technical assistance, administration, and sub-grants. We needed to forecast more regularly and adopt new financial policies that would connect with our oversight of the federal grant. We were all wearing many hats and none of us were able to wholly oversee the finances,” she adds. “Having somebody like YPTC to do the on-the-ground work to make sure that we are adhering to best financial practices and what we need for the audit has been super invaluable.”

Tremble praises YPTC Associate Jennifer Kelly. “She’s so easy to work with. I can always communicate with her and she’s always responsive. I just feel like I know her really well and she wants to know me as a person, and our working together is even better for that.

“There’s so much that needs to be done to run the organization beyond managing the finances, and she helps ensure that we’re able to do the work of the Association,” Tremble adds.

“I’ve recommended YPTC to other small nonprofits in similar situations. I think when it doesn’t make sense for your organization to have a CFO or a finance team, this is a really great and necessary resource. I’m glad that we have the solution.”