California › Educational services › 250 to 499 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Center for Sustainable Energy
Sponsored by Center for Sustainable Energy, San Diego, CA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, Center for Sustainable Energy covered 414 participants and held $15.5M in net assets. The plan is a 403(b) plan sponsored by Center for Sustainable Energy of San Diego, California.
Net assets came to $37,395 per participant, well below the $48,746 median for defined contribution plans with 250 to 499 participants and well below the $73,018 median for defined contribution plans in educational services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The employer contributed $426K during the year, or $1,774 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,017; participants contributed $1.2M and $21K arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $1.3M.
Schedule C lists 4 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $103K: $249 per participant, well above the same-size median of $141. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $67K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $3.0M in 2014 to $15.5M in 2024 (up 413%), and participants from 135 to 414 (up 207%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was disclaimer, from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $37,395 | $48,746 | $73,018 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $1,774 | $2,017 | $2,838 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $249 | $141 | $95.66 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.67% | 0.30% | 0.13% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $161 | $133 | $89.26 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 250 to 499 participants (17,456 plans), educational services (2,753) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 414 | $15.5M | $37,396 | $426K | $1.2M | $103K |
| 2023 | 441 | $13.2M | $30,000 | $410K | $1.2M | $104K |
| 2022 | 480 | $10.5M | $21,829 | $344K | $984K | $62K |
| 2021 | 301 | $12.0M | $39,990 | $310K | $916K | $59K |
| 2020 | 387 | $9.8M | $25,233 | $322K | $890K | $47K |
| 2019 | 343 | $8.0M | $23,466 | $270K | $749K | $0 |
| 2018 | 283 | $6.2M | $21,855 | $221K | $669K | $0 |
| 2017 | 252 | $6.1M | $24,341 | $351K | $610K | $0 |
| 2016 | 215 | $4.4M | $20,456 | $460K | $409K | $0 |
| 2015 | 186 | $3.7M | $19,887 | $396K | $296K | $0 |
| 2014 | 135 | $3.0M | $22,370 | $321K | $215K | $0 |
| 2013 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012 | 112 | — | — | — | — | — |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$13,230,217
- Employer contributions$425,737
- Participant contributions$1,178,312
- Rollovers and other contributions$20,892
- Total contributions$1,624,941
- Total income, including investment results$3,596,973
- Benefits paid$1,278,789
- Administrative expenses$66,719
- Total expenses$1,345,508
- Net income$2,251,465
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$15,481,682
Participants
- Active participants240
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits5
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits169
- Participants with account balances307
- Total participants, end of year414
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company O | Recordkeeping fees | $58,817 | $0 |
| Gallagher Benefit Services .00 Inc. | Investment advisory (plan) | $30,981 | $0 |
| Ascensus Holdings Inc. DBA | Contract Administrator | $12,946 | $0 |
| Empower Advisory Group, LLC | Investment management | $541 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Contract administrator fees$66,719
- Total administrative expenses$66,719
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$14.8M · 95.7%
- Insurance company general account$531K · 3.4%
- Receivables$85K · 0.6%
- Participant loans$40K · 0.3%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$6,380 · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionDisclaimer
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmWest Rhode & Roberts
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateYes, $192
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2GTotal participant-directed account plan2LCode section 403(b)(1) arrangement (annuity contracts)2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 611000: Educational Services (including schools, colleges, & universities).
Similar plans in California
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame de Namur University DC Retirement Plan | Notre Dame de Namur University | 418 | $46.1M | $110,392 |
| Arc 401(k) Plan | Good Sports Plus, Ltd. DBA Arc | 408 | $4.5M | $11,061 |
| Optimist Boys Home and Ranch 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Optimist Boys' Home and Ranch | 419 | $15.4M | $36,727 |
| Marin Country Day School Defined Contribution 403(b) Retirement Plan | Marin Country Day School | 408 | $65.3M | $160,111 |
| Birmingham Community Charter High School Retirement Plan | Birmingham Community Charter High School | 420 | $6.8M | $16,176 |
| Pacifica Graduate Institute 401(k) Plan | Santa Barbara Graduate School, Inc. DBA Pacifica Graduate Institute | 405 | $17.9M | $44,254 |
Defined contribution plans in educational services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Center for Sustainable Energy?
414 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 240 were active employees, with net assets of $15,481,682. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 250 to 499 participants band, which held 17,456 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Center for Sustainable Energy contribute per participant?
The filing reports $425,737 in employer contributions for the year, which is $1,774 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,017 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $103,285 in compensation to service provider organisations, $249 per participant or 0.67% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $141 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $66,719. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Center for Sustainable Energy. Recordkeeping or administration: Empower Annuity Insurance Company O and Ascensus Holdings Inc. DBA. Investment advisory or management: Gallagher Benefit Services .00 Inc. and Empower Advisory Group, LLC. The financial statements were audited by West Rhode & Roberts. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an disclaimer opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. A disclaimer of opinion was the usual result of a limited-scope audit under the rules in force before 2021 and is not by itself a finding about the plan.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 17 Sep 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 33-0936366, plan 001, received 17 Sep 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.