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Nonprofiteer
← START EARLY

Form 990 for tax year 2022

Filed by START EARLY.

Totals

Total revenue
$120,133,044
Total expenses
$108,099,164
Contributions and grants received
$116,062,919
Grants paid
$34,910,742
Program service revenue
$2,117,826
Investment income
$1,744,120
Other revenue
$208,179
Total assets, end of year
$106,687,603
Total liabilities, end of year
$32,136,595
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$74,551,008
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$88,282,348
Management and general expenses
$17,578,696
Fundraising expenses
$2,238,120
Program service expenses (Part III)
$88,282,348

Program services were 81.7% 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.

  • 1c · Fundraising events

    $956,971

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $69,791,775

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $45,314,173

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Consulting Revenue

    total $1,079,209 · related or exempt $1,079,209

  • 2b · Program service revenue: Training Revenue

    total $476,144 · related or exempt $476,144

  • 2c · Program service revenue: National Conference

    total $315,497 · related or exempt $315,497

  • 2d · Program service revenue: Family Aid

    total $12,989 · related or exempt $12,989

  • 2f · All other program service revenue

    total $233,987 · related or exempt $233,987

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $1,100,723 · unrelated business $205,719 · excluded $895,004

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $2,149,859

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $1,474,397 · other assets $32,065

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $675,462 · other assets -$32,065

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $643,397 · excluded $643,397

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $264,010

  • 8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c

    $956,971

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $146,255

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $117,755 · excluded $117,755

  • 11a · Other revenue: Reimbursements from FFAF

    total $90,424 · excluded $90,424

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $90,424

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $34,910,742 · program services $34,910,742

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $2,920,520 · program services $1,793,311 · management and general $857,745 · fundraising $269,464

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $35,986,401 · program services $27,190,997 · management and general $7,515,467 · fundraising $1,279,937

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $947,061 · program services $729,723 · management and general $188,901 · fundraising $28,437

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $6,878,130 · program services $5,195,041 · management and general $1,438,547 · fundraising $244,542

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $2,743,641 · program services $2,072,268 · management and general $573,827 · fundraising $97,546

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $289,412 · program services $112,238 · management and general $177,174

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $125,524 · management and general $125,524

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $928,608 · management and general $928,608

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $68,078 · fundraising $68,078

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $72,443 · management and general $72,443

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $8,997,873 · program services $7,553,511 · management and general $1,437,802 · fundraising $6,560

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $975,185 · program services $661,151 · management and general $314,034

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $1,508,390 · program services $1,373,510 · management and general $119,546 · fundraising $15,334

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $3,060,315 · program services $997,840 · management and general $1,965,961 · fundraising $96,514

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $2,028,113 · program services $1,908,643 · management and general $44,828 · fundraising $74,642

  • 17 · Travel

    total $1,380,702 · program services $1,255,735 · management and general $94,290 · fundraising $30,677

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $1,431,189 · program services $1,047,042 · management and general $360,376 · fundraising $23,771

  • 20 · Interest

    total $6,895 · program services $262 · management and general $6,633

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,110,837 · program services $557,388 · management and general $553,449

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $154,744 · management and general $154,744

  • 24a · Other expenses: Subscription and Dues

    total $583,706 · program services $343,746 · management and general $237,343 · fundraising $2,617

  • 24b · Other expenses: Classroom Meal Services

    total $239,127 · program services $239,127

  • 24c · Other expenses: Office Furniture

    total $137,000 · program services $75,226 · management and general $61,774

  • 24d · Other expenses: UBI Tax

    total $99,258 · management and general $99,258

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $515,270 · program services $264,847 · management and general $250,422 · fundraising $1

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $3,550 · end of year $3,600

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $12,391,760 · end of year $31,829,704

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $14,779,756 · end of year $9,224,503

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $13,878,401 · end of year $13,941,017

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $1,354,416 · end of year $2,747,457

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $19,836,447

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $10,331,379

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $9,309,017 · end of year $9,505,068

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $25,002,127 · end of year $25,893,856

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $1,759,012 · end of year $1,759,010

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $28,818 · end of year $11,783,388

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $12,721,585 · end of year $15,751,274

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $561,402 · end of year $719,546

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $3,881,862 · end of year $15,665,775

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $13,241,840 · end of year $23,583,559

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $48,100,168 · end of year $50,967,449

Mission and programs · 2022

Mission

Start Early advances quality early learning for families with children, before birth through their earliest years, to help close the opportunity gap.

  • Start Early provides high-quality early childhood services for low-income children, birth to age five, and their families, as well as services to pregnant women, through a multi-site network of Early Head Start and Head Start directly-operated programs and partner and delegate agencies in high-needs communities throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. In the fiscal year 2023, Start Early directly operated two programs at the Educare Chicago school at 5044 S Wabash Ave and Healthy Parents and Babies at 100 N Western Avenue, and subcontracted with 11 agencies at 21 geographically and racially diverse sites, serving more than 2,300 young children, pregnant women, and their families.

    Expenses $40,926,841 · Grants $21,609,766 · Revenue $12,989

  • Start Early's Home Visiting and Doula Network annually reaches approximately 1,900 at-risk young children, pregnant women, and their families through our statewide network of home visiting and Doula services. Home Visiting and Doula Network conducts specialized training and technical assistance for 200 early childhood professionals working in 28 community agencies across Chicago and throughout Illinois.

    Expenses $13,650,898 · Grants $10,205,534 · Revenue $356,685

  • See Schedule OThe Educare Learning Network (ELN) extends the impact of Start Early's extensive early childhood knowledge and expertise in states across the country through consultation and technical assistance on program, public policy and systems work; research and evaluation; organizational capacity building; and philanthropic engagement strategies. ELN is the National Coordinating Office (NCO) for a multi-state collective of Educare Schools across the country, that provides and promotes high-quality, transformative early learning experiences for children, birth to five, and their families from historically under-resourced communities. The Educare NCO and its partnership Educare schools share expertise with local and national educators, researchers and policymakers so they can elevate quality strengthening early childhood environments and family engagement in communities across the country. An avenue used to share expertise is through the Essential Practices of Educare professional development and learning opportunities. This professional development series provides practical instruction to make it easier for center- and school-based program leaders, teachers and family engagement staff to focus their time and resources on cross-cutting practices that lead to improvement at the individual child, classroom, family and program levels. Start Early's National Policy Team advances federal policy priorities through administrative advocacy, indirect legislative advocacy, and activation of those most impacted by early childhood policy.Start Early Consulting provides consulting services in an effort to offer our decades of experience and research in early childhood programming to benefit as many children and families as possible. We offer consulting services and deep early childhood expertise to local and state early childhood government leaders and advocates seeking to build high-quality, equitable systems.

    Expenses $8,556,286 · Grants $1,188,315 · Revenue $665,252

  • Start Early's Professional Learning programs connect early childhood professionals with the tools and knowledge they need to deliver strong child outcomes. Our portfolio of courses translates field-tested approaches to training early childhood educations into research-validated professional development offerings. From our decades of experience supporting teachers, leaders, and home visitors across Illinois, and the nation, we have designed a portfolio of in-person and online training programs to help early childhood professionals deliver high-quality learning experiences. The Essential 0-5 Survey is an evidence-based measurement system that acts as a catalyst for program improvement delivering transformative results among staff, families, and children. The Essentials of Home Visiting provides home visitor education with relevant topics and a flexible, accredited training experience delivered through a comprehensive catalog of online courses to support home visiting in any model. The Essential Practices of Educare pass on the knowledge and practices from Educare's best-in-class early childhood programs to educators and communities across the country.

    Expenses $1,738,229 · Revenue $549,013

  • Professional Learning Network & Washington State

    Expenses $5,732,217 · Grants $388,907 · Revenue $248,642

  • First Five Years Fund

    Expenses $4,217,583 · Grants $25,000

  • Illinois Policy Team

    Expenses $3,312,798 · Grants $100,000 · Revenue $3,000

  • Knowledge Navigator

    Expenses $816,531

  • Research-Practice Partnership

    Expenses $765,693 · Revenue $46,944

  • Early Learning Lab

    Expenses $1,188,444 · Grants $280,000 · Revenue $37,250

  • National Center

    Expenses $6,489,214 · Grants $1,093,220

  • Learning Hub

    Expenses $867,614

  • Other

    Expenses $20,000 · Grants $20,000 · Revenue $198,051

As filed on the 2022 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Ms Diana Sands

    Board Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Mary Hasten

    Board Vice Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Suk Shah

    Board Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Lula Ford

    Board Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Billie Wright Adams

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Curt R Bailey

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr David Casper

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Mawiyah Coates

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Nancy Carrington Crown

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Deborah Daro

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Kelly King Dibble

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related
  • Ms Vicki Escarra

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Marilyn Fields

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Marquia Fields

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Bill Friend

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Tom Gimbel

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Keith Kiley Goldstein

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Charles Matthews

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Paul Metzger

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Dan O'Keefe

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Isabel Navarrete Polsky

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Raul Raymundo

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Richard Rothkopf

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Catherine Siegel

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Linda Smith

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Anne Tuohy

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mr Sam Yagan

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Helen Zell

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Bernice Weissbourd

    Honorary Founding Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Sheila Capestany

    Washington State Advisory Council Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ms Donna Iwanski

    Chief Financial Officer

    Total calculated
    $288,662
    From this org
    $261,067
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $27,595
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $261,067
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $8,055
    Nontaxable benefits
    $19,540
    Filer's total
    $288,662
  • Ms Diana Rauner

    President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    37.5 + 1 related
  • Ms Rebecca Berlin

    Chief Learning Officer until 12/22

    Total calculated
    $335,872
    From this org
    $270,008
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $65,864
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $270,008
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $8,599
    Nontaxable benefits
    $57,265
    Filer's total
    $335,872
  • Mr Michael Hoffman

    Chief Operating Officer

    Total calculated
    $310,688
    From this org
    $300,023
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,665
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $300,023
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $9,001
    Nontaxable benefits
    $1,664
    Filer's total
    $310,688
  • Ms Johanna Vetter

    Chief Advancement Officer

    Total calculated
    $269,464
    From this org
    $260,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $9,464
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $260,000
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $7,800
    Nontaxable benefits
    $1,664
    Filer's total
    $269,464
  • Ms Daphne Logan

    Senior Vice President

    Total calculated
    $258,406
    From this org
    $238,508
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,898
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $238,508
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $7,210
    Nontaxable benefits
    $12,688
    Filer's total
    $258,406
  • Ms Sarah Rittling

    Executive Director, FFYF

    Total calculated
    $347,604
    From this org
    $283,862
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $63,742
    Hours/week
    37.5 + 1 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $283,862
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $9,090
    Nontaxable benefits
    $54,652
    Filer's total
    $347,604
  • Mr Cynthia Jackson

    Executive Director, ELN

    Total calculated
    $284,242
    From this org
    $256,534
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $27,708
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $256,534
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $7,830
    Nontaxable benefits
    $19,878
    Filer's total
    $284,242
  • Ms Kristin Bernhard

    Chief Policy and Research Officer

    Total calculated
    $279,859
    From this org
    $235,343
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $44,516
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $235,343
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $7,341
    Nontaxable benefits
    $37,175
    Filer's total
    $279,859
  • Ms Valisa Smith

    Executive Director

    Total calculated
    $265,973
    From this org
    $208,286
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $57,687
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $208,286
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $6,655
    Nontaxable benefits
    $51,032
    Filer's total
    $265,973
  • Ms Diana McClarien

    Vice President, EHSN

    Total calculated
    $207,385
    From this org
    $199,730
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $7,655
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $199,730
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $5,992
    Nontaxable benefits
    $1,663
    Filer's total
    $207,385
  • Ms Clare Dunham

    Former Senior Vice President

    Total calculated
    $280,082
    From this org
    $276,311
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $3,771
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $19,165
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $257,146
    Deferred
    $575
    Nontaxable benefits
    $3,196
    Filer's total
    $280,082

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 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment

Answered no

  • 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

The filer's explanations (Part III)

Part I, Line 4a
The following individuals received a severance payment during 2022: - Claire Dunham $257,146

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

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

  • Bounce DC

    501(c)(3) · Educare CTR · DC · controlled entity

    Directly controlled by Start Early

  • First Five Action Fund

    501(c)(4) · Advocate for high-quality early childhood education · DC · controlled entity

    Directly controlled by Start Early

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Disregarded entities

Part I: entities that legally are the filer and file no return of their own.

  • Bounce Network LLC

    Educare Exp · DE · income $0 · assets $0

    Directly controlled by Start Early

  • First Five Years Fund LLC

    Child Program · DE · income $5,095,264 · assets $1,998,603

    Directly controlled by Start Early

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2022
Filed
12 March 2024
IRS schema version
2022v5.0
Source object
202440799349300849

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

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