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BRIGHT FUTURES

EIN 20-2169766 TELLURIDE, CO

Revenue 2024
$2,592,249
Expenses 2024
$2,623,772

Program services were 90.0% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
P193
Classification
1000
Street
PO BOX 4216

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

BRIGHT FUTURES PROVIDES RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. BRIGHT FUTURES WORKS TO INCREASE THE QUALITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY FOR EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION IN SAN MIGUEL, OURAY, MONTROSE, DELTA AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES. BRIGHT FUTURES OFFERS ALIGNED, COLLABORATIVE AND INTEGRATED SERVICES ACROSS KEY SYSTEMS OF FAMILY SUPPORT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION.

Activities or mission (Part I)

BRIGHT FUTURES PROVIDES RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. BRIGHT FUTURES WORKS TO INCREASE THE QUALITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND AVAILABILITY OF EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION IN SAN MIGUEL, OURAY, MONTROSE, DELTA, AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES.

  • BRIGHT FUTURES IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN WESTERN COLORADO THROUGH INTEGRATED SERVICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE, EDUCATION, AND FAMILY SUPPORT. OPERATING AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL, FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER, AND THE LOCAL COORDINATING ORGANIZATION (LCO) FOR UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL (UPK), THE ORGANIZATION SERVES DELTA, MONTROSE, OURAY, SAN MIGUEL, AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES.KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE PAST FISCAL YEAR:1) EARLY CHILDHOOD QUALITY & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: 80% OF LICENSED CHILDCARE PROVIDERS ENGAGED IN QUALITY IMPROVEMENT THROUGH COLORADO SHINES. 93 EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS RECEIVED PYRAMID COACHING, POSITIVELY IMPACTING 1,337 CHILDREN. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED 69 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY EDUCATORS.2) FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES: TAILORED PROGRAMS STRENGTHENED FAMILIES AND IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN (BIRTH-18). THROUGH PARENTS AS TEACHERS (PAT), 364 HOME VISITS WERE CONDUCTED, AND 243 PARENTS ATTENDED WORKSHOPS. THE INTEGRATED SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM SERVED 39 CHILDREN WITH A HOLISTIC, CHILD-CENTERED APPROACH. $37,589 WAS DISTRIBUTED TO 8 FAMILIES THROUGH A "FLEX FUNDING" PROGRAM TO OFFER BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS HOUSING, FOOD, OR TRANSPORTATION.3) SAN MIGUEL COUNTY EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORT: UNDER THE STRONG START PROGRAM, BRIGHT FUTURES ADMINISTERED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT/CAPACITY-BUILDING GRANTS, TEACHER RECOGNITION AWARDS, AND CHILDCARE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. A TOTAL OF $733,785 IN GRANTS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WAS AWARDED. 4) UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL IMPLEMENTATION: AS THE STATE-APPOINTED LCO, THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED FAMILIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDERS IN FIVE COUNTIES TO ENSURE UPK ACCESS. 5) EARLY CHILDHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE & EXPANSION: PARTNERING WITH RURAL HOMES EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVE, THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTS HOMEOWNERSHIP PATHWAYS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDERS IN OURAY COUNTY. TEMPORARY STATE STIMULUS FUNDING ENABLED INITIATIVES SUCH AS FAMILY CHILD CARE HOME NAVIGATION, AND EXPANDED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GRANTS. 6) AMERICORPS EARLY CHILDHOOD PILOT PROGRAM: RECRUITED 7 AMERICORPS MEMBERS AT 4 CHILDCARE SITES IN TELLURIDE, MONTROSE, DELTA, AND GUNNISON. 5 MEMBERS WERE RECRUITED LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND 1 GRADUATED FROM THE PROGRAM.BRIGHT FUTURES CONTINUES TO ADDRESS THE REGION'S CHILDCARE GAPS, ENHANCE FAMILY RESILIENCE, AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY EARLY LEARNING, ENSURING LONG-TERM BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES.

    Expenses $2,360,340 · Grants $936,574 · Revenue $1,787

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Susan Altman

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Matthew Bayma

    BOARD CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Alison Wright

    BOARD TREASURER & SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Gloria Chavira

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Heather Young

    BOARD VICE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Kathleen Merritt

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $187,043
    From this org
    $156,382
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $30,661
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $156,382
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $4,548
    Nontaxable benefits
    $26,113
    Filer's total
    $187,043

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $2,592,249
    Expenses
    $2,623,772
    Contributions
    $2,569,587
    Grants paid
    $936,574
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $2,665,718
    Expenses
    $2,465,921
    Contributions
    $2,647,465
    Grants paid
    $723,943
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $2,535,134
    Expenses
    $2,362,053
    Contributions
    $2,529,275
    Grants paid
    $637,197

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,938,155
    Expenses
    $1,927,869
    Assets (EOY)
    $880,786

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,802,520
    Expenses
    $1,943,876
    Assets (EOY)
    $886,419

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,265,803
    Expenses
    $1,581,421
    Assets (EOY)
    $943,089

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Grants made

  • PRIMETIME EARLY LEARNING CENTER

    $209,601

    2024 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • MOUNTAIN MUNCHKINS

    $177,742

    2023 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • MOUNTAIN MUNCHKINS

    $156,938

    2024 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • PRIMETIME EARLY LEARNING CENTER

    $114,840

    2022 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • RAINBOW PRESCHOOL

    $91,039

    2024 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • MOUNTAIN MUNCHKINS

    $89,582

    2022 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • TELLURIDE PRESCHOOL

    $85,405

    2024 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • RAINBOW PRESCHOOL

    $79,433

    2023 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • TELLURIDE PRESCHOOL

    $76,352

    2023 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

  • MOUNTAIN SPROUTS

    $72,117

    2023 SEE COMMENT ABOVE.

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

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

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

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 29 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.