CCS Early Learning

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
920040291
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Wasilla, AK, USA
Phone
9073737000
Rating
91
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,470,168
Expenses
$10,325,928
Assets
$13,770,769
Liabilities
$2,563,224

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Michelle Greco (President)
  • Danielle Howard (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Mark Lackey (Executive Dir.): $137,912 total reported compensation
  • Tabatha Peterson (Program Director): $116,244 total reported compensation
  • Denise Sturgis (Human Resource Dir): $108,299 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Making a difference in the lives and families of young children within our community. We do this by providing Head Start, Early Head Start and Preschool Services.

What it reported doing in 2024

CCS Operates two primary programs - Head Start (ages 3-5) and Early Head Start (prenatal-age 3). These programs are provided to vulnerable children/families. Stats from the 2024/2025 school year: Children and families qualified for services based on the following criteria: Low income (below 100% of poverty) 46%Foster Care 23%Homelessness 21%Children who had a diagnosed disability 19 of 359 = 5%Of these children with disabilities the number whose disability was determined while they were enrolled 11 of 19 = 58%The number/percentage of Head Start children up date on a schedule of age-appropriate preventative and primary health care (well child checks): At enrollment 60 of 359 = 17%At year end 167 of 359 = 47%The number/percentage of children who are provided Mental Health Services 27 of 359 = 8%Number/Percentage of Services Provided to Families (total of 317 families served): Parenting Education 41 of 317 = 13%Asset Building 43 of 317 = 14%Emergency/Crisis Intervention 124 of 317 = 39%Number of Volunteers - 494

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 75% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.7%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 89.9%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14,742.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.4%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.33; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.4%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.6% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 20.3% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.7% of revenue deployed · 89.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $9.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $138K · 16 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $511K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 39/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 48/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.