CLICC Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

Mission and Vision - CLICC literacy and mentoring increases communication and strengthens relationships between incarcerated parents and their children. We contribute to deeper connections between parents and children, despite the barriers and effects of incarceration. One in 14 children in the United States have or have had a parent in jail or prison.Three-Prong Method: 1) Develop parenting and communication skills in weekly meetings in prison with trained mentors; 2) Hold weekly meetings in the community with children, one to one, guided by trained and supervised mentors, to help with reading and homework and serve as a supportive person in their lives and; 3) Encourage conversations through mail, phone calls, and visits between parents and children about books the children pick to read.Since 2014, CLICC has served nearly 1,000 parents and 400 children, and trained approximately 800 mentors. Most mentors are college students in Connecticut in disciplines such as criminal justice, social work, education and psychology. A study by the University of Connecticut (2023) showed that children who met with a CLICC mentor experienced fewer emotional, behavioral, attentional and relationship difficulties during their year with CLICC. Some of the improvements were that children were less likely to fight and also less likely to feel unhappy or depressed. While the study is not a guarantee that all children in CLICC will have the same experience, it confirms what we at CLICC have known for a long time: Participating in CLICC and meeting with a CLICC mentor can help children with an incarcerated parent or loved one feel and behave better. *A 2024 grant project to provide intensive support for fathers in three prisons concluded in September. The grant brought together providers of the 24/7 Dad curriculum, CLICC literacy and mentoring, and post-release support services, in hopes of underpinning families in need and decreasing the recidivism rate for returning fathers. The grant was awarded by the federal Department of Justice to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, which brought CLICC into the project.*This was the first full year of a new CLICC literacy program to serve families with children of pre-reading age (infant to age 4). Incarcerated parents pick books they would like to read to their young child during phone calls, and video or in-person visits. Copies of the same books are sent home so the child can follow along at home, and also read with their caregiver. About 25 families participated in this first year.* We also continued our practice of providing basic-needs support to participating families during the December holidays. CLICC mitigates pressing challenges:1) Strained, often destructive relationships among families which include an incarcerated parent. Reinforcing the literacy skills of re-entering parents and their children will help to ease their transition, help the family move forward more cohesively, and better equip formerly incarcerated people to enter the workforce.2) Children of the incarcerated can experience a combination of shame, stigma, trauma and toxic shock that, if left unchecked, can thwart healthy development and pose health challenges that last a lifetime. Having an incarcerated parent is one of 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences, as classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Caring adults, such as CLICC mentors, can help.The CLICC model calls for volunteer CLICC parent mentors to meet at the facilities to help parents read books and write letters to their children, while children do similar activities with their own mentors at community sites near their homes.The program also includes childrens caregivers, who tend to have complicated relationships with incarcerated parents, yet are so important to the future of the children and their families.CLICC matches pairs of mentors and children. Mentors serve on average families composed of about 30 children per year, plus their

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 84.4%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $38.95 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -24.4%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.87; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 36.4%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 16.6% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings