CYCLE Changing Young Children's Lives Through Education

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
200726745
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Spring, TX, USA
Phone
2819070071
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Gift Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$935,363
Expenses
$920,980
Assets
$360,369
Liabilities
$65,419

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Philip Schneidau (President)
  • Lucy Bremond (Vice President)
  • Rebecca LB Roberts (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Rebecca LB Roberts (Executive Director): $135,010 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

CYCLE sees all Houston area 3rd-graders reading at or above grade-level, which research shows they are more likely to graduate high school. We award 2nd-graders at Title 1 schools a bicycle for achieving their literacy goals and they learn hard work pays off.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, we awarded our 200,000th bike to a 2nd grade student. During the year, we awarded 6,311 bikes to 2nd-grade students who achieved their reading goals, which is typical given current fundraising levels and bike costs. CYCLE held its customary fundraising programs and awarded bicycles to 2nd graders. Companies continued to donate money and labor to team-building events at NRG in December and to company events throughout the year. Individuals and families also donated time and money to build bikes at our NRG event. Funds were also raised at our Bicycle Ball and other events during the year. Net proceeds were used to buy bikes and helmets and cover expenses.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 85% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.1%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 75.1%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.13 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.5%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.39; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.7%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.2% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.1% of revenue deployed · 75.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 16 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $692K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $135K · 20 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 21/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 35/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 20/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 27/100.