Early Learning Coalition of Broward County

Legal name: Early Learning Coalition of Broward County Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
651060848
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
Phone
(954)377-2188
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$174,935,385
Expenses
$175,318,820
Assets
$15,939,913
Liabilities
$15,109,053

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

Leadership & pay

29 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RENEE JAFFE (CEO/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • RENEE JAFFE (CEO/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $243,429 total reported compensation
  • CHRISTINE KLIMA (CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFIC): $227,819 total reported compensation
  • HOWARD BAKALAR (CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER): $209,024 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We lead and support the early learning community to promote and deliver high-quality early learning experiences to young children, accessible to all eligible families in Broward County. Our Story. Provider Training Access our team of specialists for help with the Provider Portal, screening and technical assistance to support quality improvement and professional development. Get Trained. Access our team of specialists for help with the Provider Portal, screening and technical assistance to support quality improvement and professional development. Get Trained ELC BROWARD MEDIA CENTER.

What it reported doing in 2024

Quality and education services: the coalition is dedicated to ensuring that child care providers participating in the sr and vpk programs deliver high quality services to children. The coalition uses the nationally recognized classroom assessment scoring system (class) to assess and score child care programs. Coalition staff use class score information to support providers and help improve how teachers interact with children with individualized, evidence based strategies. Group trainings on a wide array of topics are also available to center directors and classroom teachers throughout each year. The developmental support team offers hands-on developmental support services to providers faced with challenging child behaviorsin their classrooms. They also facilitate referrals to agencies that provide enhanced support to children with special needs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 100% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 91% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 72
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.4%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 97.2%; rating input score 97
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.7%; rating input score 99; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: -0.2%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.09; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.95; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.8%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.6% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: Mission, programs, and operating context captured from the official website.
  • Where the money goes: 97.4% of revenue deployed · 97.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $170.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $243K · 29 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.9M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 35 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 644 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 636 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 2/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 9/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.