The Children's Agenda Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

The Children's Agenda improves the health, education, and success of children by advocating for effective, equitable policies, especially for families most impacted by poverty, racism, health inequities and trauma. Many communities have programs to help children and families through direct services. To make lasting change, we need to address the root causes of why children and families need services in the first place, and to improve all children's lives, especially the most vulnerable. That's were The Children's Agenda comes in.(Continued on Schedule O)We work across systems, from local neighborhoods to the state capitol, and apply our strengths in policy-driven research, effective parent organizing, and impactful advocacy to improving children's lives and futures. This approach has yielded many wins for children, including: NYS Paid Family Leave Signed into law, supporting 117,851 families for newborn and infant care by 2022; NYS Child Poverty Reduction Act signed into law in 2021, impacting the futures of 895,000 children; 993,700 children included in the Empire State Child Credit, and the first Early Intervention rate increase in decades, benefiting 65,000 children annually. At the local level, our Very Invested Parents (VIP) group harness their lived experiences to drive the advocacy for key agenda areas and systemic reforms, especially with the Rochester City School District in areas like school-based health centers with on-site mental health counseling and restorative practices to improve school climate.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 66.5%; rating input score 66
• Program expense ratio: 64%; rating input score 64
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 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: 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: 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: -2.7%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.56; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.7%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings