Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children

What it reported doing in 2024

Advocacy - vtaeyc elevated the voices of early childhood educators by communicating feedback received or facilitating the early childhood educator's testimony to appropriate stakeholders. Vtaeyc offered monthly "roundtable" discussions to receive feedback from early childhood educators and stakeholders statewide regarding updates to the legislation, career supports for early childhood educators looking ahead to qualify for licensure, the unifying framework for the early childhood profession, and why recognition of the profession matters. Vtaeyc also elevated early childhood educator's voices by obtaining feedback during administration of its programs and providing this information on resources needed for, and barriers to, high-quality early childhood education to funders and program managers which has resulted in new funding opportunities, changes to programs, and changes to policy. Vtaeyc provided leadership and advocacy development with philanthropic grants by implementing the 9-month vtaeyc exchange fellowship program. This fellowship program focused on "advocacy through action" through the lens of four intersections: early childhood education and community, equity, creative arts and planet. Eight fellows completed the program, including completing capstone projects and serving as table facilitator at Vermont's early childhood day at the legislature. Vtaeyc advocated to advance the vision in the unifying framework for the early childhood profession by collaborating/coordinating with advocates and stakeholders engaging with and responding to the state (vt) office of professional regulation sunrise review for ece to become a regulated profession; and providing expert testimony to the Vermont senate government operations committee, the senate committee on finance, and the senate appropriations committee during the 2025 legislative session. Vtaeyc offered monthly "roundtable" discussions to inform early childhood educators and stakeholders statewide of updates to the legislation, career supports for early childhood educators looking ahead to qualify for licensure, and to provide background information on the unifying framework and why recognition of the profession matters. Vtaeyc provided weekly updates to the members of the Vermont early childhood advocacy alliance and biweekly updates to the let's grow kids policy advisory work group throughout the legislative session.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 87%; rating input score 87
• Program expense ratio: 91.9%; rating input score 92
• Fundraising efficiency: $2,977.31 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 77.3%; rating input score 77; 20th 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; 63rd 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: 5.4%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.2; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.6; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.7%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 48.3% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 51% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 37.2% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings