Denver Early Childhood Council
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE VISION OF DENVER'S EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL (THE "COUNCIL") IS THAT DENVER IS A COMMUNITY WHERE THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF ALL CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE SUPPORTED. THE COUNCIL ELEVATES THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD THROUGH INNOVATIVE AND INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP, SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS. OUR GOAL IS TO SEE THAT EVERY YOUNG CHILD ACROSS DENVER HAS ACCESS TO QUALITY CHILD CARE, EARLY LEARNING, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS AND HEALTH SERVICES THAT HELP THEM ENTER SCHOOL READY TO SUCCEED. WE DO THIS BY HELPING CAREGIVERS, TEACHERS, AND OTHERS PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY SERVICES POSSIBLE. WE CONNECT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE POLICIES AND PRACTICES MEET ALL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN.
- Income
- $4.1 million
- Spending
- $3.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 0.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 75%
- Employees
- 26
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $157,548, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 49 out of 100. Higher than 28% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.8 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 60% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $1.9 million spent. QUALITY INITIATIVES - The Classroom Coaching and Quality Navigation teams supported 405 child care sites and 1,588 classrooms, impacting over 20,000 children across the city of Denver. 93% of program participants rated classroom coaching as vital to their sites success. In partnership with Denver Preschool Program, DECC launched a collaboration focusing on improving child health and development within Colorados Universal Preschool Program. Key areas include: oral health integration in classrooms and home settings, screening and referral services to support early detection and intervention for improved child outcomes, and capacity-building to help local communities support child care programs in meeting the new Healthy Development Quality Standards. DECCs Quality Navigation team played a pivotal role in administering funds from the State of Colorado to ensure that child care programs had the resources needed to enhance their services and improve outcomes for the children they serve. By working closely with providers, Navigators helped allocate funding for urgent needs such as curriculum materials, health and safety improvements, capital upgrades, technology, and workforce development initiatives. These strategic investments led directly to the creation of 623 new child care slots in high-need areas, addressing the shortage of quality child care services in underserved communities. Through close collaboration with child care providers, DECCs Navigators helped maximize the impact of these funds, driving improvements in the quality of care, learning environments, and workforce sustainabilityultimately benefiting the children of Denver. DECCs Business Services team facilitated real estate walk-throughs to help providers identify optimal locations for new or expanded child care facilities. These efforts resulted in new child care slots for 105 children.
- $903,165 spent. CAREER PATHWAYS: The Career Coaching program played a pivotal role in addressing the challenges faced by early childhood professionals. It served as a significant resource for recruiting new talent into the field while also providing support to retain the existing workforce by working 1-1 with 538 individuals, with 80% of participants rating career coaching from the Council as imperative to the workforce. The Council continued to offer high-quality training for early childhood professionals, with a remarkable 70% surge in participation of professional development trainings compared to the previous fiscal year. This growth reflects the increasing demand for professional development opportunities among ECE providers and underscores the value of the Councils offerings in strengthening the early childhood workforce. The introduction of training programs in additional languages, such as Dari and Farsi, contributed to an 85% increase in non-English training sessions, broadening the reach of our services to a more diverse group of ECE professionals and fostering greater inclusivity within the community. The Conscious Discipline Training equipped educators with practical strategies for emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and classroom management, helping them create safe, supportive, and nurturing environments for children. That training alone served 488 participants with in-depth training courses and provided $70,000 worth of materials to 91 child care programs for educators to implement the strategies they learned during training. The Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference continued to be a hub of innovation, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration for professionals and advocates in the early childhood education field and served over 1,500 attendees with 154 sessions from 209 presenters. 96% would recommend RMECC to a friend or colleague and 87% of the attendees said the event met their expectations and professional goals.
- $297,906 spent. SYSTEMS BULDING: In the Councils Early Childhood Systems Building & Advocacy efforts, we worked to improve access to high-quality education, support providers, and advise policies that benefit children and families across Denver and beyond. Our team actively engaged in statewide and local initiatives to shape a stronger early childhood system. The Council collaborated with over 110 partners from government, nonprofit, and business sectors to tackle key challenges, fostering cross-sector cooperation. As part of the Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance, the Council coordinated with councils across Colorado to push for a stronger statewide system. DECC also supported local and statewide legislation and advocated for federal investment in early care, child abuse prevention, the Strengthening Families Act, and the Child Tax Credit. DECC hosted the Denver Director Equity and Advocacy Group, providing directors with a platform to address key issues. Through this work, we facilitated discussions between community providers and the governors office on the implementation of Colorado Universal Preschool. DECC staff led efforts to support career navigation for early childhood professionals, focusing on recruitment, workforce development, and retention. As part of the Early Childhood Leadership Commissions Early Childhood Workforce Development Subcommittee, DECC advocated for higher education resources, better compensation, and professional development access for the early childhood workforce.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 2011.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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