Children of the Hills
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Children of the Hills (CoH) is bringing life transforming changes to the tribal community living in the Hills of Bangladesh. Most of these people are illiterate and ill equipped to adapt to the rapidly changing world, so CoH has been supporting the education program of the Bangladesh Tribal Association of Baptist Churches (BTABC). The majority of 2025 CoH grants were focused on the operation and maintenance of the BTABC education program for 2400 children. CoH supported an education program that is offering schools for children in grades 1 to 10, we supported student hostels that enabled children to live near to a school, and we supported Primer schools to teach adults to read in their mother tongue. In addition, CoH supported youth camps, a women's micro loan program and tree farms that will provide future financial support for tribal education.
- Income
- $239,389
- Spending
- $196,296
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- 0 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 7
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 69 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 18% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 40% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 56 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).
Independent board
5 of 250 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 (7)
- $63,483 spent. Primary School Grant - This program provided 75% of the funding for operation of 76 primary schools for approximately 1,576 children. These schools provide a kindergarden through grade three education. This grant provided 100% of the salary for 57 teachers, teacher training for 78 teachers ($2,279), a staff Christmas gift ($2,954), school material for 1,576 students and teacher supplies for 76 primary schools ($3,209). This grant also funded two-day children camps for approximately 1,485 students ($5,276) and the grant supplied the funds to install tin roofing on six school buildings ($936).
- $59,383 spent. Student Lodging Grant - This grant provided 100% of the staff salary funding for 12 student lodgings (hostels) that provide living quarters for approximately 572 students. The grant supported six 2-day camps for 550 students. The grant also covered the following significant items: Study hall repair ($1756), Hebron Hostel new toilet facility ($1,913), Khagrachori ceiling repair ($1,304), new Khagrachori kitchen ($2,174), Gojolea Hostel extension ($4,348), Staff quarter construction ($3,044), Hebron Hostel veranda construction ($1,913), Marma Hostel kitchen rebuild ($2,174), Christmas gift ($1591), and annual training for the caregivers at each of the hostels.
- $25,390 spent. Hebron School Grant- Hebron School is the largest of our schools with 229 children in grades Kg - 10th. This is our only school with a sizable infrastructure (multiple buildings). This grant covered teacher salaries, teacher training ($456), school materials and maintenance of the facilities. The grant also supplied two desktop computers and one laptop computer ($957), government school (land) registration ($2,889) and a Christmas gift ($682).
- $14,788 spent. Invest in Community Life Grant - This program provided salary for three women supervisors who are part of the women's ministry and micro-loan program and it supported Primer reading classes in 59 villages ($9,540). The Primer classes was the single largest portion of this expenditure with illiterate adults in 59 villages being taught how to read in their mother tongue. All regular schools supported by this organization must teach in the language of the land which is Bangla. The primer schools are different from the regular village primary schools in that they teach in one of the tribal languages.
- $12,422 spent. BTABC Education Administration Grant - Children of the Hills is providing 95% of the support for the administration of the Bangladesh Tribal Association of Baptist Churches educational program. CoH provided staff salary, training, office supplies for four people in this administration office. This office manages the educational program for approximately 2,400 students in the primer schools, the Hebron school and the student hostels.
- $10,265 spent. Sponsor a Student Grant - Children of the Hills established a sponsorship program in 2019 for at-risk students. Many of the tribal students who live in the Hostels and attend a local government school come from families who spend 90% of their family income on food for the family. These families have little funds for the education of their children and cannot afford to keep their children in the BTABC's heavily subsidized Hostels. The sponsorship program is providing a small amount of money to keep the poorest of the student in school. This program was established with the understanding that Children of the Hills is working in partnership with parents of the students. Both parties pay a portion of the student's educational and living expenses. In 2025, this grant enabled 52 students to remain in school.
- $2,717 spent. Trees-For-Education Grant - Children of the Hills is investing in the future of education for tribal children in the Hills of Bangladesh. We are supporting a program run by the Bangladesh Tribal Association of Baptist Churches (BTABC) to purchase low-cost degraded land and plant fast growing Acacia trees which will be harvested on a 7-year rotational time scale. Children of the Hills is working towards the day when the BTABC educational program becomes more self-supporting through sale of trees. In 2025 we planted approximately 500 more trees and maintained the trees that were planted in previous years. We now have approximately 102,500 trees in the tree gardens.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 August 2014.
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.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.