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Children at Risk Inc

EIN 76-0360533 · Houston, TX

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak40 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Children At Risk (C@R) is a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve as a catalyst for change to improve the quality of life for children through strategic research, public policy analysis, education, collaboration, and advocacy.

Income
$3.5 million
Spending
$4.7 million
Spent on programs
75%
Reserves
0.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 73%
Employees
41
Volunteers
38
Highest pay
$286,186, president and ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 7% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 20% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 36% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 19% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    75% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 19 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 32% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    31 of 31 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 (5)
  1. $3.0 million spent. Since its inception, C@R has placed high value on ensuring equitable access to early and K-12 education. To drive change in this area, C@R works closely with stakeholders to discuss reform strategies and advance policies to improve the quality of and access to education. C@R highlighted key issues, including pandemic learning loss during COVID-19, tracked how ESSER dollars are spent on our children, and released our Annual School Rankings to highlight the quality of Texas Schools. C@R also highlighted research on child care deserts in Texas and worked to increase access to and improve the quality of the subsidized child care system, and to ensure equity for both children and the child care workforce.
  2. $80,672 spent. C@R established the Center to End the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children (CETEC) in 2007 to launch a broad educational and outreach program to combat human trafficking. C@R continued to grow the Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) Texas project and convened nonprofits, state agencies, law enforcement, and local governments in a statewide Anti-Demand Coalition to share knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned. C@R also conducted critical research on opportunity youth (youth ages 16-24 who are neither in school nor in the workforce), highlighting policies that can put these young people on a path to success and prevent exploitation.
  3. $10,002 spent. C@R established the Center for Parenting and Family Well-Being (CPFWB) in 2011. In its first phase, CPFWB conducted an inventory of the current network of parenting services in Houston and found a strong need for evidence-based, non-punitive parent education. Through a partnership including organizations that provide parent education services, pediatricians, academics, and public health practitioners, CPFWB determined that the community should move forward with developing a structure to implement the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P). During its second phase, the CPFWB is creating an infrastructure to disseminate Triple P across Harris County.
  4. $3,261 spent. Through its unique Food in Schools Initiative, C@R continues to raise awareness and advocate for the implementation of Universal School Breakfast (UFSB) and other school meal programs in schools with high poverty levels. Our annual School Food rankings highlight top-performing districts with school food programs and highlight innovations and best practices adopted by top districts. Through our Childhood Immunization Project, C@R also collaborated with key partners to help maintain current code that establishes immunization requirements for Texas elementary and secondary schools and ensure equitable access to childhood immunizations.
  5. $399,868 spent. Other programs were juvenile justice and mental health related.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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 September 7, 2026.

  2. 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 September 30, 2026.

  3. 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since July 1992.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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 7, 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.