Cincinnati Preschool Program
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO QUALITY COMMUNITY PROVIDER PRESCHOOLS LOCATED WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OF THE CINCINNATI CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO (THE "SCHOOL DISTRICT"). IT FOCUSES ON ACCESS TO QUALITY PRESCHOOLS BECAUSE ATTENDING A QUALITY PRESCHOOL IS CONSIDERED A KEY STEP TO PREPARING CHILDREN FOR FUTURE EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT.
- Income
- $9.7 million
- Spending
- $9.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 0.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 100%
- Employees
- 11
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $216,336, executive director & 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: 39 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.4 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 85% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 87 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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)
- $7.0 million spent. TUITION ASSISTANCE:THE GOAL OF THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS TO GIVE PRESCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN LIVING IN IMPOVERISHED CIRCUMSTANCES THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A HIGH QUALITY RATED PRESCHOOL.WITH THIS PRESCHOOL PREPARATION THE CHILDREN ARE PROJECTED TO REACH HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN KINDERGARTEN AND BEYOND. THE INCREASED EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IS SEEN AS A KEY STEP IN IMPROVING THE CHILDREN'S LONG-TERM SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.THE PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON FIRST HELPING THOSE CHILDREN LIVING IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES AT OR BELOW 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL AND THEN PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN HELPED BY(PROGRAM NARRATIVE CONTINUES IN SCHEDULE O) INCREASING THAT THRESHOLD. THE PROGRAM FUNDS ATTENDANCE AT HIGH QUALITY RATED PRESCHOOLS, WHICH ARE THOSE PRESCHOOLS THAT HAVE ACHIEVED A GOLD OR SILVER (FORMERLY 3, 4, OR 5 STAR) RATING IN THE OHIO STEP UP TO QUALITY (SUTQ) RATING SYSTEM.THE PROGRAM IS RESTRICTED TO HELPING CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 3 AND 5 YEARS OF AGE WHO ARE NOT YET ELIGIBLE FOR KINDERGARTEN, BUT WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF THE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS ENCOMPASSED BY THE CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT (CPS) AND WHO ARE ENTITLED TO ATTEND CPS SCHOOL UNDER OHIO REV. CODE 3313.64, BUT CHOSE TO ATTEND A NON-CPS PRESCHOOL LOCATED WITHIN THE CPS BOUNDARIES. THESE NON-CPS PRESCHOOLS ARE COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS COMMUNITY PROVIDERS AND CAN INCLUDE PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS RECEIVING FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, OHIO GRANTS, AND EVEN PAROCHIAL AND NON-PAROCHIAL PRIVATE SCHOOLS.IN ORDER TO HELP THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CHILDREN FAMILIES ARE REQUIRED TO FIRST APPLY FOR AVAILABLE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL PRESCHOOL-RELATED FUNDING BEFORE BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE TUITION ASSISTANCE FUNDS.
- $990,490 spent. QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS:THE GOAL OF THE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HIGH QUALITY RATED PRESCHOOL SEATS AVAILABLE WITHIN THE CPS GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES.HIGH QUALITY RATED PRESCHOOLS ARE THOSE THAT HAVE ACHIEVED A GOLD OR SILVER (FORMERLY 3, 4, OR 5 STAR) RATING IN THE OHIO STEP UP TO QUALITY (SUTQ) RATING SYSTEM. THE NEED FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE HIGH QUALITY RATED PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS IN CINCINNATI WAS CHRONICLED BY A RAND CORPORATION STUDY TITLED OPTIONS FOR INVESTING IN ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY PRESCHOOL IN CINCINNATI AND PUBLISHED IN 2016.TO MEET ITS GOALS THE PROGRAM PROVIDES SERVICES, TRAINING, MATERIALS, (PROGRAM NARRATIVE CONTINUES IN SCHEDULE O)AND ADVICE NEEDED FOR PRESCHOOLS TO ACHIEVE A GOLD OR SILVER SUTQ RATING. AS WITH TUITION ASSISTANCE, THE PROGRAM IS RESTRICTED TO PROVIDING ASSISTANCE WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS ENCOMPASSED BY THE CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT.
- $338,360 spent. COST OF QUALITY:THE COST OF QUALITY PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION AT COMMUNITY PROVIDERS BY IMPROVING LEAD TEACHER RETENTION AND TRAINING, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR PRESCHOOL STUDENTS.THE PROGRAM HAS TWO GRANTS MEANT TO BENEFIT TEACHERS WORKING AT COMMUNITY PROVIDERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE (TEACHER PROMISE GRANTS, TPG, AND TEACHER ADVANCEMENT STIPENDS, TAS) AND ONE GRANT FOR THOSE WORKING AT COMMUNITY PROVIDERS ELIGIBLE FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (STAFF SUPPORT FUNDS, SSF). TPG, PAYS A MONTHLY STIPEND DIRECTLY TO QUALIFYING LEAD PRESCHOOL TEACHERS WHO STAY IN THAT ROLE AT(PROGRAM NARRATIVE CONTINUES IN SCHEDULE O)THEIR CURRENT PROVIDER. TAS, FOCUSES ON ONE-TIME PAYMENTS TO LEAD PRESCHOOL TEACHERS WHO ACHIEVE CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL MILESTONES. SSF PROVIDES RESTRICTED GRANTS TO COMMUNITY PROVIDERS, THE FUNDS OF WHICH MAY ONLY BE USED TO INCREASE WAGES, BENEFITS, OR TRAINING FOR THEIR PRESCHOOL TEACHERS.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 2018.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.