Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Sierra Nevada Childrens Services

EIN 94-2570239 · Grass Valley, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Sierra Nevada Children's Services enhances the community by supporting quality childcare and empowering families to aspire to life-long success.

Income
$7.2 million
Spending
$7.2 million
Spent on programs
100%
Reserves
1.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 100%
Employees
17
Highest pay
$147,949, executive dir.

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

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    2 of 20

    It owes 81% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 6% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    100% 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

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give 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

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited 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 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 (7)
  1. $6.0 million spent. Child Development: In both Sierra and Nevada Counties, Sierra Nevada Children's Services creates a bridge between the child care needs of families and federal, state, and community resources. Approximately 556 eligible children in 391 families benefited from childcare services. These services created early childhood education and development opportunities for children, allowed their parents to work or attend school, and offered a safe environment for families in crises.
  2. $521,723 spent. CalWORKs Stage One Childcare - Stage One is administered by the county welfare departments (CWD) or their contractors. The program begins when a family start receiving CalWORKs cash aid. CalWORKs clients may be served in Stage One until the county determines that the family situation is stable, or if no funds are available in Stage Two. Former CalWORKs clients are also eligible to receive child care services in Stage One and/or Stage Two for a total of no more than 24 months after they leave cash aid.
  3. $448,973 spent. Resource and Referral: The Resource and Referral Program provides child care resource and referral services to all families in Sierra and Nevada counties so that they are well informed and knowledgeable about their child care options, up to date about licensing requirements, and educated on how to evaluate the various available programs. Parents are thereby able to find the most suitable quality child care to meet all of their family's needs in both Sierra and Nevada counties, Sierra Nevada Children's Services creates a bridge between the child care needs of families and federal, state, and community resources. Approximately 389 children benefited from child care referrals.
  4. $67,849 spent. Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children - The Bridge Program addresses lack of child care as a barrier for families otherwise willing to bring a foster child into their home, and for parenting foster youth. It provide vouchers for child care and child care navigator services for families as well as Trauma Informed Care (TIC) training and coaching for child care providers to enhance their ability to provide nurturing and safe environments for children. The Bridge Program is not an entitlement, instead it is a time limited bridge to longer term child care solutions used at the time of placement to stabilize children in the best possible settings ensuring that caretakers have adequate support to balance their work and home lives. During the year June 30, 2025, the Bridge program supported 10 children with 73 total months of care.
  5. $61,432 spent. Child Care Initiative Program - The Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP) is a statewide initiative to build the supply and improve the quality of licensed family child care homes. There are two primary areas of focus: 1) capacity building to increase the quantity of licensed family child care homes and 2) improving the quality of care provided to young children in family care homes.
  6. $39,538 spent. California Preventive Health and Safety - The California Preventive Health and Safety Practices Trainer Program provides funding for grantees to become certified in and provide EMSA-approved training to child care providers as well as provide technical assistance to link child care providers to existing and available training services.
  7. $17,405 spent. Other programs

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

  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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. 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.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since September 1979.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.