Center for Early Success
Center for Early Success is a public charity based in Danville, Virginia, that works to strengthen early childhood care and education for children from birth to age five. It describes itself as a regional nonprofit serving Central and Southern Virginia and is the lead organization for Ready Region Southside.
Center for Early Success at a glance
In short: Center for Early Success gave $3.0M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $297K), mostly in Virginia. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,966,979
- -8.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $296,698
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $210,748
- Total assets
- $1,071,558
- -5.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Center for Early Success
- Contact
Mailing address: 104B Trade Street, Danville, VA 24541
Phone: (434) 797-8887
Website: https://centerforearlysuccess.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Center for Early Success
Who Center for Early Success funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Just Kids ($838K). Together the top 10 received $3.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
44 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 15 grants of 44 (34%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization describes its work as serving Central and Southern Virginia. Its website says it serves 2 cities and 14 counties in Southside Virginia. All of the recipient-state grant dollars reported for 2025 went to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Center for Early Success open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $272K; repeat grants $299K. How we count
Medians: $272K first-time, $165K repeat.
- 90% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $995K (2021) to $3.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $3.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Just Kids Danville, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $837,772 |
| Altavista Area & Brookneal YMCA Altavista, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $614,237 |
| Steps Farmville, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $275,107 |
| Caring Hearts Academy South Hill, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $272,298 |
| Bedford Area Family YMCA Bedford, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $256,735 |
| Teachable Moments Lynchburg, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $164,760 |
| Ted & Ted's Tiny Tots Lynchburg, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $156,649 |
| Mary Bethune Academy Lynchburg, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $130,445 |
| Caterpillar Clubhouse #4 Madison Heights, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $130,050 |
| Amelon Early Learning Center Madison Heights, VA | Early Childhood Care and Education | $128,926 |
Ready to take the next step with Center for Early Success?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,071,558 | $5,411,661 | $5,753,782 | $2,966,979 | 10 | $5,474 |
| 2024 | $1,133,287 | $5,339,620 | $5,427,524 | $3,224,112 | 11 | $6,777 |
| 2023 | $1,244,717 | $2,099,364 | $1,855,460 | — | — | $428 |
| 2022 | $857,049 | $832,671 | $592,210 | — | — | $43 |
| 2021 | $620,827 | $2,294,198 | $2,168,966 | $994,774 | 23 | $267 |
| 2020 | $475,549 | $937,497 | $853,338 | — | — | $145 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is to strengthen the system of individuals and organizations caring for and educating children from birth to age five, with the goal of helping children be physically, emotionally, and intellectually ready to thrive when they enter kindergarten.
Its stated strategies include coordinating quality measurement and improvement in publicly funded classrooms, building relationships among regional leaders, increasing families’ access to early childhood services, and supporting family engagement. Its 2025 grant filings list early childhood care and education as the purpose of each itemized grant.
Among its 2025 grantees, Just Kids Child Development Center described its mission as providing a safe environment for the emotional, intellectual, physical, and social development of children ages two through twelve. Altavista Area YMCA described its mission as building strong kids, families, and communities through programs promoting healthy lifestyles, values, and leadership. Bedford Area Family YMCA described its mission as building healthy spirit, mind, and body for all through its programs and services.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Center for Early Success reported 10 grants totaling $2,966,979. Grant amounts ranged from $128,926 to $837,772, with a median of $210,748.
The largest reported grants were $837,772 to Just Kids in Danville; $614,237 to Altavista Area & Brookneal YMCA; $275,107 to STEPS in Farmville; $272,298 to Caring Hearts Academy in South Hill; and $256,735 to Bedford Area Family YMCA.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James Bebeau as chair, Cathy Gore as vice chair, Kim Van Der Hyde as treasurer, and Kelvin Perry as immediate past chair. It also lists Dr. Julie Brown, Nancy Riddell, Dr. Angela Hairston, Steven Mayhew, Vincent Shorter, and Dawn Wise as board members.
Center for Early Success is led by James Bebeau, Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 14 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James Bebeau
Chair
Board Member → Interim Vice Chair, 2024
Interim Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angela Wells
Excutive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$73K (2021) → $121K (2025)
Julie Brown
Board Member
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2024
Immediate Past Chair → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelvin Perry
Immediate Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angela Hairston
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Van Der Hyde
Treasurer
Board Member → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vincent Shorter
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jion Word
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cathy Gore
Vice Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dawn Wise
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Riddell
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Regina Barger
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shakeva Frazier
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven Mayhew
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: Mark Jones (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Alonzo Jones (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Angela Barnes (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Betty Jo Foster (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Debra Holley (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Earl Reynolds (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Elizabeth Hurt (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Jessie Barksdale (2020–2023) — Past Chair
- Former: John Moody (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Joyce Green (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Kathy Glazer (2020–2023) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Marsha Mendenhall (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Tiffany Franks (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Larissa Deedrich (2021–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Christopher Spain (2020–2021) — Board Memeber
- Former: Tara Martin (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Ann Vandervliet Stratton (2020) — Corporate Secretary-Ex Officer
- Former: Catherine Magouyrk (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Jackie Powell (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Scott J. Spillman (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Sue Davis (2020) — Immediate Past Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $121K, to Angela Wells (Excutive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Center for Early Success
How much does Center for Early Success give each year?
Center for Early Success gave $3.0M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.2M across 11 grants.
What is Center for Early Success's typical grant size?
Center for Early Success's median grant in 2025 was $210,748, and its average grant was $296,698, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Center for Early Success that year got $272K on average.
Where does Center for Early Success give grants?
Center for Early Success gives mostly in Virginia: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lynchburg, VA (3 grants) and Madison Heights, VA (2 grants).
Does Center for Early Success give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Center for Early Success's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Early Childhood Care and Education" (10 grants).
Who are Center for Early Success's largest grantees?
Center for Early Success's largest 2025 grantees include Just Kids ($837,772), Altavista Area & Brookneal YMCA ($614,237) and Steps ($275,107), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Center for Early Success?
Center for Early Success reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.4M.
What does Center for Early Success fund?
The organization’s mission is to strengthen the system of individuals and organizations caring for and educating children from birth to age five, with the goal of helping children be physically, emotionally, and intellectually ready to thrive when they enter kindergarten. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Center for Early Success?
Center for Early Success has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check centerforearlysuccess.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Center for Early Success's EIN?
Center for Early Success's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3316578. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Center for Early Success's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Virginia
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Center for Early Success funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/center-for-early-success-morg_4fedc051afb24f9c938b4460bde5b72f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_453316578_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Center for Early Success funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/center-for-early-success-morg_4fedc051afb24f9c938b4460bde5b72f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Center for Early Success's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Center for Early Success down — hundreds of funders to go?