Collaborative for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Houston, Texas, serving as the leading resource for early childhood education in the Greater Houston area. Founded in 1987, the organization strengthens early education throughout Greater Houston by working with parents, educators, and local leaders to ensure children are ready to succeed long-term.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.7M
-19.3% YoY
Revenue
$6.4M
-29.0% YoY
Net Investment Income
$160K
+143.2% YoY
Expenses
$6.9M
-12.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Collaborative for Children's mission is to meaningfully improve the quality of early childhood education and care for Greater Houston's children through those who are most influential in their lives.
The organization operates through three primary program areas:
Provider Engagement — Supports and develops child care and early education professionals through one-on-one consulting, training and mentoring, materials and equipment, scholarships for professional development conferences, and wage enhancement programs to reward teachers for obtaining higher educational credentials.
Family Engagement — Provides families with information, resources and support to launch their children toward academic and life success through parent education classes, one-on-one parent coaching, and referrals for early education programs, after-school programs, and programs serving children with different abilities.
Community Engagement — Participates in partnerships to promote healthy child development and strengthen laws and regulations impacting young children, positioning early childhood education as a high priority public policy issue in the region.
The organization addresses early childhood education inequity by equipping educators, caregivers, and families with tools, resources, and support needed to foster strong developmental foundations. Initiatives include Collab-Lab, STEAM programs, Centers of Excellence, business development for child care providers, and technology integration in classrooms.
Grantmaking
Collaborative for Children functions as a grantmaking organization with the following profile:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Greater Houston area and Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $5,722,704 (2024)
Total Revenues: $6,362,050 (2024)
Total Expenses: $6,894,992 (2024)
Total Giving: $575,456 (2024)
Staff: 57 employees (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,722,704 | $7,094,611 | $5,150,121 |
| Revenue | $6,362,050 | $8,955,379 | $13,728,315 |
| Expenses | $6,894,992 | $7,919,161 | $12,660,741 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $159,871 | $65,733 | $16,652 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 0 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President and CEO: Melanie Johnson
Chief Program Officer: Precious Parks
Chief Human Resources Officer: Susan Kennedy
Director Family Support Projects: Linda Swenson
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Klein Strauss | Chair | 3 | — |
| Charlie Schwartzel | Vice-Chair | 2 | — |
| Ira Andhare | Director | 1 | — |
| Dreanna Belden | Director | 1 | — |
| Steve Gomez | Director | 1 | — |
| L'Sheryl Hudson | Director | 1 | — |
| Hollie Kleitz | Director | 1 | — |
| Khambrel Marshall | Director | 1 | — |
| Lisa McBride | Director | 1 | — |
| David Mercado | Director | 1 | — |
| Tiffany Roland | Director | 1 | — |
| Jamie K Sanders | Director | 1 | — |
| Debra Saldana Sharp | Director | 1 | — |
| Caren Sweetland | Director | 1 | — |
| Charlie Yardley | Director | 1 | — |
| Melianie J Johnson | Chief Executive Officer | 40 | $309,467 |
| Alisa Ealy | Chief Financial Officer to 10/2024 | 40 | $135,193 |
| Leslie Gruver | Chief Financial Officer from 9/2024 | 40 | $34,681 |
| Belinda Munsell | Chief Dev Officer | 40 | $165,175 |
| Susan Kennedy | Chief HR Officer | 40 | $145,016 |
| Patrick Murphy | Marketing and Comm Manager | 40 | $104,355 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Collaborative for Children received a $3.3 million grant from Harris County's Early Childhood Impact Fund to support early childhood education initiatives.
HISD seeks to partner with nonprofit Collaborative for Children for ...The organization was awarded a $3 million grant to improve training for child care centers.
Collaborative for Children Receives $3.3 Million Grant from Harris ...Collaborative for Children launched a groundbreaking business accelerator program for child care centers.
HISD seeks to partner with nonprofit Collaborative for Children for ...The organization has been sought as a partner by Houston Independent School District (HISD) for early childhood education collaboration.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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