The Orange County Partnership for Young Children (OCPYC) is a public charity based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Founded in 1993 as North Carolina’s first Smart Start agency, it funds, convenes, organizes, trains, and advocates for programs supporting young children’s healthy development and school readiness.
Key facts about Orange County Partnership for Young Children
In short: Orange County Partnership for Young Children gave $2.1M across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $153K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 56-1844192
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,147,376
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- Average grant
- $153,384
- Median grant
- $113,267
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The FY 2026–27 instructions called for questions and completed applications to be emailed to the program address, with answers to questions posted for applicants. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The FY 2026–27 application deadline was May 6, 2026, at noon; this is a past deadline.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$-33,238
-107.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.1M
+3.5% YoY
Grant Count
14
-22.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$153K
+33.1% YoY
How Orange County Partnership for Young Children gives
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−15%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
OCPYC’s mission is to ensure that all young children in Orange County arrive at school healthy and ready to succeed. Its funding priorities include improving early care and education, supporting early literacy, helping under-resourced families access child care, strengthening family education and support, enhancing early intervention, promoting children’s physical and mental health, and protecting children from abuse, neglect, and injury.
The organization’s stated programs include NC Pre-K for at-risk four-year-olds; health, safety, nutrition, and early intervention services; parent education, supported playgroups, family literacy, and child-abuse prevention; and grants, training, and technical assistance to improve child care quality. Its 2025 grants included support for the Orange County Literacy Council, whose mission is to help adults reach education, employment, and life goals through free instruction in literacy, math, English, and computer skills.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, OCPYC reported 14 grants totaling **$2,147,376**. Grant amounts ranged from **$7,654 to $615,404**, with a median of **$113,266**.
Review Cycle
The FY 2026–27 application deadline was May 6, 2026, at noon; this is a past deadline.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
OCPYC’s stated funding scope is Orange County, North Carolina. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $143K (2020) to $2.7M (2021). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chapel Hill - Carrboro Schools ($615K). Together the top 10 received $2.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
92 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 92 (47%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill - Carrboro Schools Chapel Hill, NC | Ncpk, subsidy enhancements, raising a reader, growing up healthy | $615,404 |
| Orange County Schools Hillsborough, NC | NCPK, Subsidy Enhancements, Growing up Healthy | $334,857 |
| Families & Communities Rising Durham, NC | NCPK, Abcd | $276,821 |
| Childrens Campus of Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | NCPRK, Subsidy Enhancements, Growing up Healthy | $150,995 |
| Child Care Services Association Chapel Hill, NC | Rebuilding Capacity for Quality, NCPK, Subsidy | $148,946 |
| Bright Star Academy Hillsborough, NC | Subsidy Enhancements, NCPK | $142,250 |
| Spanish for Fun Chapel Hill, NC | NCPK, Subsidy Enhancements, Growing up Healthy | $132,860 |
| Center of Excellence Child Care Hillsborough, NC | NCPK, Subsidy Enhancements, Growing up Healthy | $93,673 |
| Community School for People Under Six Carrboro, NC | NCPK, Subsidy Enhancements | $67,491 |
| Alphabet Soup Carrboro, NC | NCPK, Subsidy Enhancements | $49,665 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | −$33,238 | $2,798,824 | $3,196,080 | $2,147,376 (14 grants) |
| 2024 | $476,836 | $3,220,003 | $3,087,617 | $2,075,064 (18 grants) |
| 2023 | $431,798 | $2,883,327 | $3,034,397 | $2,083,168 (18 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $-33,238 | $476,836 | $431,798 |
| Revenue | $2,798,824 | $3,220,003 | $2,883,327 |
| Expenses | $3,196,080 | $3,087,617 | $3,034,397 |
| Net Investment Income | $57 | $57 | $57 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 27, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robin Pulver as executive director. Listed directors are Braxton Foushee, Mia Burroughs, Christopher Brook (president), Quintana Stewart (treasurer), Sharon Brown, W Oscar Fleming (secretary), Horace Johnson Jr, Sophia Mapp, and Anna Mercer-McLean (vice president).
Orange County Partnership for Young Children is led by Robin Pulver, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robin Pulver
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
37.5 hrs/week
$89K (2019) → $107K (2025)
Christopher Brook
Director - President
Director → Director-Vice President, 2023
Director-Vice President → Director - President, 2025
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Braxton Foushee
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mia Burroughs
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Quintana Stewart
Director - Treasurer
Director → Director - Secretary, 2022
Director - Secretary → Director - Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Claudia Yerena
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jean Wakefield
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Brown
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
W. Oscar Fleming
Director - Secretary
Director → Director - Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Ringwalt
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anissa McLendon
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Horace Johnson Jr.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis Portie-Ascott
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sophia Mapp
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anna Mercer-McLean
Director - Vice President
Director → Director - Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Matt Hughes (2019–2024) — Director-President
- Former: Sandra McKee (2021–2024) — Director-Secretary
- Former: Anna Richards (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Latarndra Strong (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Monique Felder (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Lucinda Munger (2019–2022) — Director-President
- Former: Stephanie Fox (2021–2022) — Director - Treasurer
- Former: Adriana Martinez (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Siobhan Colgan (2019–2021) — Director - President
- Former: Sue Florence (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Jean Hamilton (2021) — Director
- Former: Carmen Huerta-Bapat (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jamezetta Bedford (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jean B. Mankowski (2019–2020) — Director - Treasurer
- Former: Kerry Moore (2019–2020) — Director - President
- Former: Stephen Jackson (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $107K, to Robin Pulver (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 402 Millstone Drive 300, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 967-9091
Website: https://orangesmartstart.org
Frequently asked questions about Orange County Partnership for Young Children
How much does Orange County Partnership for Young Children give each year?
Orange County Partnership for Young Children gave $2.1M across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.1M across 18 grants.
What is Orange County Partnership for Young Children's typical grant size?
Orange County Partnership for Young Children's median grant in 2025 was $113,267, and its average grant was $153,384, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Orange County Partnership for Young Children give grants?
Orange County Partnership for Young Children gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chapel Hill, NC (6 grants), Hillsborough, NC (4 grants) and Carrboro, NC (3 grants).
Does Orange County Partnership for Young Children give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Orange County Partnership for Young Children's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "NCPK, Subsidy Enhancements" (3 grants) and "NCPK, Subsidy Enhancements, Growing up Healthy" (3 grants).
Who are Orange County Partnership for Young Children's largest grantees?
Orange County Partnership for Young Children's largest 2025 grantees include Chapel Hill - Carrboro Schools ($615,404), Orange County Schools ($334,857) and Families & Communities Rising ($276,821), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does Orange County Partnership for Young Children fund?
OCPYC’s mission is to ensure that all young children in Orange County arrive at school healthy and ready to succeed. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Orange County Partnership for Young Children?
The FY 2026–27 instructions called for questions and completed applications to be emailed to the program address, with answers to questions posted for applicants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Orange County Partnership for Young Children's EIN?
Orange County Partnership for Young Children's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1844192. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Orange County Partnership for Young Children by hand.
Explore Open Grants
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