Steppers Early Learning Center INC

Tax-deductible

Burlington, VT501(c)(3)EducationEIN 93-1958645Revenue $379K in FY2025

On file with the IRSsteppingstoneschildrencenter.org75 Hayward St, 05401-4843 · Burlington, VTTax-exempt since Sep 2024School — 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)

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Steppers Early Learning Center is a high quality, naeyc accredited, 5- star program that has been operating in the heart of burlingtons south end neighborhood for over 35 years. Our mission is to provide high-quality Early care and education for all children ages 2-5 years old, regardless of ability to pay, in a community-centric environment where children are loved, nurtured and successful.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$50K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
1 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $103K a year · 28% of revenue · last 2 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$50K
to officers and key staff · 12% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 59% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 12% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.5 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $224K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$481K
72% of total assets
Worth a look: liabilities are 72% of assets; over 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$379K
+6% vs prior year
Spent
$414K
To programs
89%
Net assets
$187K
By yearFY2024–FY2025
Revenue
$379K
FY2025▲ +6%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2024$357K
FY2025$379K
Expenses
$414K
FY2025▲ +261%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2024$115K
FY2025$414K
Net assets
$187K
FY2025▼ -23%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2024$242K
FY2025$187K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending August 2025) · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 2024.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $370K Management & general 11% · $44K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

11 people listed on the 990; $50K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Di
$49,798Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary (t
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Kathi Apgar’s $50K as Executive Di is at the 41st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Provides high-quality early education and care for children ages 2-5, regardless of ability to pay.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $370K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Steppers early learning center provides high-quality early care and education for all children ages 2-5 years old, regardless of ability to pay, in a community-centric environment where children are loved, nurtured and successful.

$370Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$224K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$379K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$335K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$43K
Investment incomeLn 3$347
Money outPt IX
$414K
Ln 25
Programscol B$370K
Managementcol C$44K
Owns and owesPt X
$187K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$18K
Total assetsLn 16$667K
LiabilitiesLn 26$481K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$43K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$335K
Investment incomeLn 3$347
Total revenueLn 12$379K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$16K
SavingsLn 2$2K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$18K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$610K
Other assetsLn 15$20K
Total assetsLn 16$667K
LiabilitiesLn 26$481K
Net assetsLn 32$187K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$63K$18K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$620K$610K
Total assetsLn 16$723K$667K
LiabilitiesLn 26$481K$481K
Net assetsLn 32$242K$187K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$88K$66K$22K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$189K$189K
Payroll taxesLn 10$23K$21K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$5K$5K
Accounting feesLn 11c$10K$10K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$4K$4K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$4K$4K
Office expensesLn 13$736$736
Information technologyLn 14$751$751
OccupancyLn 16$25K$23K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$524$524
InterestLn 20$29K$29K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$11K$11K
InsuranceLn 23$6K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$16K$16K
All other expensesLn 24e$2K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$414K$370K$44K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $379K$414K−$35K$187K 990 PDF
FY2024 $357K$115K$242K$242K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $378,669 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $250,149$42,925
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $104,846$335,397
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,565$347
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $356,560$378,669
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $74,573$300,440
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $39,946$113,427
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $114,519$413,867
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $242,041−$35,198
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $378,669 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$42,925
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$42,925
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $335,397$335,397
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $347$347
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $335,397 · Excluded from tax $347$378,669
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $413,867 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $66,192 · Management $22,064$88,256
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $188,863$188,863
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $21,499 · Management $1,822$23,321
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $4,766$4,766
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $9,870$9,870
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $4,096$4,096
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,598$3,598
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $736$736
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $751$751
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $23,037 · Management $1,734$24,771
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $524$524
IX-20 InterestPrograms $29,489$29,489
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $11,168$11,168
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,661$5,661
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $15,881$15,881
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,116$2,116
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $369,515 · Management $44,352 · Fundraising $0$413,867
Part X · Balance sheet $667,285 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $63,342$15,880
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$2,265
X-4 Accounts receivable$453
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $620,457$610,071
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $19,273$18,491
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $20,100$20,125
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $723,172$667,285
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $1,508$4,210
X-25 Other liabilities$4,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $481,131$480,542
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $242,041$166,770
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$19,973
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $242,041$186,743
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $723,172$667,285
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $186,743 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$378,669
XI-2 Total expenses$413,867
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$35,198
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$242,041
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$20,100
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$186,743

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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