Cradles to Crayons
Cradles to Crayons reported $49.4 million in revenue and $52.0 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026. Of every $100 it spent, $89.85 went to program services, $3.70 to management and general costs and $6.45 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 97.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $290,388 (CEO AND PRESIDENT). 23 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 83% between FY2020 and FY2026. Source: Form 990, FY2026.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $52MFor context, the median across 3,614 covered human services charities: $88.27 programs, $11.52 management, $0.21 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $49MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2026 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 89.9% | 87.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 3.7% | 11.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 6.5% | 0.2% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.02 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 97.6% | 20.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 1.2% | 2.4% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 70.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $290,388 | $274,992 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.56% | 1.18% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 23 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 5.2 | 6.9 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 11 of 12 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2026 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe organization executes its mission by mobilizing widespread community and civic participation. At the community level, the organization partners with schools, corporations, faith-based organizations, and other community groups to conduct drives for children's goods and to obtain volunteers in its warehouse. In addition, the organization partners with a network of diverse social service agencies that order and distribute the organization's packages to individual children receiving services from those agencies. By involving individuals and local private, not-for-profit, and public-sector…
Highest reported compensation
FY2026 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO AND PRESIDENT Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $283,340 | $0 | $7,048 | $290,388 |
| CFO, TREASURER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $238,018 | $0 | $25,021 | $263,039 |
| COO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $242,419 | $0 | $14,333 | $256,752 |
| VP OF HR, CLERK Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $217,835 | $0 | $6,535 | $224,370 |
| ED OF CHICAGO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $207,868 | $0 | $11,813 | $219,681 |
| ED OF BOSTON Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $212,267 | $0 | $6,116 | $218,383 |
| ED OF PHILADELPHIA Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $196,096 | $0 | $14,360 | $210,456 |
| SR. DIR. OF DEVELOPMENT, NATIONAL Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $160,377 | $0 | $27,364 | $187,741 |
23 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Cradles to Crayons (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $865K (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2026 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b12 · 11 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5128
- Volunteers Part I, line 662,384
Largest outside contractors
FY2026 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| TGP CONSULTING LLC Fundraising consultant | $128,000 |
| LYNN MARGHERIO Ceo consultant to c2c - CEO transition | $127,500 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 2 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
196 private foundations reported grants to Cradles to Crayons totaling $3.0M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Cradles to Crayons's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Cradles to Crayons, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Cradles to Crayons spent in FY2026, $89.85 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All human services charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts
Questions people ask
How much of Cradles to Crayons's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, Cradles to Crayons reported that 89.9% of its $52.0 million in expenses went to program services, 3.7% to management and general and 6.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Cradles to Crayons pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Cradles to Crayons reported for one person in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 was $290,388, for the role of CEO AND PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Cradles to Crayons get its money?
Of $49.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, 97.6% came from contributions and grants (including 1.2% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Cradles to Crayons a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 04-3584367 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2026: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, object 202602619349301000 · read the filing
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, object 202522729349300207 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, object 202500459349302200 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, object 202342709349301564 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, object 202203579349301300 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, object 202112729349300026 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020, object 202003039349300600 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 04-3584367: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.