Grace Place for Children and Families 
The information on this page was last updated 7/20/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Over 20 Years of Grace: providing pathways out of poverty by educating children and families.
Grace Place offers free programs for the entire family: early childhood education, youth education, adult education, PACT (parent and child together) time and interactive family literacy activities. By engaging both parent and child, we create an educational environment that extends beyond the classroom, into each home.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Grace Place for Children and Families
Phone:
Organization details
EIN: 651229558
CEO/President: Lara Fisher
Chairman: Deborah Mathews Finch
Board size: 14
Founder:
Ruling year: 2005
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 07/31
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
That all families in our community have access to education to break the cycle of poverty.
Mission statement
Grace Place puts faith into action, providing pathways out of poverty by educating children and families.
Statement of faith
Donor confidence score
Show donor confidence score details
To understand our donor confidence score, click here.
Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Community Development
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 897 of 1435 | 86 of 148 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 859 of 1435 | 80 of 148 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 420 of 1435 | 57 of 148 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 1186 of 1436 | 119 of 148 |
According to the organization's Form 990, it received $1,639,116 in government grants in 2025.
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 6% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 10% | 10% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 4% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 10% | 10% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 91% | 100% | 100% | 88% | 98% | 99% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 8% | 5% | 5% | 11% | 12% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 9% | 0% | 0% | 12% | 2% | 1% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 83% | 88% | 87% | 87% | 79% | 80% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 96% | 74% | 112% | 90% | 89% | 88% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 79% | 65% | 97% | 79% | 70% | 70% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 4% | 26% | -12% | 10% | 11% | 12% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 4% | 15% | -5% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 11% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 10% | 8% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.02 | 0.42 | 0.47 | 0.44 | 0.29 | 0.29 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.89 | 2.27 | 3.22 | 3.28 | 4.01 | 6.91 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.14 | 0.96 | 1.53 | 1.44 | 1.15 | 2.02 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 12.56 | 17.66 | 13.88 | 10.34 | 7.27 | 38.39 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.14 | 0.03 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.79 | 11.81 | 7.30 | 7.52 | 8.98 | 5.80 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 10% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 10% | 5% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 6% | 5% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 77% | 225% | 200% | 213% | 315% | 325% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Cash | $912,268 | $927,163 | $1,148,963 | $554,448 | $1,578,561 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $593,920 | $844,894 | $1,386,910 | $1,227,501 | $496,024 |
| Short-term investments | $6,478,842 | $2,919,427 | $2,222,520 | $2,146,214 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $7,985,030 | $4,691,484 | $4,758,393 | $3,928,163 | $2,074,585 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $9,623,167 | $9,918,787 | $10,348,557 | $11,421,686 | $11,949,380 |
| Other long-term assets | $545,860 | $498,290 | $488,428 | $405,172 | $321,108 |
| Total long-term assets | $10,169,027 | $10,417,077 | $10,836,985 | $11,826,858 | $12,270,488 |
| Total assets | $18,154,057 | $15,108,561 | $15,595,378 | $15,755,021 | $14,345,073 |
| Liabilities | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $452,048 | $285,080 | $277,093 | $129,012 | $54,046 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $52,899 | $183,096 | $411,254 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $452,048 | $337,979 | $460,189 | $540,266 | $54,046 |
| Debt | $449,758 | $439,246 | $459,529 | $979,693 | $684,184 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $24,635 | $38,127 | $63,584 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $474,393 | $477,373 | $523,113 | $979,693 | $684,184 |
| Total liabilities | $926,441 | $815,352 | $983,302 | $1,519,959 | $738,230 |
| Net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Without donor restrictions | $15,059,448 | $13,920,099 | $14,183,790 | $13,791,282 | $13,064,009 |
| With donor restrictions | $2,168,168 | $373,110 | $428,286 | $443,780 | $542,834 |
| Net assets | $17,227,616 | $14,293,209 | $14,612,076 | $14,235,062 | $13,606,843 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Total contributions | $10,344,300 | $6,425,830 | $6,720,706 | $4,979,457 | $4,745,378 |
| Program service revenue | $9,000 | $10,000 | $7,850 | $19,615 | $34,556 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $274,336 | ($2,507) | ($135,445) | $123,023 | $4,003 |
| Other revenue | ($321,178) | ($35,551) | $1,022,507 | ($33,824) | ($6,157) |
| Total other revenue | ($37,842) | ($28,058) | $894,912 | $108,814 | $32,402 |
| Total revenue | $10,306,458 | $6,397,772 | $7,615,618 | $5,088,271 | $4,777,780 |
| Expenses | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Program services | $6,712,772 | $6,235,851 | $5,990,833 | $3,567,893 | $3,343,186 |
| Management and general | $343,741 | $531,594 | $509,511 | $465,658 | $349,208 |
| Fundraising | $598,379 | $387,756 | $360,594 | $491,712 | $491,198 |
| Total expenses | $7,654,892 | $7,155,201 | $6,860,938 | $4,525,263 | $4,183,592 |
| Change in net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $2,651,566 | ($757,429) | $754,680 | $563,008 | $594,188 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $2,651,566 | ($757,429) | $754,680 | $563,008 | $594,188 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Lara Fisher | Chief Executive Officer | $209,805 |
| Diane Ponton | Chief Learning Officer | $129,645 |
| Jerri Kautsky | Chief Financial Officer | $119,653 |
| Marcie Curry | Chief Programs Officer | $118,556 |
| William Beesley | Chief Human Resources Officer | $112,657 |
Compensation data as of: 7/31/2025
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 7/20/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
In 2004, Grace Place for Children and Families was founded and an inspiring journey began. In our first year, we borrowed two rooms from the Golden Gate United Methodist Church and a bus to start a homework club for children in Golden Gate City. Our homework club had sixty students and a handful of dedicated volunteers that first year. Today, it has become our Academy of Leaders afterschool and summer program, serving nearly 400 K-12 students with a staff of more than 90 employees and volunteers. In our second year, we hired our second employee, who launched a parenting class for parents with preschool children. This class would become our nationally recognized Bright Beginnings family literacy program, empowering parents to become their children's first and best teachers, and preparing children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. In our fourth year, we began offering English as a second language to residents of Golden Gate, establishing our Adult Education program, which now also offers English literacy training, United States citizenship exam preparation, and digital and financial literacy training.
In our fifth year, we opened our Friday Food Pantry, which provided nutritious, fresh food to more than 200 families each week. In our sixth year, we purchased our five acre property from the Florida United Methodist Conference and began renovation of the Pfouts Family Chapel. Two years later, we developed the initial plans for our Campus Expansion Campaign, which would eventually raise more than $11M and transform our property into a beautifully purpose-built educational campus. In our ninth year, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy began investing in our Bright Beginnings family literacy program, affording us the ability to enroll more families, to enhance our curriculum and assessments, and to access research and information on new innovative strategies for the classroom.
By our tenth anniversary, construction on the campus had begun, increasing our program space from 10,000 square feet to nearly 30,000 and adding five new buildings to our campus. By our eleventh year, Grace Place had earned the support of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, who hosted guests attending their 2017 Naples Winter Wine Festival on our campus for Meet the Kids Day.
Now, over twenty years since our humble beginning, we have evolved into the educational touchstone for the Golden Gate community. With over 1,300 students enrolled in our comprehensive education programs, and our beautifully-re-imagined campus completed, we are poised to continue to grow in our mission to provide pathways out of poverty by educating children and families.