The Learning Collaborative (Charlotte)

What The Learning Collaborative (Charlotte) does

The Learning Collaborative (TLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit preschool founded in 1987 that operates Charlotte's only tuition-free, high-quality early education and family success program from a single site in the Grier Heights neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina. The organization serves 72 children annually across five classrooms — two NC Pre-K classes (32 four-year-olds), two preschool classes for three-year-olds, and one Growing Early Learners classroom for two-year-olds — using the Creative Curriculum framework aligned with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Pre-K standards. Children receive on-site transportation, meals (breakfast, hot lunch, and snack), speech-language and literacy development, and intensive family support services, with parents required to volunteer a minimum of seven hours per month per enrolled child in lieu of tuition.

TLC's core service offering is supplemented by a 5-week Summer Literacy Camp staffed daily by a Charlotte Speech & Hearing Center therapist, year-round parent workshops on topics ranging from active reading to financial wellness, and a Family Success program led by a Licensed Social Worker focused on family self-sufficiency. The organization holds a Five-Star license from the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education and NAEYC accreditation, both of which underpin its licensing and quality positioning.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure: the program is tuition-free by design, with revenue sourced from NC Pre-K state funding (for 32 four-year-old slots), USDA Child Nutrition federal support, individual donations (online, mail, stock, text-to-give), corporate sponsorships (including the annual Green Apple Gig and Harris Teeter VIC card program), planned/estate gifts, foundation grants, and volunteer-driven in-kind family time. GTM is strictly community-led: families are recruited via referrals from 25+ local organizations, churches, and community centers, screened using NC Pre-K income eligibility, and onboarded through personal interviews, with priority placement for underserved children from low-income Grier Heights families. There is no paid marketing, no digital product, and operations are constrained to a single physical location.

Name

The Learning Collaborative (Charlotte)

Legal name

The Learning Collaborative

Website

https://tlccharlotte.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Learning Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit preschool founded in 1987 that operates Charlotte's only tuition-free, high-quality early education and family success program, serving 72 at-risk children annually across five classrooms in the Grier Heights neighborhood.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic/School-Readiness Preschools (EDACABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Infant & Toddler Classrooms within Childcare Centers (EDACAGAC)

Keywords

• Preschool education
• Early childhood education
• Family support services
• Tuition-free preschool
• NC Pre-K program

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals via online portal (GiveLively), mail-in checks, stock gifts, and text-to-give (#GIVETLC). Donations are 501(c)(3) tax-deductible.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for annual events like Green Apple Gig family carnival. Harris Teeter VIC card program (School Code 5119) provides percentage donations. Corporate matching gifts program doubles employee donations.
3. Planned/Estate Gifts: Charitable gifts through wills, trusts, annuities, and other estate planning vehicles.
4. Event Fundraising: Green Apple Gig annual fundraiser and friend-raiser event. Sponsorships fund free family carnival activities and meals for TLC families.
5. NC Pre-K State Funding: Operates as NC Pre-Kindergarten program site, serving 32 children in two NC Pre-K classes. State-funded program for at-risk four-year-olds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Learning Collaborative operates a tuition-free preschool program serving 72 at-risk children annually in five classrooms (two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and NC Pre-K four-year-olds) in Charlotte's Grier Heights neighborhood. The organization delivers Creative Curriculum-based early education paired with wraparound family success services including transportation, meals, parent workshops, and intensive family support, funded through donations, sponsorships, and NC Pre-K state funding.

Product overview

The Learning Collaborative is Charlotte's only tuition-free, high-quality Early Education and Family Success program. The organization operates five classrooms (two Pre-K, two preschool for three-year-olds, one Growing Early Learners for two-year-olds) serving 72 children annually. The core offerings include the Preschool Education Program, NC Pre-Kindergarten Program, Family School Readiness, and Parent Workshops. These programs are unified by the Creative Curriculum framework and supported by transportation, meals, Summer Literacy Camp, and intensive family support services. The organization serves the Grier Heights neighborhood of Charlotte, NC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool Education Program
• NC Pre-Kindergarten Program

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• McShane PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReading Buddy Partner - volunteers who regularly visit and read to children in the classroom, reinforcing critical pre-literacy skills.
• PNC Bank / PNC Grow Up GreatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReading Buddy Partner supporting early literacy programs.
• Myers Park Presbyterian ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReading Buddy Partner and hosts Green Apple Gig event at Outreach Center (1073 Providence Road, Charlotte NC 28207).
• Charlotte Country Day SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner hosting carnival for TLC children each fall.
• Charlotte Speech & Hearing CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeech-language therapist on-site daily at Summer Literacy Camp and presents parent workshops on A, B, C's of Active Reading and Toys as Tools.
• Smart Start of Mecklenburg CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner supporting early childhood programs in Mecklenburg County.
• NC Pre-K ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTLC is an official NC Pre-Kindergarten program site serving 32 children in two NC Pre-K classes.
• Novant Health FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner presenting parent workshops on building fine motor skills and health & wellness topics.
• Junior League of CharlotteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner supporting at-risk children and parents.
• Grier Heights Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in the community TLC serves, supporting families in Grier Heights.
• Bragg Financial AdvisorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents parent workshops on budgeting and financial wellness.
• Southeast PsychminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents multiple parent workshops including dealing with depression, effective communication, handling conflict, and traits of successful parents.
• Atrium HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents workshops on first aid, childhood illness, and importance of medical home & wellness checks.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Parent University, school choice lottery, and being the best advocate for your child. CMS Pre-Kindergarten curriculum Creative Curriculum used at TLC.
• Crowder Constructors Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner.
• Sunbelt RentalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner corporate sponsor.
• Red Classic TransportationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner.
• USDA Child NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal nutrition program supporting meal services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Head Start (National Head Start Association): Federal preschool program for low-income children, including many sites in Charlotte/Mecklenburg. Comparable as the dominant scaled provider of free ECE to at-risk children, including toddlers and 4-year-olds in NC, serving the same NC Pre-K population TLC targets.
• NC Pre-K (NC Department of Health and Human Services): State-administered pre-kindergarten program for at-risk 4-year-olds; TLC is itself an NC Pre-K site. Comparable as the broader state system that defines eligibility, curriculum, and funding rules for the same population TLC serves, and competes for the same state appropriations.

Direct peers

• YWCA Central Carolinas: Charlotte-area nonprofit providing early childhood education and family services, including preschool and child development programs for low-income families. Comparable as a Charlotte-mission nonprofit delivering ECE plus wraparound family services to underserved populations.
• Bright Beginnings (Charlotte): Charlotte-area nonprofit serving young children and families facing homelessness or housing instability. Comparable as a Charlotte-region ECE nonprofit combining direct early childhood services with family support for vulnerable populations.
• Charlotte Bilingual Preschool: Tuition-supported nonprofit preschool in Charlotte serving immigrant and dual-language learner families. Comparable as a mission-aligned nonprofit early childhood education provider in the same metro, focused on school readiness for underserved children—directly overlapping TLC's community-embedded preschool model.
• Childcare Resources Inc. Mecklenburg County-based nonprofit that supports early childhood education through family scholarships, teacher training, and quality improvement across childcare centers. Comparable as a Charlotte-area ECE nonprofit working on access and quality for low-income families, complementing TLC's direct-service model.
• Smart Start of Mecklenburg County: Local Smart Start partnership funding early childhood programs across Mecklenburg County. Listed as a TLC community partner and a core funder of NC early childhood initiatives; comparable as a Charlotte-area funder/coordinator that influences ECE nonprofit operations including TLC's.

Others

• United Way of Central Carolinas: Regional funder and convener for Charlotte-area human services nonprofits including ECE programs. Comparable as a Charlotte-area funding intermediary through which TLC could attract corporate giving and is benchmarked against other ECE nonprofits.
• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children): National early childhood education accreditation body of which TLC is accredited. Comparable as the standards-setting ecosystem TLC operates within and the network through which peer preschools, policy, and best-practice benchmarking flow.

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit with Charlotte-area clubs offering after-school and summer programs serving low-income children. Comparable as a nonprofit providing out-of-school-time programming for the same at-risk youth population TLC reaches during pre-K years.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Learning Collaborative (Charlotte)