Abilities First INC: FY2021 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 14-1467427)

Jeffery Fox’s $344K as Chief Executive Officer is at the 78th percentile of top reported officer pay among 414 $10–100M employment 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.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

Name	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Jeffery Fox	$343,801	$274,236	$247,146	$206,349	$183,680
Ellen Griffin	—	—	$167,218	$174,233	$262,185
Mark Nace	$194,236	$171,582	$161,546	$133,317	$115,737
Kelly Martinez	$178,161	$164,154	$125,012	$112,193	$104,181
Kim Ryder	$148,683	$131,870	$106,663	$106,347	$97,185
Loveta Fletcher	—	$101,748	$135,055	—	—
Gail Armstrong	$106,685	$123,788	—	—	—
Michele Dendera	—	—	$119,989	—	—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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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

Supports people with disabilities and families to achieve independence and acceptance through education and experience.

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3 programs · $25.3M · in their own filed words · FY2021

01

Educational Services

To provide educational services for preschool and school aged children with moderate to severe disabilities. Approximately 319 served.

$12.6Mprogram expense

02

Residential Services

To provide a home life environment, consisting of room and board, recreational and rehabilitation programs for physically and developmentally disabled adults. Approximately 96 served.

$8.6Mprogram expense

03

Day Hab Services

A day program for adults who are physically and developmentally disabled to help them develop personal and educational skills that would enable them to function. Approximately 195 served.

$4.1Mprogram 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 · FY2025

Ulster Savings Charitable FoundationFY2025$5K

Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

Download 990

from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$31.9M

Ln 12

Fees for servicesLn 2g$31.2M

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$695K

Investment incomeLn 3$105K

Money outPt IX

$33.6M

Ln 25

Programscol B$29.2M

Managementcol C$4.2M

Fundraisingcol D$158K

Owns and owesPt X

$7.2M

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.1M

Total assetsLn 16$16.6M

LiabilitiesLn 26$9.4M

PeoplePt VI, VII

24

listed · VII A

PaidVII A7

Voting boardVI 1a12

IndependentVI 1b12

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$695K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$31.2M

Investment incomeLn 3$105K

Gains on assetsLn 7$97K

Total revenueLn 12$31.9M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

SavingsLn 2$2.1M

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$2.1M

InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.9M

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$6.8M

Other assetsLn 15$635K

Total assetsLn 16$16.6M

LiabilitiesLn 26$9.4M

Net assetsLn 32$7.2M

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 5696

VolunteersI 60

Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember

Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes

Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes

Records policyVI 14No

3More from this return

EndowmentSch D · Pt V

Line	FY21	FY20	FY19	FY18	FY17
End of yearLn 1g	$1.9M	$1.8M	$1.7M	$1.5M	$1.3M
Given inLn 1b	$21K	$21K	$19K	−$23K	$21K
SpentLn 1d–1f	$48K	−$8K	−$61K	−$168K	$19K

4Year over year

Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B

Line	Start FY21	End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$5.4M	$2.1M
InvestmentsLn 11–13	$1.8M	$1.9M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$7.8M	$6.8M
Total assetsLn 16	$21.3M	$16.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$12.3M	$9.4M
Net assetsLn 32	$8.9M	$7.2M

5Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$1.1M		$1.1M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$17.8M	$16.6M	$1.2M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8	$670K	$235K	$435K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$3.7M	$3.7M	$63K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$1.4M	$1.2M	$160K
Office expensesLn 13	$708K	$520K	$181K	$7K
OccupancyLn 16	$2.5M	$2.2M	$270K	$44K
TravelLn 17	$1.5M	$1.5M	$10K	$250
InterestLn 20	$254K	$225K	$23K	$7K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$957K	$868K	$57K	$32K
InsuranceLn 23	$481K	$406K	$63K	$12K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$2.0M	$1.5M	$499K	$19K
All other expensesLn 24e	$358K	$260K	$62K	$36K
Total functional expensesLn 25	$33.6M	$29.2M	$4.2M	$158K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Nov 11, 2025	$45.8M	$43.9M	$1.9M	$10.8M	990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 11, 2024	$38.4M	$38.6M	−$149K	$8.9M	990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 14, 2023	$43.2M	$41.0M	$2.2M	$8.6M	990 PDF
FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 15, 2022	$31.9M	$33.6M	−$1.7M	$7.2M	990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2021	$36.1M	$32.6M	$3.5M	$8.9M	990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations

See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $31,921,071 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $4,311,558$695,021

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $31,817,973$31,163,820

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $57,868$104,963

I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$40,880−$42,733

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $36,146,519$31,921,071

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0

I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $24,166,722$24,812,538

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $8,445,748$8,765,310

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $32,612,470$33,577,848

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $3,534,049−$1,656,777

Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, 1 to look at

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12

VI-1b Independent voting members12

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-13 Written whistleblower policyYes

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $31,921,071 across 7 lines filed

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$695,021

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$695,021

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $31,163,820$31,163,820

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $7,663$7,663

VIII-6 Net rental income or lossUnrelated business −$42,733−$42,733

VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $97,300$97,300

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $31,163,820 · Unrelated business −$42,733 · Excluded from tax $104,963$31,921,071

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $33,577,848 across 13 lines filed

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $1,149,971$1,149,971

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $16,629,453 · Management $1,219,715$17,849,168

IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $234,528 · Management $435,472$670,000

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $3,674,189 · Management $63,389$3,737,578

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $1,245,561 · Management $160,260$1,405,821

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $519,800 · Management $180,707 · Fundraising $7,264$707,771

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,166,194 · Management $270,063 · Fundraising $44,150$2,480,407

IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,501,725 · Management $9,628 · Fundraising $250$1,511,603

IX-20 InterestPrograms $224,941 · Management $22,636 · Fundraising $6,702$254,279

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $867,714 · Management $56,952 · Fundraising $32,019$956,685

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $406,379 · Management $62,686 · Fundraising $12,293$481,358

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $1,497,094 · Management $498,822 · Fundraising $18,930$2,014,846

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $260,108 · Management $62,338 · Fundraising $35,915$358,361

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $29,227,686 · Management $4,192,639 · Fundraising $157,523$33,577,848

Part X · Balance sheet $16,621,402 assets, 16 lines filed

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $5,394,457$2,108,501

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $5,074,359$4,569,442

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $821,309$577,915

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $7,756,171$6,823,145

X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $1,148,493$1,290,228

X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $676,478$617,185

X-15 Other assetsStart of year $415,588$634,986

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $21,286,855$16,621,402

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,049,721$2,248,731

X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $2,272,875$2,274,584

X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $452,060$199,132

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $12,349,337$9,437,471

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $7,814,998$6,011,355

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $1,122,520$1,172,576

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $8,937,518$7,183,931

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $21,286,855$16,621,402

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $7,183,931 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$31,921,071

XI-2 Total expenses$33,577,848

XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$1,656,777

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$8,937,518

XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$322,007

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$225,197

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$7,183,931

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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Abilities First INC FY2021 filing

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