Mercy Flight INC

Tax-deductible

Buffalo, NY501(c)(3)Since 1981EIN 22-2560963

Community medical emergency response mainly by helicopter, fixed wing aircraft and ground transport services.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 13 volunteers and 351 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.8M a year · 7% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 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
$1.4M
to officers and key staff · 4% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 4% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
17
named funders · $223K
Looks good: 17 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$32.4M
62% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 62% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
13
of 15 voting members
Looks good: 13 of 15 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$36.8M
+29% vs prior year
Spent
$33.2M
To programs
89%
Net assets
$20.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$36.8M
FY2024▲ +29%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$20.9M
FY2021$23.6M
FY2022$26.5M
FY2023$21.4M
FY2024$28.5M
FY2024$36.8M
Expenses
$33.2M
FY2024▲ +16%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$19.5M
FY2021$20.5M
FY2022$21.4M
FY2023$21.9M
FY2024$28.6M
FY2024$33.2M
Net assets
$20.2M
FY2024▲ +21%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$8.7M
FY2021$11.9M
FY2022$17.2M
FY2023$16.8M
FY2024$16.7M
FY2024$20.2M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Nov 1984.

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% · $29.6M Management & general 10% · $3.3M Fundraising 1% · $361K

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

Who runs it and what they're paid

21 people listed on the 990; $1.4M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$235,714Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Vice President
$200,975Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Pilot
$168,644Pt VII · Sec A
Flight Medic
$166,800Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Flight Ops
$165,400Pt VII · Sec A
Flight Nurse
$153,066Pt VII · Sec A
$151,984Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Finance
$131,548Pt VII · Sec A

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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Margaret a Ferrentino$235,714$211,606$180,637$170,438$155,336$133,292
Scott Wooton$200,975$177,115$153,021$143,879$126,889$105,534
Douglas H Baker——$126,015$184,075$170,217$157,785
David Smith$168,644$148,873$127,293$116,191$110,749—
Jeffrey Nielsen$166,800$146,319$127,805———
Dennis Crandall$165,400$164,636$143,383$107,735$105,508$103,476
Holly Gernatt$153,066—————
Daniel Pehrson$151,984—————

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.

See Mercy Flight INC executive salaries →

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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 medical transportation for Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Mercy Flight INC claims this page.

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1 program service account for $29.6M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

The organization is an independent provider of emergency and non-emergency air and ground medical transportation and supporting services, ensuring rapid, safe and cost effective delivery of expert emergency response teams. Since 1981, the organization has safely completed tens of thousands of air and ground ambulance patient missions.

$29.6Mprogram expense

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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 · FY2024
See all 17 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$36.8M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$35.1M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$597K
Money outPt IX
$33.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$29.6M
Managementcol C$3.3M
Fundraisingcol D$361K
Owns and owesPt X
$20.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$5.5M
Total assetsLn 16$52.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$32.4M
PeoplePt VI, VII
21
listed · VII A
PaidVII A8
Voting boardVI 1a15
IndependentVI 1b13
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.3M
Government grantsLn 1e$66K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$276K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$35.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$597K
Gains on assetsLn 7$361K
Total revenueLn 12$36.8M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$14K
SavingsLn 2$5.5M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$5.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$763K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$35.8M
Other assetsLn 15$1.1M
Total assetsLn 16$52.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$32.4M
Net assetsLn 32$20.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5351
VolunteersI 613
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$3.5M$5.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0$763K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$35.9M$35.8M
Total assetsLn 16$48.6M$52.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$32.0M$32.4M
Net assetsLn 32$16.7M$20.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$539K$115K$419K$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$19.5M$18.3M$1.1M$199K
Legal feesLn 11b$20K$20K
Accounting feesLn 11c$52K$52K
OccupancyLn 16$745K$645K$100K
InterestLn 20$1.7M$1.6M$71K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$3.3M$3.3M$41K
InsuranceLn 23$1.9M$1.7M$126K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$4.3M$2.9M$1.4M
All other expensesLn 24e$1.2M$1.1M$156K
Total functional expensesLn 25$33.2M$29.6M$3.3M$361K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 $28.5M$28.6M−$95K$16.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $21.4M$21.9M−$498K$16.8M 990 PDF
FY2022 $26.5M$21.4M$5.1M$17.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 $23.6M$20.5M$3.1M$11.9M 990 PDF
FY2020 $20.9M$19.5M$1.3M$8.7M 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 FY2024 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $36,832,328 across 10 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$276,227
VIII-1e Government grants$66,197
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$919,041
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,261,465
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $35,144,721$35,144,721
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $236,266$236,266
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $361,067$361,067
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$173,316−$173,316
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $2,125$2,125
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $35,507,913 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $62,950$36,832,328
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $33,233,687 across 10 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $114,779 · Management $418,653 · Fundraising $5,377$538,809
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $18,263,417 · Management $1,061,165 · Fundraising $199,270$19,523,852
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $20,179$20,179
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $52,450$52,450
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $644,634 · Management $100,136$744,770
IX-20 InterestPrograms $1,626,957 · Management $70,850$1,697,807
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $3,253,376 · Management $40,690$3,294,066
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $1,741,610 · Management $126,000$1,867,610
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $2,891,994 · Management $1,395,895$4,287,889
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,050,115 · Fundraising $156,140$1,206,255
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $29,586,882 · Management $3,286,018 · Fundraising $360,787$33,233,687
Part X · Balance sheet $52,647,181 assets, 17 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $2,623,071$13,597
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $848,631$5,488,744
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $23,767$46,170
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $6,900,937$7,829,551
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $832,170$1,060,894
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $318,197$512,237
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $35,863,963$35,825,870
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $0$762,938
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,207,680$1,107,180
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $48,618,416$52,647,181
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $1,486,746$1,384,217
X-19 Deferred revenue$141,000
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $2,713,758$2,668,257
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $31,964,434$32,434,166
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $16,653,982$20,213,015
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $16,653,982$20,213,015
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $48,618,416$52,647,181
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $20,213,015 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$36,832,328
XI-2 Total expenses$33,233,687
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$3,598,641
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$16,653,982
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$39,609
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$20,213,015

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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