Forward Careers INC

Tax-deductible

Waukesha, WI501(c)(3)EmploymentEIN 39-1657328

Providing counties served with the highest quality & most effective workforce development services.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 5 volunteers and 56 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $47K a year · 2% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$227K
to officers and key staff · 10% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 55% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 10% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $223K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$484K
30% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 30% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$2.3M
+13% vs prior year
Spent
$2.3M
To programs
87%
Net assets
$1.1M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$2.3M
FY2025▲ +13%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$2.8M
FY2021$1.9M
FY2022$2.3M
FY2023$2.2M
FY2024$2.1M
FY2025$2.3M
Expenses
$2.3M
FY2025▲ +13%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$2.7M
FY2021$1.8M
FY2022$2.2M
FY2023$2.2M
FY2024$2.0M
FY2025$2.3M
Net assets
$1.1M
FY2025+0.08%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$899K
FY2021$941K
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.1M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 1990.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $2.0M Management & general 13% · $291K

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

Who runs it and what they're paid

7 people listed on the 990; $227K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
President & CEO
$134,899Pt VII · Sec A
Controller/Treasurer/Secretary
$92,250Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director (from January 2025)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Cindy Simons’s $135K as President & CEO is at the 55th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1245 $1–10M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Cindy Simons$134,899$129,383$120,948$109,491$97,855$92,802
Joseph Starrett$92,250$89,235$85,960$84,030$79,643$78,126

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 Forward Careers 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

Improves local economies by providing top-tier workforce development services.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Forward Careers INC claims this page.

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3 program services account for $1.5M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Administering the workforce innovation and opportunity act (wioa) program. The wioa adult, dislocated worker, youth and rapid response programs are designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training and supportive services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skills workers they need to complete…

$642Kprogram expense
02

The next (nursing. Equity. Expansion. Training.) program tackles the need for more nurses and other healthcare related occupations through a multi-faceted approach of occupational skills training, on-the-job training, work experiences, and incumbent worker training.

$492Kprogram expense
03

The quest grant focuses on training individuals to address the accessibility of early childhood education. Forward careers provides occupational skills training, work experiences, on-the-job training, and supports to enrich the supply of proficient childcare workers.

$345Kprogram 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 · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 39 grants · $1.5M · 2019–2024
Moraine Park Technical CollegeFY2024$181,174
Unitemized GrantFY2024$84,524
Unitemized GrantFY2024$53,469
University of Wisconsin OshkoshFY2024$11,483
Unitemized GrantFY2024$10,537
Unitemized GrantFY2024$8,683
Unitemized GrantFY2024$8,580
Unitemized GrantFY2024$7,690
Unitemized GrantFY2023$50,447
Unitemized GrantFY2023$31,582
County of Milwaukee - House of CorrectionsFY2023$31,328
Unitemized GrantFY2023$25,907
Moraine Park Technical CollegeFY2023$24,349
Unitemized GrantFY2023$23,731
University of Wisconsin OshkoshFY2023$15,151
Unitemized GrantFY2023$13,394
Unitemized GrantFY2023$6,928
County of Milwaukee - House of CorrectionsFY2022$48,850
See all 39 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$2.3M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.3M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$48K
Investment incomeLn 3$15K
Money outPt IX
$2.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.0M
Managementcol C$291K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.1M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$827K
Total assetsLn 16$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$484K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.3M
Government grantsLn 1e$1.9M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$48K
Investment incomeLn 3$15K
Total revenueLn 12$2.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$97K
SavingsLn 2$731K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$827K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$34K
Other assetsLn 15$177K
Total assetsLn 16$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$484K
Net assetsLn 32$1.1M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 556
VolunteersI 65
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$660K$827K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$46K$34K
Total assetsLn 16$1.6M$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$441K$484K
Net assetsLn 32$1.1M$1.1M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$193K$193K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$173K$173K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$245K$124K$121K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$519K$411K$108K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$20K$18K$3K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$53K$51K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$56K$49K$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c$18K$18K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$2K$2K$205
Office expensesLn 13$25K$21K$5K
Information technologyLn 14$33K$19K$13K
OccupancyLn 16$75K$65K$10K
TravelLn 17$14K$14K$425
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$7K$7K$30
InterestLn 20$42$37$5
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$12K$11K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$15K$13K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$861K$860K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.3M$2.0M$291K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $2.3M$2.3M$886$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2024 $2.1M$2.0M$14K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.2M$2.2M$55K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.3M$2.2M$119K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.9M$1.8M$42K$941K 990 PDF
FY2020 $2.8M$2.7M$54K$899K 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 FY2025 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $2,321,779 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$73,275
VIII-1e Government grants$1,916,078
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$269,091
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$2,258,444
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $48,000$48,000
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $15,335$15,335
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $48,000 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $15,335$2,321,779
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,320,893 across 18 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $192,657$192,657
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $173,484$173,484
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $123,805 · Management $121,023$244,828
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $410,776 · Management $107,940$518,716
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $17,545 · Management $2,556$20,101
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $51,066 · Management $1,608$52,674
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $48,895 · Management $7,051$55,946
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $18,100$18,100
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $1,585 · Management $205$1,790
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $20,814 · Management $4,633$25,447
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $19,408 · Management $13,164$32,572
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $65,438 · Management $9,607$75,045
IX-17 TravelPrograms $13,745 · Management $425$14,170
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $6,523 · Management $30$6,553
IX-20 InterestPrograms $37 · Management $5$42
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $10,805 · Management $1,590$12,395
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $13,070 · Management $1,920$14,990
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $860,276 · Management $1,107$861,383
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $2,029,929 · Management $290,964 · Fundraising $0$2,320,893
Part X · Balance sheet $1,613,004 assets, 16 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $117,353; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $38,033$96,542
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $621,814$730,736
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $464,063$423,705
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $20,830$15,536
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $27,156$17,928
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $46,500$34,298
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $222,350$176,906
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,569,211$1,613,004
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $212,374$292,957
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $4,525$11,720
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $223,807$178,936
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $440,706$483,613
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,029,524$983,618
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $98,981$145,773
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,128,505$1,129,391
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,569,211$1,613,004
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,129,391 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$2,321,779
XI-2 Total expenses$2,320,893
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$886
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,128,505
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,129,391

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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