Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Feb 1975.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
22 people listed on the 990; $676K paid to officers and key staff.
Berta Sailer’s $281K as Founder is at the 61st percentile of top reported officer pay among 3683 $10–100M education 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berta Sailer | $280,856 | $304,152 | $271,194 | $142,865 | $132,802 |
| Mary Esselman | $198,995 | $200,139 | $195,344 | $189,643 | $172,181 |
| Mike Thomas | — | — | $136,082 | $138,521 | — |
| James Michael Thomas | — | — | — | — | $124,991 |
| Mary Mulkey | $120,499 | $112,192 | $102,136 | $101,546 | — |
| Kimmikka Brown | $114,518 | — | — | — | — |
| Patricia Thompson | $110,054 | — | — | — | — |
| Corita Bussanmas | — | — | — | — | $107,900 |
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 Operation Breakthrough INC executive salaries →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 early childhood education, after-school enrichment, and supportive family services to help low-income children and their families thrive in a safe, nurturing environment.
Questions for Operation Breakthrough INC
Your first name shows with your question. Operation Breakthrough INC answers here, for everyone.
Early Childhood Education Program for Preschoolers & Infants
Served approximately 400 preschoolers & infants, before and after school (250 school aged children) and summer youth programs (100 high school students). Operated at or near capacity for fye 10-31-2021. Supportive services include health, mental health, family services, meals, and emergency assistance.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
Federal money
The auditor reported no findings.
The auditor reported no findings.
The auditor reported no findings.
The auditor reported no findings.
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | FY21 |
|---|---|
| End of yearLn 1g | $879K |
| Given inLn 1b | $878K |
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $8.8M | $8.9M |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $879K | |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $11.1M | $14.2M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $30.8M | $35.0M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $1.3M | $1.3M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $29.5M | $33.6M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $316K | $258K | $44K | $14K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $8.4M | $6.8M | $1.2M | $383K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $1.1M | $946K | $121K | $38K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $837K | $683K | $120K | $34K |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $632K | $272K | $205K | $155K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $776K | $754K | $17K | $5K |
| InterestLn 20 | $41K | $41K | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $688K | $644K | $29K | $15K |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $176K | $144K | $24K | $8K |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $1.5M | $1.3M | $89K | $49K |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $484K | $330K | $93K | $61K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $15.0M | $12.2M | $2.0M | $764K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Jul 25, 2025 | $19.5M | $17.7M | $1.8M | $37.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Sep 16, 2024 | $18.0M | $16.2M | $1.8M | $34.4M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Sep 14, 2023 | $16.7M | $17.4M | −$719K | $32.6M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Sep 14, 2022 | $19.1M | $15.0M | $4.1M | $33.6M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Aug 10, 2021 | $15.9M | $14.0M | $1.8M | $29.5M | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $19,078,518 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 17 of 17 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $19,078,518 across 11 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $14,950,106 across 11 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $34,953,494 assets, 16 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $33,637,500 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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