To advocate for the freedom of choice for individuals with disabilities to live independently through the removal of all barriers.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
70¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$71K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $55K a year · 4% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
70%
of spending
Fine: 70% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$71K
to officers and key staff · 10% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 10% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $50K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$208K
46% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 46% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$757K
Spent
$711K
To programs
70%
Net assets
$245K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$757K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$757K
FY2021$912K
FY2022$1.3M
FY2023$1.5M
FY2024$1.7M
FY2025$1.8M
Expenses
$711K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$711K
FY2021$892K
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$1.7M
FY2025$1.8M
Net assets
$245K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$245K
FY2021$265K
FY2022$428K
FY2023$560K
FY2024$546K
FY2025$526K

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending September 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 1995.

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

Where the money goes

70 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 70% · $501K Management & general 28% · $200K Fundraising 1% · $10K

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

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Who runs it and what they're paid

9 people listed on the 990; $71K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$71,400Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Scott Burlingame’s $97K as Executive Director is at the 32nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3869 $1–10M human services 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Scott Burlingame$96,514$96,514$79,421$64,372$60,508$71,400

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 Independence 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

Advocates for disabled individuals' freedom to live independently by removing barriers.

Questions for Independence INC

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $501K · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Independence, inc. Teaches independent living skills, provides peer mentoring, nursing home and youth transition, and advocacy for individuals with all types of disabilities. It also provides education, information and referral services to the communities it serves.

$501Kprogram 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 · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$50K

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$757K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$756K
Other incomeLn 4–11$573
Money outPt IX
$711K
Ln 25
Programscol B$501K
Managementcol C$200K
Fundraisingcol D$10K
Owns and owesPt X
$245K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$325K
Total assetsLn 16$453K
LiabilitiesLn 26$208K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$756K
Government grantsLn 1e$671K
Other incomeLn 4–11$573
Total revenueLn 12$757K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$325K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$325K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$39K
Total assetsLn 16$453K
LiabilitiesLn 26$208K
Net assetsLn 32$245K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 511
VolunteersI 631
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$117K$325K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$40K$39K
Total assetsLn 16$226K$453K
LiabilitiesLn 26$27K$208K
Net assetsLn 32$199K$245K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$72K$70K$257$2K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$376K$239K$134K$4K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$11K$8K$3K$177
Other employee benefitsLn 9$68K$47K$20K$520
Payroll taxesLn 10$31K$21K$9K$424
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K$78
Advertising and promotionLn 12$992$919$73
Office expensesLn 13$10K$3K$7K$206
Information technologyLn 14$2K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$62K$62K
TravelLn 17$16K$16K$142$44
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$2K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$14K$14K
InsuranceLn 23$18K$2K$15K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$23K$17K$3K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$711K$501K$200K$10K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.8M$1.8M−$20K$526K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.7M$1.7M−$14K$546K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.5M$1.3M$132K$560K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.3M$1.2M$164K$428K 990 PDF
FY2021 $912K$892K$20K$265K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $757K$711K$46K$245K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $756,529 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $744,837$755,956
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $449$573
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $745,286$756,529
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 $536,035$558,335
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $171,919$152,425
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $707,954$710,760
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $37,332$45,769
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $756,529 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$670,525
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$85,431
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$755,956
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $573$573
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $573 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$756,529
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $710,760 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $69,971 · Management $257 · Fundraising $2,122$72,350
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $238,696 · Management $133,878 · Fundraising $3,771$376,345
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $7,798 · Management $3,245 · Fundraising $177$11,220
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $47,038 · Management $20,120 · Fundraising $520$67,678
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $21,193 · Management $9,125 · Fundraising $424$30,742
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $5,159 · Fundraising $78$5,237
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $919 · Fundraising $73$992
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,400 · Management $6,872 · Fundraising $206$10,478
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $1,714$1,714
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $61,754$61,754
IX-17 TravelPrograms $15,585 · Management $142 · Fundraising $44$15,771
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,013$2,013
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $13,651$13,651
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,353 · Management $15,300$17,653
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $17,257 · Management $3,002 · Fundraising $2,903$23,162
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $500,709 · Management $199,733 · Fundraising $10,318$710,760
Part X · Balance sheet $453,135 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $117,054$324,950
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $68,669$89,557
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $40,262$38,628
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $225,985$453,135
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $27,083$208,464
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $27,083$208,464
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $198,902$244,671
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $198,902$244,671
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $225,985$453,135
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $244,671 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$756,529
XI-2 Total expenses$710,760
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$45,769
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$198,902
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$244,671

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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