The mission of Courthouse Dogs Foundation is to promote justice with compassion partnering with professionally trained facility dogs to provide support to everyone in the justice system. Most of these dogs are utilized to support children who have been victims of abuse, helping them feel safe enough to talk with a detective, a forensic interviewer and participate in legal proceedings, including testifying in court. A courthouse facility dog is a professionally trained dog that is placed with a legal professional for the purpose of providing support to individuals in the criminal justice system.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
85¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 11 volunteers and 1 employee.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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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
Spent on programs
85%
of spending
Looks good: 85% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$38K
to officers and key staff · 32% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 32% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
10 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 10.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $32K
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$792
0.8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$172K
+73% vs prior year
Spent
$118K
To programs
85%
Net assets
$100K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$172K
FY2024▲ +73%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$35K
FY2021$138K
FY2022$68K
FY2023$99K
FY2024$172K
Net assets
$100K
FY2024▲ +119%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$27K
FY2021$39K
FY2022$46K
FY2023$46K
FY2024$100K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Oct 2013.

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

Where the money goes

85 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 85% · $100K Management & general 15% · $18K

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

7 people listed on the 990; $38K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$37,500Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Felicia Ako’s $38K as CEO is at the 15th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1404 $100K–1M crime & legal 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2021FY2020
Felicia Ako$37,500——
Celeste Walsen—$32,666$4,000
Ellen O'Neill-Stephens—$32,666$4,000

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 Courthouse Dogs Foundation 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 trained dogs to support victims and others in the justice system.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $99K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Program Development

design, develop and execute on programs that help us begin new Courthouse Dogs Programs and sustain, and support existing ones.

$51Kprogram expense
02

Education & Outreach

As an independent nonprofit organization, Courthouse Dogs Foundation promotes justice with compassion by advocating for the use of professionally trained facility dogs handled by criminal justice professionals to provide emotional comfort to everyone in the legal system.

$46Kprogram expense
03

Research

This program is dedicated to encouraging and facilitating scientific research on the use of courthouse dogs within the judicial system. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a solid foundation of research that demonstrates the positive impact of courthouse facility dogs, helping to advocate for their expanded use in courts nationwide.

$2Kprogram 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 · FY2024
See all 5 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$172K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$142K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$30K
Other incomeLn 4–11$79
Money outPt IX
$118K
Ln 25
Programscol B$100K
Managementcol C$18K
Owns and owesPt X
$100K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$101K
Total assetsLn 16$101K
LiabilitiesLn 26$792
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$142K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$30K
Investment incomeLn 3$20
Other incomeLn 4–11$79
Gains on assetsLn 7$0
Total revenueLn 12$172K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$85K
SavingsLn 2$15K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$101K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$101K
LiabilitiesLn 26$792
Net assetsLn 32$100K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 51
VolunteersI 611
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$49K$101K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$49K$101K
LiabilitiesLn 26$3K$792
Net assetsLn 32$46K$100K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$38K$38K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$0
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$3K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$8K$8K
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$3K$3K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$11K$11K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$8K$778$7K
Information technologyLn 14$0
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$0
TravelLn 17$8K$8K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$4K$4K
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$0
InsuranceLn 23$798$798
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$30K$27K$3K
All other expensesLn 24e$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$118K$100K$18K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $172K$118K$54K$100K 990 PDF
FY2023 $99K$46K 990 PDF
FY2022 $68K$46K 990 PDF
FY2021 $138K$39K 990 PDF
FY2020 $35K$27K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $171,812 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $53,369$141,959
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $45,747$29,754
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2$20
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $333$79
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $99,451$171,812
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $6,535$49,052
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $92,831$68,579
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $99,366$117,631
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $85$54,181
Part VI · Governance 4 of 4 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $171,812 across 10 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$141,959
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$141,959
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $29,754$29,754
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $20$20
VIII-5 Royalties$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or loss$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assets$0
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $79$79
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $29,754 · Excluded from tax $99$171,812
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $117,631 across 31 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizations$0
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $37,500$37,500
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wages$0
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $3,433$3,433
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,119$8,119
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $2,070$2,070
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $3,311$3,311
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $11,108$11,108
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $1,179$1,179
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $778 · Management $7,488$8,266
IX-14 Information technology$0
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 Occupancy$0
IX-17 TravelPrograms $7,853$7,853
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $3,847$3,847
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $798$798
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $27,257 · Management $2,890$30,147
IX-24e All other expenses$0
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $99,895 · Management $17,736 · Fundraising $0$117,631
Part X · Balance sheet $100,585 assets, 18 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $48,592$85,181
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$15,404
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivable$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$0
X-11 Publicly traded securities$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assets$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $48,592$100,585
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,980$792
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $2,980$792
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $45,612$99,793
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $45,612$99,793
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $48,592$100,585
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $99,793 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$171,812
XI-2 Total expenses$117,631
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$54,181
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$45,612
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$99,793

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

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