Retrieving Independence INC FY2021 filing

Nashville, TN · Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Since 2012 · Animals

✓ Tax-deductible Latest data FY2021
Revenue
$505K
▲ +73% vs prior year
Spent
$374K
To programs
82%
Net assets
$352K
You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Form 990 for the fiscal year ending December 2021 (IRS tax year 2021).

Status and standing

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Yes — filed FY2025
Foundation funders?
5 funders, incl. Donor Advised Charitable Giving INC
$55K in the latest grant year.
Spent on programs?
82% to programs
Form 990 Part IX, latest filing.
Size and trend
$100K–1M
↑ +73% vs prior year
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CRetrieving Independence INC
EINHdr · item D46-0648411
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 2014
Year of formationHdr · item L2012
Latest filingForm 990FY2025 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CNashville, TN
NTEE classificationIRS BMFAnimals (D61)
WebsiteHdr · item Jretrievingindependence.org

Where the money goes

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.82 Management & general $0.18
Program services82%$308K
Management & general18%$66K
Total functional expensesLn 25$374K

Financial health

Revenue & expenses by yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$505K
FY2021▲ +73%
Expenses
$374K
FY2021▲ +19%
Program efficiency
82%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
9.4mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
+26%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2021 · Form 990
Total assets
$354K
FY2021▲ +55%
Total liabilities
$1K
FY2021▼ -95%
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$131K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$354K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B82%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 312
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 48

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$294K
Total assetsLn 16$354K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$1K
Total net assetsLn 32$352K
Months of cash on handcomputed9.4

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$391K · 77%
Program service revenue$113K · 22%
Contributions & grants77%$391K
Program service revenue22%$113K
Other revenue$1K
— government grantsLn 1e$119K
Total revenueLn 12$505K

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2021 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $294K · Operating expenses/yr $374K
9.4 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $308K · Total expenses $374K
82%
Management & General
Management & general $66K · Total expenses $374K
18%
Fundraising
Fundraising $0 · Total expenses $374K
0%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (2-yr avg) $0 · Solicited contributions (2-yr avg) $223K
Solicited contributions below reporting floor
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $391K · Total revenue $505K
77%
Government reliance
Government grants $119K · Total revenue $505K
24%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $113K · Total revenue $505K
22%
Investment reliance
Investment income $0 · Total revenue $505K
0%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $113K · Total expenses $374K
30%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $505K · Prior year $291K
+73%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $352K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $505K · Expenses $374K
+26%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $354K
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $352K · Total assets $354K
100%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $0 · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $354K
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Jessica Petty · Reported title CEO/PRESIDENT · Highest reported compensation $63K · Total expenses $374K
17%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $176K · Total expenses $374K
47%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 82%——
Overhead ratio 18%——
Fundraising cost ratio 0%——
Revenue growth 73%——
Investment management fee ratio 0%——
Legal fee ratio 0.7%——
Accounting fee ratio 2%——
Fundraising fee ratio 0%——

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Leadership and pay

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
CEO/President
$62,563Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Lauren Dougall’s $86K as CEO/ President is at the 89th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1220 $100K–1M animals 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
Lauren Dougall$86,000$78,340$71,400$62,333——
Jessica Petty———$5,688$62,563$69,800

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.

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Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a12
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b8
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aNo
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13No
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14No
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aNo
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Mission and programs

Trains and places skilled dogs with people with disabilities to improve their lives.

Provided by the organization

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $308K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2021.
01

In 2021, retrieving independence trained and placed 39 dogs that were housed, fed, and trained to assist persons with disabilities.

$289Kprogram expense
02

Inmate and Partner Recipient Training

Retrieving independence partners with inmates at TN prisons to train and socialize dogs for placement. Inmates receive 30 hours intensive training before working with puppies. A team of two inmates receives a puppy that will live, work and train with them for the next 14 to 20 months under the direct supervision of ri trainers and staff.

$10Kprogram expense
03

Training Camps

Ten day training camp centers around new owners, family members and the service dogs. New dog owners and their families learn skills so all participants are comfortable returning to their homes with their service dogs. Additionally, the client and dog are certified for public access prior to leaving the program.

$9Kprogram expense

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Funders

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 →

Filing history

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2025 Latest $480K$518K+2% 990 PDF
FY2024 $469K$480K+30% 990 PDF
FY2023 $360K$410K+30% 990 PDF
FY2022 $276K$372K-45% 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $505K$374K+73% 990 PDF
FY2020 $291K$314K 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

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2021IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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