To promote independence for persons with disabilities and provide guidance, education, and advocacy.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
78¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 44 volunteers and 8 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
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $18K a year · 3% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
78%
of spending
Looks good: 78% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$95K
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.8 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $91
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$70K
119% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 119% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 10 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 10 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$510K
+3% vs prior year
Spent
$471K
To programs
78%
Net assets
−$11K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$510K
FY2025▲ +3%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$674K
FY2021$835K
FY2022$453K
FY2023$484K
FY2024$495K
FY2025$510K
Expenses
$471K
FY2025▲ +0.8%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$742K
FY2021$807K
FY2022$539K
FY2023$529K
FY2024$468K
FY2025$471K
Net assets
−$11K
FY2025▲ +78%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$26K
FY2021$54K
FY2022−$32K
FY2023−$77K
FY2024−$49K
FY2025−$11K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

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

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

Where the money goes

78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 78% · $368K Management & general 22% · $104K

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

10 people listed on the 990; $95K 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
Executive Di
$94,692Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Preside
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Regina Lynette’s $95K as Executive Di is at the 83rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 2168 $100K–1M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Regina Lynette$94,692$86,698$77,732——
Brandon L Brown———$74,855$68,670

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 Empower Tennessee 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

Empowers people with disabilities through guidance, education, and advocacy for independence.

Questions for Empower Tennessee

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Your first name shows with your question. Empower Tennessee answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $368K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Provide information for services, assist in community education activities, as well as to provide group advocacy and services to enhance independent living opportunities for people with disabilities.

$368Kprogram 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$91

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$510K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$510K
Money outPt IX
$471K
Ln 25
Programscol B$368K
Managementcol C$104K
Owns and owesPt X
−$11K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$33K
Total assetsLn 16$59K
LiabilitiesLn 26$70K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$510K
Government grantsLn 1e$467K
Total revenueLn 12$510K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$33K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$33K
Other assetsLn 15$1K
Total assetsLn 16$59K
LiabilitiesLn 26$70K
Net assetsLn 32−$11K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 644
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$24K$33K
Total assetsLn 16$73K$59K
LiabilitiesLn 26$123K$70K
Net assetsLn 32−$49K−$11K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$299K$280K$19K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$8K$8K$525
Other employee benefitsLn 9$34K$33K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$22K$21K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$37K$17K$20K
Office expensesLn 13$21K$3K$18K
OccupancyLn 16$21K$21K
TravelLn 17$6K$423$5K
InterestLn 20$4K$4K
InsuranceLn 23$9K$9K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$10K$6K$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$471K$368K$104K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $510K$471K$38K−$11K 990 PDF
FY2024 $495K$468K$28K−$49K 990 PDF
FY2023 $484K$529K−$45K−$77K 990 PDF
FY2022 $453K$539K−$86K−$32K 990 PDF
FY2021 $835K$807K$28K$54K 990 PDF
FY2020 $674K$742K−$68K$26K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $509,667 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $475,470$509,667
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $19,812$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $495,282$509,667
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $329,117$363,757
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $138,410$107,624
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $467,527$471,381
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $27,755$38,286
Part VI · Governance 9 of 10 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10
VI-1b Independent voting members9
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 $509,667 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$466,972
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$42,695
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$509,667
VIII-12 Total revenue$509,667
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $471,381 across 11 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $280,401 · Management $18,916$299,317
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $7,746 · Management $525$8,271
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $32,568 · Management $1,262$33,830
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $20,790 · Management $1,549$22,339
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $16,691 · Management $20,032$36,723
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $2,883 · Management $18,078$20,961
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $20,604$20,604
IX-17 TravelPrograms $423 · Management $5,166$5,589
IX-20 InterestManagement $4,493$4,493
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $9,166$9,166
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $6,318 · Management $3,770$10,088
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $367,820 · Management $103,561 · Fundraising $0$471,381
Part X · Balance sheet $58,953 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $23,687$33,268
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $48,466$24,352
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,333$1,333
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $73,486$58,953
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $71,873$32,634
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $50,977$37,397
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $122,850$70,031
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$49,364−$11,078
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$49,364−$11,078
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $73,486$58,953
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$11,078 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$509,667
XI-2 Total expenses$471,381
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$38,286
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$49,364
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$11,078

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

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