IT is the mission of First h.e.l.p. To serve First responders across the united states by reducing mental health stigma through education services, providing support to families of First responders suffering from post-traumatic stress, acknowledging the service and sacrifice of First responders lost to suicide, and bringing awareness to suicide and mental health issues.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
81¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$77K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2022 · 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
Surplus or deficit
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $3K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
81%
of spending
Looks good: 81% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$77K
to officers and key staff · 8% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 8% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.1 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $29K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$154K
76% of total assets
Worth a look: liabilities are 76% of assets; over 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$785K
+28% vs prior year
Spent
$935K
To programs
81%
Net assets
$48K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$785K
FY2022▲ +28%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$345K
FY2021$613K
FY2022$785K
FY2023$608K
FY2024$604K
Expenses
$935K
FY2022▲ +34%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$288K
FY2021$700K
FY2022$935K
FY2023$669K
FY2024$379K
Net assets
$48K
FY2022▼ -76%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$124K
FY2021$198K
FY2022$48K
FY2023−$13K
FY2024$212K

From the FY2022 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2022 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Oct 2017.

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

Where the money goes

81 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 81% · $759K Management & general 18% · $172K Fundraising 1% · $5K

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; $77K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Vice President & Director
$29,458Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Training Officer
$19,840Pt VII · Sec A
President, Treasurer,clerk
$10,734Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$7,686Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$5,790Pt VII · Sec A
$2,047Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$1,800Pt VII · Sec A

Karen Solomon’s $4K as President is at the 1st 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 · 7 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Steven Hough——$29,458—
Joe Willis——$19,840$7,502
Karen Solomon$3,500$4,800$10,734$12,724
Robyn Mikel——$7,686—
Rob Winner——$5,790—
Sharonda Calderon——$2,047$1,250
Rod Rifredi——$1,800—

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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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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Educates and supports first responders and their families facing mental health challenges.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $570K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Training

Workshops and peer-to-peer mentoring sessions are designed to inform first responders on the physical and psychological effects of job-related stress and to reduce the effects of post-traumatic stress.

$256Kprogram expense
02

Family Weekend

An annual retreat is sponsored for first responders and their families to meet and attend various events moderated by trained professionals to teach coping skills.

$212Kprogram expense
03

Care Packages and Family Support

Care packages and financial support are provided to families affected by first responder suicide.

$101Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$29K
Grants paid · 5 grants · $107K · 2021–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$11,414
Unitemized GrantFY2023$37,048
Unitemized GrantFY2023$20,866
Unitemized GrantFY2022$29,293
Unitemized GrantFY2021$8,500

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$785K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$786K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Money outPt IX
$935K
Ln 25
Programscol B$759K
Managementcol C$172K
Fundraisingcol D$5K
Owns and owesPt X
$48K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$163K
Total assetsLn 16$203K
LiabilitiesLn 26$154K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A7
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$786K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$32K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Total revenueLn 12$785K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$163K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$163K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$625
Total assetsLn 16$203K
LiabilitiesLn 26$154K
Net assetsLn 32$48K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
VolunteersI 634
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$152K$163K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$763$625
Total assetsLn 16$552K$203K
LiabilitiesLn 26$354K$154K
Net assetsLn 32$198K$48K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$29K$29K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$11K$8K$3K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$133K$100K$33K
Payroll taxesLn 10$13K$10K$3K
Management feesLn 11a$9K$9K
Legal feesLn 11b$19K$19K
Accounting feesLn 11c$17K$17K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$74K$74K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$16K$16K
Office expensesLn 13$38K$17K$20K$588
Information technologyLn 14$37K$37K
TravelLn 17$198K$192K$4K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$217K$217K$753
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$21K$13K$7K
InsuranceLn 23$5K$5K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$90K$88K$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$10K$10K
Total functional expensesLn 25$935K$759K$172K$5K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $604K$379K$225K$212K 990 PDF
FY2023 $608K$669K−$61K−$13K 990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing $785K$935K−$150K$48K 990 PDF
FY2021 $613K$700K−$87K$198K 990 PDF
FY2020 $345K$288K$57K$124K 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 FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $785,457 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $606,637$785,808
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,862$2,391
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $4,354−$2,742
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $612,853$785,457
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $8,500$29,293
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $57,579$156,646
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $634,149$749,144
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $700,228$935,083
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$87,375−$149,626
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $785,457 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$31,533
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$754,275
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$785,808
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $2,391$2,391
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$2,742−$2,742
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$351$785,457
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $935,083 across 17 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $29,293$29,293
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $8,050 · Management $2,684$10,734
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $99,669 · Management $33,223$132,892
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $9,765 · Management $3,255$13,020
IX-11a Management feesManagement $9,249$9,249
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $18,691$18,691
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $16,687$16,687
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $73,789$73,789
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $15,621$15,621
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $17,316 · Management $20,399 · Fundraising $588$38,303
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $36,604$36,604
IX-17 TravelPrograms $192,004 · Management $3,521 · Fundraising $2,302$197,827
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $216,702 · Fundraising $753$217,455
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $13,400 · Management $7,212$20,612
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $4,525$4,525
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $88,496 · Fundraising $1,116$89,612
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $10,169$10,169
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $758,653 · Management $171,671 · Fundraising $4,759$935,083
Part X · Balance sheet $202,613 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $151,747$163,479
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$4,000
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $763$625
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $54,309$34,509
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $551,819$202,613
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $24,080$40,524
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $330,000$113,976
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $354,080$154,500
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $138,794−$76,262
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $58,945$124,375
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $197,739$48,113
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $551,819$202,613
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $48,113 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$785,457
XI-2 Total expenses$935,083
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$149,626
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$197,739
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$48,113

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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