The ALS Association Golden West Chapter is dedicated to leading the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy while also empowering people with ALS and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support. The Golden West Chapter supports people living with ALS and their loved ones in 31 counties throughout California and the entire state of Hawaii.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$1.1M 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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FY2021 · 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 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.3M a year · 12% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
82%
of spending
Looks good: 82% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$1.1M
to officers and key staff · 15% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 15% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
15 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 15.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $158K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$1.6M
14% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 14% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
15
of 15 voting members
Looks good: 15 of 15 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$8.8M
Spent
$7.5M
To programs
82%
Net assets
$9.4M
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$8.8M
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$8.8M
FY2023$10.2M
FY2024$11.5M
FY2025$13.5M
Expenses
$7.5M
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$7.5M
FY2023$9.2M
FY2024$10.1M
FY2025$12.0M
Net assets
$9.4M
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$9.4M
FY2023$11.7M
FY2024$13.2M
FY2025$14.6M

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending January 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Jan 2024.

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

Where the money goes

82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 82% · $6.2M Management & general 8% · $611K Fundraising 9% · $703K

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

21 people listed on the 990; $1.1M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
President/CEO
$388,033Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Development
$188,404Pt VII · Sec A
$177,784Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Community Outreach
$129,502Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Care Services
$110,000Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Finance & Admin.
$110,000Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Fred B Fisher’s $399K as President Emeritus is at the 64th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2901 $10–100M health care 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2021
Fred B Fisher$398,596$662,148$504,676$388,033
Sheri Strahl$354,445$304,091$293,446$177,784
Cherryl Fluk$239,404———
Cherryl Goldstein—$220,397$196,903$188,404
Jon Asher Garfinkel$153,732$143,702$138,377$129,502
Paul Willett$146,976$139,355$150,644$110,000
Audra Hindes$145,245$134,845$126,241$110,000
Eric Beikmann$132,501———

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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Supports people with ALS and their families through research, advocacy, and compassionate care.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $2.9M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Our mission critical program priorities include care services, research, and advocacy. These programs are provided to people with ALS and their families at no charge. Our accomplishments for fiscal year ending 1/31/21 are as follows:Care Management -Strategically based in and near patients' home communities, the Chapter's Care Managers…

$1.3Mprogram expense
02

ALS Clinic Support -The Golden West Chapter is committed to making sure that people living with ALS have access to specialized care that is based on best practices. Proven by research to help people with ALS live longer and better lives, access to multidisciplinary clinics is one of the cornerstones of the Golden West Chapter's…

$862Kprogram expense
03

National ALS Association -As one of 34 chapters affiliated with The ALS Association, the Golden West Chapter provides ongoing financial support to The ALS Association national office to support federal public policy initiatives to improve the lives of patients and families living with ALS as well as global cutting-edge research projects…

$770Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Als NorthwestFY2025$150K
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$158K
Grants paid · 44 grants · $5.4M · 2020–2024
Als Association Greater Sacramento ChapterCA · FY2024$216,336
Als Southwest AssociationCA · FY2024$173,934
Forbes Norris Als Research CenterCA · FY2024$100,000
Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterCA · FY2024$100,000
Uc Davis Multidisciplinary Als ClinicFY2024$100,000
Als Association Greater Sacramento ChapterCA · FY2023$226,936
Als Southwest AssociationCA · FY2023$182,434
Forbes Norris Als Research CenterCA · FY2023$100,000
Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterCA · FY2023$100,000
See all 44 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$8.8M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$8.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$1K
Money outPt IX
$7.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$6.2M
Managementcol C$611K
Fundraisingcol D$703K
Owns and owesPt X
$9.4M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$9.4M
Total assetsLn 16$11.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.6M
PeoplePt VI, VII
21
listed · VII A
PaidVII A6
Voting boardVI 1a15
IndependentVI 1b15
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$8.8M
Government grantsLn 1e$3.7M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$22K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$1.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$1K
Total revenueLn 12$8.8M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$7.2M
SavingsLn 2$2.2M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$9.4M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$20K
Total assetsLn 16$11.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.6M
Net assetsLn 32$9.4M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 550
VolunteersI 6578
Fiscal year endsHeaderJanuary
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$7.1M$9.4M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0$0
Total assetsLn 16$8.7M$11.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$636K$1.6M
Net assetsLn 32$8.1M$9.4M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$1.2M$1.2M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$400K$156K$24K$220K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$3.1M$2.7M$316K$129K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$52K$47K$5K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$405K$327K$39K$39K
Payroll taxesLn 10$266K$214K$26K$26K
Legal feesLn 11b$7K$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c$18K$15K$3K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$312K$212K$45K$56K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$2K$202$203
Office expensesLn 13$280K$225K$27K$27K
Information technologyLn 14$102K$82K$10K$10K
OccupancyLn 16$225K$181K$22K$22K
TravelLn 17$50K$40K$5K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$12K$10K$1K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$1.0M$764K$80K$167K
All other expensesLn 24e$13K$11K$1K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$7.5M$6.2M$611K$703K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $13.5M$12.0M$1.5M$14.6M 990 PDF
FY2024 $11.5M$10.1M$1.5M$13.2M 990 PDF
FY2023 $10.2M$9.2M$1.0M$11.7M 990 PDF
FY2022 Not on file
FY2021 Viewing $8.8M$7.5M$1.3M$9.4M 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 J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $8,808,987 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $10,438,540$8,807,876
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,937$1,111
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $10,440,477$8,808,987
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $1,256,000$1,178,000
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $3,346,650$4,258,222
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $3,586,524$2,032,485
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $8,189,174$7,468,707
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $2,251,303$1,340,280
Part VI · Governance 15 of 15 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body15
VI-1b Independent voting members15
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 $8,808,987 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$1,109,708
VIII-1d Related organizations$45,608
VIII-1e Government grants$3,718,340
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$3,934,220
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$21,840
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$8,807,876
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $1,111$1,111
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,111$8,808,987
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $7,468,707 across 17 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $1,178,000$1,178,000
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $156,075 · Management $24,070 · Fundraising $220,048$400,193
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $2,688,991 · Management $316,384 · Fundraising $129,176$3,134,551
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $47,055 · Management $5,417$52,472
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $327,084 · Management $39,104 · Fundraising $39,070$405,258
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $214,277 · Management $25,625 · Fundraising $25,846$265,748
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $6,891$6,891
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $14,516 · Management $2,984$17,500
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $211,511 · Management $45,316 · Fundraising $55,667$312,494
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,687 · Management $202 · Fundraising $203$2,092
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $225,419 · Management $26,958 · Fundraising $27,190$279,567
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $82,483 · Management $9,864 · Fundraising $9,949$102,296
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $181,108 · Management $21,658 · Fundraising $21,845$224,611
IX-17 TravelPrograms $40,056 · Management $4,790 · Fundraising $4,831$49,677
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $9,969 · Management $1,192 · Fundraising $1,202$12,363
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $764,343 · Management $79,934 · Fundraising $167,283$1,011,560
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $11,273 · Management $1,076 · Fundraising $1,085$13,434
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $6,153,847 · Management $611,465 · Fundraising $703,395$7,468,707
Part X · Balance sheet $11,034,948 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $6,247,771$7,151,430
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $886,193$2,204,259
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,526,481$1,577,800
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $8,385$45,750
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $45,472$35,745
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $23,524$19,964
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $8,737,826$11,034,948
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $636,435$711,215
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $0$722,010
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $636,435$1,593,225
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,074,899$6,703,361
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $3,026,492$2,738,362
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $8,101,391$9,441,723
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $8,737,826$11,034,948
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $9,441,723 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$8,808,987
XI-2 Total expenses$7,468,707
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$1,340,280
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$8,101,391
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$52
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$9,441,723

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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