4 Paws for Ability Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 311625484
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2013–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Xenia, OH, USA
- Phone
- 9373740385
- Rating
- 86
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $4,858,746
- Expenses
- $4,105,173
- Assets
- $9,182,660
- Liabilities
- $1,140,618
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
15 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JULIE GEORGE (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- JENNIFER LUTES (EXECUTIVE DI): $100,826 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
4 paws' primary activity is to train service dogs to assist individuals with physical and hidden disabilities, including children with autism and seizures, with independent living.
What it reported doing in 2024
4 paws for ability's mission is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities by placing life-changing service dogs. We envision a world where people with disabilities can realize their full potential, one service dog at a time. We make a lifetime commitment to ensure the well-being of every 4 paws dog we breed, train, and place. We develop the skills of our team members to attract and maintain the best available talent. We maintain a large, dedicated, and well-trained volunteer base to support the success of every 4 paws dog. We offer a lifetime of support for our 4 paws families, and we make our service dogs available to those who qualify by placing dogs tailored to their unique, individual needs. We maintain financial independence by being good stewards of our donor contributions, which enables the organization to make decisions in the best interest of our clients and team members. We also educate our clients and community on the appropriate use of service dogs and the differences between service dogs, therapy dogs, emotional support animals, and other working dogs. In 2024, 4 paws placed 113 service dogs with children or veterans and 194 future service puppies were born. Cumulatively over the past 25 years, approximately 2,000 service dogs have been placed.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and liabilities are high compared with assets.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 76
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 67
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 78.5%; rating input score 78
- Program expense ratio: 85.5%; rating input score 85
- Fundraising efficiency: $11.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 15.5%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.24; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 2.5%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 78.5% of revenue deployed · 85.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.5M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $101K · 15 people listed
- Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.