Avenues for Justice Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, afj saw strong outcomes: of the cases that had court outcomes during 2025, 54% were adjourned1 and 28% were dismissed. Less than 3% of such outcomes resulted in incarcerating a participant. In 2025, 257 court-involved participants exited the program; 251 completed the program, with 206 achieving both court-mandated and afj-established goalsour program is effective and efficient. Afj's long-term recidivism data shows that only 6% of participants are reconvicted within three years of enrolling, compared to 42% of nyc parolees in a comparable study. Among successful graduates, over six years, only 14% of participants were reconvicted, with most of these convictions being for misdemeanors. Operating rikers costs nyc taxpayers approximately $500,000 per incarcerated person per year. It only costs afj $8,900 to put one young person through a full year of our wraparound services which lead to employment, academic success, and long-term stability.afj's evaluation approach extends beyond short-term outputs to long-term outcomes. By maintaining relationships with participants after program completion, afj tracks continued employment, educationaladvancement, and overall stability. These longitudinal outcomes are critical indicators of success for justice impacted youth navigating barriers to employment. In 2025, afj continued to collect participant satisfaction surveys to assess the impact of the program services beyond recidivism and to obtain participant feedback about the quality of service. Respondents reported that afj had improved their decision-making, given them hope, and helped them resist peer pressure.while data informs our strategic decisions, afj believes that impact must be measured in both numbers and narratives. We regularly share participant stories to highlight how, with the right support, young people facing significant barriers can thrive. Success is when a participant satisfies the court's requirements and receives a favorable disposition of their case. Success is when our participants complete the hire up program, graduate from school, go on to further education, and/or enter gainful employment. Success is when we address the needs of our participants as a whole, recognizing that personal growth, community connection, and long-term stability are just as critical as statistical outcomes.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 82.4%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -24.7%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.72; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 11.4%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings