California Autism Foundation DBA A Better Chance School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
680149447
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Richmond, CA, USA
Phone
5107580433
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,289,373
Expenses
$6,217,952
Assets
$11,669,316
Liabilities
$283,143

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Valisha Fullard (Executive Director)
  • Sandra Anderson-Knox (President)
  • John Visbal (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Valisha Fullard (Executive Director): $183,273 total reported compensation
  • Edith Molinier (Principal, ABC School): $166,951 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide people with autism and other developmental disabilities the best possible opportunities for lifetime support, training and assistance to help them reach their highest potential for independence, productivity and fulfillment.

What it reported doing in 2024

A Better Chance Industries ("ABC Industries")ABC Industries served as a program within the Foundation, offering comprehensive support, training, and employment opportunities for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities. Through the Educational and Vocational Program, participants were empowered to achieve greater independence, productivity, and personal fulfillment. Additionally, the Supported Employment Program provided job training and placement services to facilitate meaningful workforce integration.In 2023, ABC Industries was phased out, with alternative programs introduced to continue providing these essential services in place of ABC Industries: Educational and Vocational Programs - Built on a foundation of social inclusion through participation in community, the Foundation provides individualized educational, and community based social programs that are a blend of academic, cultural, recreational and environmental instruction leading to increased competencies and skills.ABC Supported EmploymentABC Supported Employment Program provides assistance to participants who are employed at various off-site businesses. The Foundation Job Coaches secure appropriate positions for individuals by assessing skills and interests; coordinating with employers to match jobs to skill sets, and providing ongoing, individualized support. As the liaison between the employer and The Foundation employee, Job Coaches facilitate any necessary accommodations and ancillary services. Utilizing a four-step process that includes (1) Assessment (2) Job Development (3) Pre-vocation Coaching (4) Job Coaching, The Foundation's comprehensive services enables individuals with disabilities to access and succeed in community employment, and opens doors to an inclusive, enriching and fulfilling life.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 94% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.4%; rating input score 76
  • Program expense ratio: 80.8%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: 8 of 8 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: 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: 1.1%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.88; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.3% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.4% of revenue deployed · 80.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $183K · 8 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $108K reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 38/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 49/100.