Community Access Unlimited

Legal name: Community Access Unlimited Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
222318586
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Elizabeth, NJ, US
Phone
(908) 354-3040
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Residential Care & Adult Day Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$88,918,179
Expenses
$92,118,426
Assets
$90,213,242
Liabilities
$10,002,886

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CRAIG COUGHLIN JR (PRESIDENT)
  • BERNADETTE GRISWOLD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • ROBYN WRIGHT (ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - HR)
  • AISHA ARROYO (ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - RESIDENTIAL SERVICES)
  • ONEKIA GRIER (ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - DAY HAB/ED SERVICES)
  • MILDRED AURIGEMA (FORMER ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - FINANCE)

Highest reported compensation

  • BERNADETTE GRISWOLD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $609,918 total reported compensation
  • MILDRED AURIGEMA (FORMER ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - FINANCE): $398,709 total reported compensation
  • ROBYN WRIGHT (ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - HR): $346,069 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Founded in 1979, Community Access Unlimited is a Union County-based nonprofit that serves people with disabilities and at-risk youth across New Jersey. We give a voice to individuals who historically hold little power in society, assisting our members with housing, life skills, employment, personal finance, relationships, civic engagement, and much more. With more than 5,000 members and growing, we will never stop striving to create an all-inclusive, accessible world where everyone can lead a fulfilling life as part of the greater community.

What it reported doing in 2024

Division of developmental disabilities- residential programs in nj: we are proud to be a ddd approved provider in New Jersey. Cau provides community-based housing and support services in residential neighborhoods for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Cau owns licensed ddd residential homes in more than a dozen towns in union county for individuals with developmental disabilities, youth at risk, and individuals with low-income housing needs. We offer just about every kind of living accommodation on the market - townhouses, condominiums, single- and multi-family homes, and apartments are available so our members can decide how, and with whom, they live. Our options include barrier-free, fully accessible homes for individuals with physical challenges, including properties with roll-in showers, widened hallways, and wheelchair accessible features.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 81% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 85% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 96
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.1%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 88.7%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.6%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.98; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.8%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 92.1% of revenue deployed · 88.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $81.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $610K · 17 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $3.5M reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 39/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 41/100.