First Place Az

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
461722227
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone
6024646602
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Housing Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,720,971
Expenses
$10,939,361
Assets
$14,372,042
Liabilities
$1,485,136

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DENISE D RESNIK (FOUNDER, PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • DENISE D RESNIK (FOUNDER, PRESIDENT & CEO): $319,937 total reported compensation
  • NANCY OTTMANN (COO): $231,768 total reported compensation
  • TOM ORTEGA (DIRECTOR OF MULZET CENTER): $121,900 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Set the standard for supportive residential communities where adults with autism and/or developmental disabilities can build the skills and confidence to live with pride, purpose and greater independence.

What it reported doing in 2025

Global leadership institute: the gli is composed of five centers- maricopa county ida center for education, training and employment; make waves center for community development; colonel harland sanders center for applied research; mulzet center for expression; and the daniel jordan fiddle foundation center for public policy. The gli serves as a multidisciplinary hub for researchers, educators, support staff and medical professionals, as well as a robust site for research and development advancements in public policy. The gli is the catalyst for spearheading the development of models and programs informing capacity-building strategies and supportive policies for broader reach and lasting local, national and international impact. We identify inequities within our community to create neurological and cognitive curb cuts that empower and embrace inclusion of individuals with autism, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and offer peace of mind to families. In 2025, gli embarked on a new workplace and workforce development program through first place az.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 71% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 50% for direct work, 50% for grants, and 0% for affiliated organizations.
  • 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 27
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 89.8%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $23.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • 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: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 25th 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: -12.5%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.31; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.1%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.8% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 89.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 16 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $9.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $320K · 20 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2014 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 4 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 8/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 43/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 48/100.