Firstgen Forward
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 993297663
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2024–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Washington, DC, USA
- Phone
- 2022657500
- Rating
- 65
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $7,696,035
- Expenses
- $6,378,009
- Assets
- $6,297,784
- Liabilities
- $5,204,483
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
11 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- MAURICE JONES (CEO, (UNTIL 6/30/2025))
- SARAH WHITLEY (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT)
- STEPHANIE BANNISTER (PRESIDENT, (FROM 11/1/2025))
Highest reported compensation
- MAURICE JONES (CEO, (UNTIL 6/30/2025)): $453,875 total reported compensation
- SAMUEL GOESSLING (SENIOR VP, GROWTH & SP): $383,806 total reported compensation
- SARAH WHITLEY (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT): $182,261 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Firstgen forward is the premier source for student success through a first-generation lens, equipping the higher education community with evidence-based approaches, data-informed strategies, professional development, and research.
What it reported doing in 2024
Network programs & recruitment: the firstgen forward network includes nearly 500 colleges and universities engaged in a three-phased approach dedicated to advancing the success of first-generation students. These activities include personnel, training, resource development, travel, institutional scholarships, workshops, and technology.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 97% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 52
- Transparency & Controls: 83
- Accountability: 86
- Sustainability: 48
- Growth: NotEnoughData
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 48.9%; rating input score 49
- Program expense ratio: 59%; rating input score 59
- Fundraising efficiency: $12.61 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 45; 45th 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; 72nd 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: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
- 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: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 17.1%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.99; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.83; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 23%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: Limited
- Asset growth: Limited
Details
- Where the money goes: 48.9% of revenue deployed · 59% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $3.8M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $454K · 11 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $941K reported
- Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 5 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.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 49/100.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 45/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 36/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 10/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.