Forward Careers Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN: 391657328
IRS 990 coverage: 2009–2024
Forms available: Form 990 2024
Location: Waukesha, WI, USA
Phone: 2626957885
Rating: 82
Verdict: STRONG
Rating confidence: Moderate
Sector: Employment Procurement Assistance

Reported finances

Revenue: $2,321,779
Expenses: $2,320,893
Assets: $1,613,004
Liabilities: $483,613

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

CINDY SIMONS (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

CINDY SIMONS (PRESIDENT & CEO): $142,993 total reported compensation
JOSEPH STARRETT (CONTROLLER/TREASURER/SECRETARY): $97,785 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Forward careers, inc. (forward careers) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with over 30 years of administering and implementing job training programs across southeast Wisconsin. Our mission is to develop a thriving workforce and strong economy by being the preferred source for career exploration, education and skills training, and employment connections to every person and business.

What it reported doing in 2024

Administering the workforce innovation and opportunity act (wioa) program. The wioa adult, dislocated worker, youth and rapid response programs are designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training and supportive services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skills workers they need to complete in the global economy. The adult program served approximately 87 clients, the dislocated worker program served approximately 46 clients, and the youth program served approximately 73 clients with career planning, basic skills training, job search assistance, job search skills, and in-demand employer-linked training. The rapid response program activities include presentations of available resources and training opportunities to groups of workers facing layoffs or their company is having a large downsizing of their workforce or complete closer.

Operating model

Revenue model: Grant-funded. 83% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model: Direct operator. The filing allocates 82% 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. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

Financial Efficiency: 78
Transparency & Controls: 94
Accountability: 100
Sustainability: 31
Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

Mission deployment rate: 87.5%; rating input score 88
Program expense ratio: 87.5%; rating input score 87
Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Pay-setting controls: Limited
Foreign activity oversight: Limited
Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 44th 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: 0%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.69; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.3; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
Officer compensation ratio: 10.4%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

Program expense growth: -9.1% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
Revenue growth: -7.5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
Asset growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Details

Where the money goes: 87.5% of revenue deployed · 87.5% of spending went to programs
Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $2M in reported program spending
Leadership: top reported pay $143K · 7 people listed
Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $131K reported
Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
Contacts: How to reach this organization
Money network: 4 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.
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 34/100.
High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 26/100.
High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.
Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.