Independence Now Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 521891697
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Phone
- 3012772839
- Rating
- 83
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Intergroup, Race Relations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,679,419
- Expenses
- $1,684,358
- Assets
- $1,522,012
- Liabilities
- $230,649
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Jamie Freeny (President)
- Cindy Buddington (Vice President)
- Diane Palmer (Executive Director)
Highest reported compensation
- Diane Palmer (Executive Director): $43,306 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
See Schedule O for DetailsIndependence Now is a Center for Independent Living serving people with disabilities throughout Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, Maryland. Our mission is to empower people with disabilities to live independently, exercise self-determination, and fully participate in community life. Staffed and governed by a majority of people with disabilities, we advance disability rights and inclusion through advocacy, independent living skills training, peer support, information and referral services, transition assistance, assistive technology, youth leadership development, and community-based supports.
What it reported doing in 2024
See Schedule O for DetailsDuring fiscal year 2025, Independence Now provided services and supports to 183 consumers with disabilities in Montgomery County and 210 in Prince George's County. A total of 20 cases were closed in Montgomery County, and 18 cases were closed in Prince George's County. The top three services across our service area were Information and Referral (5,802 inquiries handled), Peer counseling (236 consumers), and Independent Living skills training (173 consumers).Independent Living and Community Integration Services: Independence Now delivered information and referral services, independent living skills training, personalized assistance designed to help people with disabilities achieve greater independence and community participation. Services supported individuals in obtaining housing, employment, transportation, healthcare, assistive technology, and community resources.Transition and Supports Planning Services: The organization assisted individuals transitioning from nursing facilities and other institutional settings into community-based living arrangements. Staff provided person-centered planning, resource coordination, housing guidance, and advocacy to help individuals successfully move to and remain in the community. The Supports Planning Agency served 189 consumers. Assistive Technology and Accessibility: Through partnerships and direct service programs, Independence Now helped individuals obtain assistive technology and accessibility-related supports that increased independence at home, work, school, and in the community. Services included technology assessments, device acquisition assistance, training, and accessibility modifications.Youth Leadership and Pre-Employment Transition Services: The organization provided leadership development, independent living skills training, self-advocacy education, and transition-to-adulthood programming for youth and young adults with disabilities. These services helped participants prepare for post-secondary education, employment, community engagement, and independent living.Employment and Benefits Counseling: Independence Now provided benefits counseling and work incentive planning to 785 consumers receiving Social Security disability benefits. Services helped participants understand the impact of employment on benefits, increase financial self-sufficiency, and make informed decisions regarding education and career opportunities.Advocacy and Systems Change: As a disability-led organization, Independence Now engaged in individual and systems advocacy to improve access, equity, and inclusion for people with disabilities. The organization worked collaboratively with youth and adult consumers, government agencies, community organizations, and policymakers to promote civil rights, accessibility, and opportunities for independent living.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Grant-funded. 71% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% 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: 72
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 95
- Sustainability: 39
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 81.7%; rating input score 82
- Program expense ratio: 79.1%; rating input score 79
- 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; 76th 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Fail
- 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: -0.3%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.9; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 2.6%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 81.7% of revenue deployed · 79.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $43K · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 34/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: CEO compensation review process not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 39/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.