The Arc of Rensselaer County

Legal name: Nysarc Inc Rensselaer County Chapter

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
141485873
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Troy, NY, US
Phone
(518) 274-3110
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Developmentally Disabled Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$38,455,358
Expenses
$38,253,536
Assets
$19,782,167
Liabilities
$11,452,120

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • EDWARD SPAIN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • KATHERINE BISHOP (PRESIDENT)
  • DONALD MULLIN (CEO)
  • NICHOLAS DIER (ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR QUALITY ASSURANCE & S)

Highest reported compensation

  • DONALD MULLIN (CEO): $206,872 total reported compensation
  • BRITTANY SHEEHY (RESIDENTIAL OPERATIONS MAN): $187,223 total reported compensation
  • TRACEY HEMPEL (ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECT): $167,334 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Arc of Rensselaer County supports individuals with developmental disabilities to live, work, and participate as active citizens in their communities.

What it reported doing in 2025

The arc of rensselaer county provides residential supports to over 170 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across more than 80 locations throughout its service area. Services are individualized and designed to meet the needs, preferences, and goals of each person served. Residential services are delivered across a range of settings, including 24-hour supervised group homes, supportive apartments, life-sharing arrangements, and paid neighbor models. Group homes provide continuous staff support for three or more individuals. Supportive apartments offer individualized supports to one or two individuals living more independently. Life-sharing involves a live-in caregiver, while paid neighbor supports are provided by staff residing in close proximity. Service models are tailored to promote independence, community integration, and quality of life, in collaboration with individuals and their families.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 97% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.6%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 93%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • 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; 64th 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: 0.5%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.52; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.58; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.9%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 9 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 93.6% of revenue deployed · 93% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $35.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $207K · 27 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $143K reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 37/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 21/100.