Pause a While Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
451554473
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Brewster, MA, USA
Phone
9143290346
Rating
37
Verdict
REVIEW
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public Foundations

Reported finances

Revenue
$348,263
Expenses
$6,763
Assets
$1,556,505
Liabilities
$886,418

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANDREW FETTIG (President & CEO)
  • HILARY SANDLER (Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • DOUG SIVCO (Director)
  • JOHN FARINACCI (Treasurer)
  • KATE MACAULAY (Director)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The Pause is a Community Center for Recovery which supports alcoholics, addicts, family members, and loved ones of those suffering from substance misuse. We facilitate this by providing a dedicated space for 12-step meetings and year-round sober social activities.

What it reported doing in 2025

Installed new siding and trim, replaced air/heat appliances and hot water heater. Hosted two fundraising events and continued to collaborate with other not for profit agencies in our community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

REVIEW - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. 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: 6
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 0
  • Sustainability: 85
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0.5%; rating input score 1
  • Program expense ratio: 14.6%; rating input score 15
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 98.1%; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 230.15; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.57; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -44% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.4% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 29% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 0.5% of revenue deployed · 14.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 7 board members independent · 0 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $987 in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2022 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 1/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 15/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 7/100.