Princeton Child Development Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
221912964
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Princeton, NJ, USA
Phone
6099246280
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$11,467,870
Expenses
$10,307,203
Assets
$23,818,234
Liabilities
$734,581

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PHILIP EDWARDS (PRESIDENT)
  • AMANDA FREEMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • CHRISTINE FRY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • AMANDA FREEMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $180,152 total reported compensation
  • CHRISTINE FRY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $178,942 total reported compensation
  • JOYCE MACDUFF (AST. DIR./AIDE): $158,570 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Pcdi provides lifelong, science-based support for individuals with autism, extending beyond the classroom and age 21. Our programs include early intervention, k-12 education, home-based parent training, career development, and community-based residential services. Through individualized, evidence-based approaches, we unlock each learner's unique potential, fostering growth, independence, and dignity. Dedicated to expanding access to vital resources, we lead with compassion and innovation to create meaningful opportunities for individuals with autism locally and globally.

What it reported doing in 2024

Residential programsestablished in 1977, family focus program pioneered New Jersey's first group home for young people with autism. With the addition of our latest residential setting this year, pcdi now has three (3) family-style group homes. Pcdi extends around-the-clock care to individuals, some with severe disabilities. Homes are staffed by dedicated professional family teachers who reside on-site, fostering successful family-participation experiences. Residents engage in a range of family-style activities designed to enhance language skills, recreational pursuits, daily living abilities, health, hygiene, and personal safety. Tailored programs promote social interaction initiation and decision-making skills, while frequent community outings empower residents to integrate fully into community life. In our residential program, every individual's journey is guided with compassion and personalized support. In our supervised apartment program, adults with autism experience independent living with pcdi professionals' guidance. They receive tailored instruction in self-care, home management, and community engagement. Individualized programs focus on developing social interaction skills, budget management, and active participation in diverse community activities. At pcdi, we empower individuals to thrive in their own apartments while providing essential support for their journey towards independence.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 90% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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 reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 65
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.8%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 86.7%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th 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: 10.1%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.31; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.7%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.8% of revenue deployed · 86.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $8.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $180K · 16 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.