Riverside Language Program Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Riverside's mission is to help new immigrants successfully integrate into life in the U.S. by rapidly improving their English language skills, providing wrap-around case management and counselling, and offering workforce development, digital literacy, and community and civic engagement training. These supports and skills ensure that Riverside program participants are best positioned to achieve economic mobility and social inclusion. Our unique integration model serves as a 'one-stop-shop' that helps new immigrants access these services directly or through coordinated referrals. The model focuses on four strategic pathways that leverage immigrants' human capital and unlock access to economic mobility, social inclusion, and civic engagement: 1. English Language Instruction: Free, full-time intensive English language classes that provide participants with 150 hours of English language instruction in each six-week cycle. Classes are taught by experienced instructors with master's degrees. 2. Workforce Development and Digital Literacy Instruction: Training on job readiness, the American workforce and norms, industry-specific terms, resume and cover letter writing, and soft skills such as etiquette, communication, listening, and interpersonal skills. Riverside also offers training on computer programs and online platforms and their applicability in classroom and workplace settings. 3. Personalized Integration Planning and Access to Social Services through Case Management/Counselling: Working with case management/counselling staff, participants will develop a personalized roadmap to achieve social, economic, and civic engagement goals. They will also receive direct services and referrals for early resettlement needs such as housing, legal aid, health insurance, and childcare. 4. Community and Civic Engagement: Training and resources that promote and build the capacity of program participants to actively engage in civic life as individuals and community members. Training can include a range of topics such as know-your-rights, financial literacy, and becoming a citizen, accessing resources such as the IDNYC and library cards. Our centralized model also serves to build community and establish a network among distinct immigrant communities in all five boroughs of New York City. FY2025 Accomplishments: During fiscal year 2025, Riverside Immigrant Services & Empowerment continued advancing its strategic vision of becoming a comprehensive immigrant integration center. The organization expanded its English language instruction, workforce development, digital literacy, legal access, and supportive services to help immigrant New Yorkers achieve economic mobility, self-sufficiency, and successful community integration. Riverside enrolled 398 new participants in its immersive English language program and filled 740 class seats across multiple proficiency levels. Participants achieved strong educational outcomes, with 85% demonstrating measurable educational gains, substantially exceeding state benchmarks. Riverside also launched participant reading groups to provide additional opportunities for English practice, confidence-building, and community connection. Digital literacy remained an essential part of Riverside's model. All participants completed five weeks of digital literacy instruction, gaining practical technology skills needed for employment, education, and daily life. Workforce development was a major area of growth in FY2025. Riverside created and hired a new Workforce Development Manager position to build a more robust workforce program, strengthen employer partnerships, expand career coaching, and connect participants to employment and sector-based training opportunities. During the year, 150 participants completed workforce development training, 45% secured employment or enrolled in sector-based training programs, one in five obtained employment within five weeks of enrollment, and 25% pursued specialized career training. In respons

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 50.1%; rating input score 50
• Program expense ratio: 84.2%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $67.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

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; 72nd 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: 8 of 8 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: 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: 40.6%; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.37; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.9%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -9.5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings