The Gladney Center for Adoption

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
750917409
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Fort Worth, TX, USA
Phone
8179226000
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$19,383,979
Expenses
$18,803,019
Assets
$24,529,223
Liabilities
$10,396,238

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

Leadership & pay

28 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARK MELSON (PRESIDENT/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARK MELSON (PRESIDENT/CEO): $345,123 total reported compensation
  • HEIDI COX (EVP/GENERAL COUNSEL): $236,362 total reported compensation
  • DAVID MAXWELL (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $206,688 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The gladney center for adoption creates bright futures through adoption and has provided maternity and adoption services since 1887. Gladney's motto of "family for life" is supported by post placement services and a vast volunteer network of families.

What it reported doing in 2024

Post adoption & counseling services - family for life - every adoption is a lifelong journey. Gladney offers robust post adoption services that extend beyond traditional post-placement care and consist of therapeutic support, adoption education, and resources to strengthen the entire family unit. In fiscal year 2025, 6,535 post adoption contacts supported 2,006 clients, including 1,668 parents and 338 adoptees. Also, 40 children participated in our camp forge program dedicated to adolescent adoption advocacy.gladney's counseling services program offers clinical counseling from professionals experienced in child welfare, complex trauma, grief, and relationship health. We focus on holistic, long-term family support to promote healing, growth, and connection for birth families, adoptive parents, and adoptees. Gladney's counseling services are available virtually throughout Texas and in person at our locations in fort worth, houston, and dallas. Clients of all ages, including waiting children, benefit from counseling that addresses identity, attachment, and adjustment. In fiscal year 2025, 1,500 therapy sessions were provided for 116 clients.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.7%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 71.9%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • 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; 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: 3%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.3; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.42; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.8%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.2% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.7% of revenue deployed · 71.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $13.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $345K · 28 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 18/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.