Thrive in Joy Nick Fagnano Foundation

What it reported doing in 2025

Thrive in Joy Nick Fagnano Foundation Origin StoryMary Fagnano and her husband, Jay, founded Thrive in Joy in memory of their son Nick, a young man whose joy, heart for service, strength of character, and inclusive friendship touched everyone he met. Nick passed away at the age of 20 when a rare and unexpected lighting strike occurred at Venice Beach, CA on July 27, 2014. Nicks presence continues to be deeply felt by the students who participate in Thrive in Joys programming.The Thrive in Joy Collective ProgramRecognizing teens today are living in a world that increasingly emphasizes technology over human connection and more teens are reporting loneliness than ever before, Thrive in Joy's after-school program known as Club Thrive in Joy addresses this issue head on. The student-led program provides social interaction, self-awareness, community engagement, and preparation for what lies ahead after high school. With an eye on the future, the Club Thrive in Joy format is evolving. Renamed as the Thrive in Joy Collective: Character, Community, College, Careers; in summer of 2026, this innovative approach addresses the growing needs of the population Thrive in Joy serves, consisting of ethnically diverse high school students from low-income communities currently attending one of five partner Title I high schools throughout Los Angeles. As a student-led program, the Collective empowers teens to create supportive human connection outside of the frequently isolating framework of social media and other social determinants impacting their well-being. The Thrive in Joy Collective provides a comprehensive, research-informed approach to supporting low-income high school youth by placing a first-gen college student in the role of Advisor for each Collective. This near-peer mentorship enhances students confidence as they grow their leadership skills and set their sights on higher education and career goals working closely with someone from a similar background who has recently achieved that to which they aspire. Desired outcomes are a heightened sense of self-awareness and purpose for every student who participates resulting in students who feel connected, motivated, joyful, supported, seen, and heard.Each student in the Collective completes the 3-session C11 Strength of Character Workshop led by the Collective student Co-chairs, after which any participating student can be certified to lead the workshops for others. Collective Co-chairs also lead weekly meetings facilitating peer dialog structured around Grows (things students are working on improving) and Glows (things they are proud they have accomplished) as well as needs they identify on their campus and in their surrounding community. Collective members host hands-on service-learning projects focused on character strengths, open to all students on campus providing support for students' mental-health by integrating intentional de-stressing activities. Emphasizing leadership and career interests, students in the Collective organize speaker panels, engage in career exploration, and plan Entrepreneurial Social Impact Projects (ESIPs). Each project addresses a need the students identify in their school or community, building long-term leadership capacity and fostering a culture of service and agency. Through these ESIPs, students learn critical thinking, public speaking, teamwork, and civic engagement. Collective activities and initiatives build durable skills for life-long success by exposing students to real-world experience in networking, marketing, budgeting, project management, and outreach; while also supporting students' mental well-being and need for authentic friendships. These activities build peer-to-peer connections while creating student awareness of the meaning and value of Thrive in Joys 11 character strengths: gratitude, honesty, humility, humor, kindness, love, perseverance, perspective, spirituality, teamwork, and zest. College readiness is enhanced with professional appli

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 50.4%; rating input score 50
• Program expense ratio: 60.7%; rating input score 61
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.22 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 20.1%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.64; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 14.9%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 14.6% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 22% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 17.7% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings