Work First Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 010369660
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Farmington, ME, USA
- Phone
- 2077783200
- Rating
- 86
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Rehabilitative Medical Services
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,696,254
- Expenses
- $1,660,458
- Assets
- $3,195,222
- Liabilities
- $66,035
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
10 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- BUZZ DAVIS (PRESIDENT)
- KAREN RUSSELL (VICE PRESIDENT)
- LINDA LARUE-KENISTON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- LINDA LARUE-KENISTON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $114,790 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
To promote the fullest development of the individual's personal growth, social responsibility, independent living and vocational development. To increase the likelihood that people with disabilities will develop relationships, increase control over their lives and acquire positive roles in community life.
What it reported doing in 2024
The thrift shop program provides clients with developmental disabilities valuable real world work experience.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 93% 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.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and revenue has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 89
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 84
- Sustainability: 51
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 99.1%; rating input score 99
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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: Limited
- 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: 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: Fail
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Fail
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 2.1%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.92; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 6.9%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -0.8% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.6M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $115K · 10 people listed
- Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 42/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.