Self Help
Self Help reported $49.6 million in revenue and $48.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $96.86 went to program services, $3.14 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 100.0% of the total. Government grants made up 56.7%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $184,738 (HEAD START DIRECTOR). 12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 84% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $49MFor context, the median across 3,614 covered human services charities: $88.27 programs, $11.52 management, $0.21 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $50MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 96.9% | 87.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 3.1% | 11.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 100.0% | 20.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 56.7% | 2.4% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 70.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $184,738 | $274,992 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.38% | 1.18% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 12 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 1.9 | 6.9 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 13 of 13 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseEnergy programs assist eligible households to pay their heating bills; provide repairs and replacement of heaters to homeowners and tenants; and provide insulation, air sealing and perform health and safety testing at no cost to homeowners or tenants in the southeastern area of massachusetts
Head start program provides education, health, nutrition and social services to pre-school children ages 2 years and 9 months through 5 years of age from income eligible families. Other childcare services include programs from the commonwealth of massachusetts that provide a preschool curriculum similar to head start and receive nutritious meals as well
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEAD START DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $152,555 | $0 | $32,183 | $184,738 |
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $162,931 | $0 | $19,105 | $182,036 |
| HEAD START DEPUTY DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $154,601 | $0 | $19,978 | $174,579 |
| DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $123,723 | $0 | $44,563 | $168,286 |
| CFO/COO Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $160,189 | $0 | $5,743 | $165,932 |
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $134,358 | $0 | $19,449 | $153,807 |
| CONTROLLER Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $126,952 | $0 | $5,076 | $132,028 |
12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Self Help (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $448K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b13 · 13 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5259
- Volunteers Part I, line 6512
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| INTEGRITY SERVICES & CONSULTING LLC Weatherization & energy efficiency servi | $2,325,340 |
| C2S ENERGY LLC Weatherization & energy efficiency servi | $1,434,038 |
| MT MCMAHON AND SONS Weatherization & energy efficiency servi | $996,085 |
| BONANI OIL SERVICE Weatherization & energy efficiency servi | $986,179 |
| ADVANCED WINDOWS INC Weatherization & energy efficiency servi | $875,584 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 26 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
2 private foundations reported grants to Self Help totaling $531 on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Self Help's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Self Help, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Self Help spent in FY2025, $96.86 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All human services charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts
Questions people ask
How much of Self Help's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Self Help reported that 96.9% of its $48.6 million in expenses went to program services, 3.1% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Self Help pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Self Help reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $184,738, for the role of HEAD START DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Self Help get its money?
Of $49.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 100.0% came from contributions and grants (including 56.7% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Self Help a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 04-2376180 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, object 202642269349302619 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202542279349301129 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202412269349301256 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202332269349301088 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202232239349302213 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202122229349300412 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 04-2376180: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.