Safer Foundation
Safer Foundation reported $33.4 million in revenue and $36.1 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $80.90 went to program services, $16.81 to management and general costs and $2.29 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 90.3% of the total. Government grants made up 81.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $458,806 (PRESIDENT & CEO). 11 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 5% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $36MFor context, the median across 274 covered crime & legal-related charities: $87.85 programs, $11.30 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $33MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 80.9% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.3% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.03 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 90.3% | 94.8% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 81.5% | 50.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 9.4% | 0.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $458,806 | $245,814 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.27% | 1.41% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 11 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 0.6 | 6.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 16 of 16 | 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 expenseEmployment services in illinois and iowa - provides individualized intake assessments, job readiness training, and industry-specific skills development for adults with arrest or conviction records. Participants are supported in securing employment in high-demand sectors such as technology, construction, solar energy, transportation and distribution, warehousing and logistics, finance and banking, healthcare, food service and hospitality, and advanced manufacturing. Safer's approach to building sustainable talent pipelines includes work-based learning opportunities, including…
Safer Foundation, as a nonprofit private agency, operates secure residential work release centers for the illinois department of corrections. Our two adult transition centers (atc's) are work release facilities which allow incarcerated individuals to serve the final 3 to 30 months of their state prison sentences in a community-based setting. The goal is to provide selected participants with the opportunity to transition into the workforce, reconnect with family, and reintegrate into their neighborhoods before release, ultimately increasing their chances of becoming successful law-abiding…
Pivotal Staffing Services: The transitional jobs provided through Pivotal are designed to support clients who have immediate income needs, who are recently released, and who have very limited education and work experience. Jobs are expected to be retained for 90 days or until the client and Safer can partner to find a better opportunity. During the client's transitional job assignment, Safer will provide workplace acclimation training, mentoring, career planning and suport in locating a second job that offers an opportunity for increased wages
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT & CEO Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $384,360 | $0 | $74,446 | $458,806 |
| INTERIM CFO Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $343,744 | $0 | $57,944 | $401,688 |
| VP-SUPPORTIVE REENTRY Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $237,987 | $0 | $41,138 | $279,125 |
| CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $192,191 | $0 | $50,658 | $242,849 |
| VP - STRATEGY AND INNOVATION Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $200,936 | $0 | $35,290 | $236,226 |
| VP- HUMAN RESOURCES/OD Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $170,248 | $0 | $56,385 | $226,633 |
| AVP TECHNOLOGY Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $126,911 | $0 | $38,731 | $165,642 |
| AVP PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $130,574 | $0 | $22,514 | $153,088 |
11 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Safer Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.0M (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–1b16 · 16 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bNo
- 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 5338
- Volunteers Part I, line 6106
Private foundation grants it received
14 private foundations reported grants to Safer Foundation totaling $790K 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 Safer Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Safer Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Safer Foundation spent in FY2025, $80.90 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- California Rural Legal AssistanceModesto, CA · revenue $33M · programs 75.2% · 2024
- Legal Aid of Northwest TexasFort Worth, TX · revenue $34M · programs 87.4% · 2024
- Legal Services Corp of VirginiaRichmond, VA · revenue $33M · programs 99.0% · FY2025
- Committee for ChildrenSeattle, WA · revenue $34M · programs 73.2% · FY2026
- Brooklyn Legal ServicesNew York, NY · revenue $32M · programs 84.0% · 2024
All crime & legal-related charities · Largest charities in Illinois
Questions people ask
How much of Safer Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Safer Foundation reported that 80.9% of its $36.1 million in expenses went to program services, 16.8% to management and general and 2.3% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Safer Foundation pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Safer Foundation reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $458,806, for the role of PRESIDENT & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Safer Foundation get its money?
Of $33.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 90.3% came from contributions and grants (including 81.5% from government grants) and 9.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Safer Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 36-2762168 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 June 30, 2025, object 202621359349304152 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501359349315130 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431369349315143 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202301359349315530 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202221339349308017 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202111339349306251 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 36-2762168: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.