A Better Way
A Better Way reported $14.9 million in revenue and $14.8 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $85.53 went to program services, $14.03 to management and general costs and $0.44 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.9% of the total. Government grants made up 98.8%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $212,636 (PRESIDENT/CEO). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 13% 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 $15MFor 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 June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $15MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 85.5% | 87.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.4% | 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 | 99.9% | 20.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 98.8% | 2.4% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 70.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $212,636 | $274,992 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.44% | 1.18% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 1.8 | 6.9 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 8 of 8 | 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 expenseMental health services - in FY 2024/2025, a Better Way inc. Provided mental health services to children, and young adults ages 0-21 in alameda, san francisco, and solano counties. Services were delivered within a 90-mile service area to ensure timely access and meet clients where they are, using a no wrong door, community-based approach coordinated with county systems to support safety, permanency, and well-being.a Better Way behavioral health programs provides strength-based, family-driven, collaborative, and evidence-based/evidence-informed mental health services for children and young…
Social services - social services - during 2024-25, our social services programs consisted of 4 different programs, the largest of which were the alameda county parent engagement program (pep) and the alameda county another road to safety (ars) program. Additional social services programs include, alameda county parent education services (pes), and santa cruz county parent partner program (scppp). The pep, pes and scppp are dedicated to improving outcomes for families navigating the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Ars is an early intervention / differential response service for…
Permanency - a Better Way inc. Foster family program, a licensed foster family agency (ffa), provided foster care, adoption, and transitional housing services to children and youth involved in the child welfare system during fiscal year 2024-2025. The program supported child safety, permanency, and well-being through reunification, permanency planning, and adoption services.during the year, the program maintained 21 approved resource family homes and served 23 children in care. The program worked in coordination with county placing agencies and resource families to meet the needs of children…
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, 40.00 hrs/week | $197,056 | $0 | $15,580 | $212,636 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $159,430 | $0 | $11,647 | $171,077 |
| CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $159,530 | $0 | $8,544 | $168,074 |
| REG. MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $142,691 | $0 | $19,617 | $162,308 |
| CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $154,786 | $0 | $6,157 | $160,943 |
| DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $134,859 | $0 | $12,024 | $146,883 |
| SF MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $125,102 | $0 | $5,185 | $130,287 |
| DIRECTOR OF IT AND DATA SYSTEM Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $116,554 | $0 | $5,775 | $122,329 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from A Better Way (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $771K (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–1b8 · 8 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 5156
- Volunteers Part I, line 68
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| BAKER TILLY ADVISORY GROUP LP Accounting, finance, and tax services | $553,400 |
| ROBERTHALF Staffing agency | $149,822 |
| PC SOLUTION It support service | $126,270 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 3 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to A Better Way totaling $103 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 A Better Way's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for A Better Way, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 A Better Way spent in FY2025, $85.53 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Florida Association of Healthy Start CoalitionsTallahassee, FL · revenue $15M · programs 96.9% · FY2025
- ARC - Imperial ValleyEl Centro, CA · revenue $15M · programs 90.7% · FY2025
- Young Men's Christian Association of Catawba ValleyHickory, NC · revenue $15M · programs 87.2% · 2025
- The Resource Connection of Amador and Calaveras CountiesSan Andreas, CA · revenue $15M · programs 95.7% · FY2025
- Center for Human DevelopmentLA Grande, OR · revenue $15M · programs 99.3% · FY2025
All human services charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of A Better Way's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, A Better Way reported that 85.5% of its $14.8 million in expenses went to program services, 14.0% to management and general and 0.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does A Better Way pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation A Better Way reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $212,636, for the role of PRESIDENT/CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does A Better Way get its money?
Of $14.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 99.9% came from contributions and grants (including 98.8% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is A Better Way a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 93-1190792 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 202601319349304120 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202541129349300934 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202411159349300141 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022 (amended), object 202312799349300446 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202241249349302129 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202101189349300300 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 93-1190792: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.